Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Understanding the challenges

At the end of 2022, we conducted a series of in-depth interviews with CEOs and HR Directors to unpick some of the challenges that they are facing in their organisations. Many of these are familiar, having faced them ourselves in both corporate and smaller businesses.

The themes that emerged are consistent; many businesses find that their teams are no longer engaging with company updates. Or worse, they are seen by leadership as a simple check box exercise where they do it, but engagement, culture and communication across the business remains a challenge.

It’s also a challenge to ensure that employees feel part of a bigger team and engaged with the company culture.

Working from home can make teams feel disconnected and isolated

This is a widespread issue. According to a study by the APA (American Psychiatric Association) , the majority of employees working from home say they have experienced negative mental health impacts, including isolation, loneliness and difficulty getting away from work at the end of the day. That is where podcasting comes in: even remote teams operating across different time zones can feel less alone if they are able to communicate and share stories via a podcast.

Given more than 50% of businesses plan to introduce a new workforce podcasting program in the coming year, and 37.5% planned to grow their programme, this isn’t a passing fad and is here to stay.

Internal podcasts can help solve these challenges

So, if existing channels are not delivering. Leaders are distant. Communications are lacking humanity and feel cold. Ultimately failing to deliver the cultural shift that teams need to feel connected. Why will an internal podcast be any different? The reason is that podcasts have a voice – you can set the tone, tell human stories and even add humour if appropriate.

Podcasting is highly intimate and engaging as most people listen through their headphones. So, with the right creative treatment, an internal podcast really is the perfect tool to engage your teams and provide clarity and direction around your business goals. Plus, the ability to multi-task whilst listening means you can actively encourage your workforce to get up and move whilst listening – a very simple but effective way of endorsing exercise during the working day!

Communication is the biggest challenge

Nearly a fifth of remote workers say one of their biggest challenges is communication. Similarly, recent research from Gallagher into HR departments claims that 53% of businesses see ‘engaging teams around purpose, strategy and values’ as being a key priority over the coming year.

We’re all aware of these challenges – how do you make a load of individuals, sat on their laptops, working out of their bedroom, feel like they’re part of the bigger picture? Communications will often fail: deleting the dull company news email that comes out on a Friday, scrolling through social feeds whilst the CEO webinar plays in the background. Employee engagement is one of the great challenges in the modern day workforce. We need to reconnect on a human level, and communications need to be both efficient, from a time perspective, and relevant to each individual. This is where internal or private podcasts come in.

Adding podcasts to internal communications can actually benefit teams who are feeling disconnected or overwhelmed. An email can easily get lost among the rest of the workload, deprioritised, and often left unopened. But podcasts cut through.

Allowing teams to step away from their screens

Plus, for teams who are on screens all day, it can be incredibly beneficial to step away from the computer and engage with their work in a more intimate way. This could be at a time that suits them or an allocated time in their diary to listen to a podcast.

And, at the other extreme, there are those teams who have very limited access to a computer – for example, working in manufacturing or retail – who benefit from company updates easily accessed via their phone and on-the-go.

Internal podcasts can be a powerful tool

An internal or private podcast may be a simple concept, but it has the power to deliver against all of the above by improving communication, culture and leadership across your business. And, in case you’re already starting to think about the content opportunities – it’s possible to start small, indeed you’ve probably already got content that can be repurposed into podcasts; blog posts, newsletter articles, employee interviews, etc can be transformed into podcasts. It is like adding a shiny coat of paint and a set of wheels, creating a much more engaging and immersive experience for your audiences.

To set yourself up for success, take a look at our series of guides to help you plan an internal podcast:

Need help starting an internal podcast?

Like everything else at Auddy, we are pushing the boundaries of audio……

Helping companies communicate like never before in an age of constant distractions.

We make it easy for you to communicate with your teams through podcasts.

Transforming the way you:

Communicate with teams
Share success stories
Inspire and motivate colleagues wherever they are in the world

This is because…podcasts are uniquely capable of cutting through and bringing teams closer.

Beating screen fatigue…
Building company culture…
And helping employees feel more connected…

By engaging in their own time, on their own terms.

Whether you are thinking about building an audio strategy from scratch, or you want to make an existing one work harder, our fresh approach to audio will ensure that the content you create will deliver.

You can get started with no upfront costs and simply pay for the users that you register. Or, you can opt for a set monthly fee allowing you to manage your costs as you build your community. With both solutions, Auddy offers onboarding on our secure partner platform, analytics, customer support and distribution of your show.

Just pick up a mic and off you go.

Add-ons such as marketing, production, editing and strategy can also help you deliver successful communications.

Or, you can opt for a fully bespoke package where we can help create your audio strategy and then manage everything for you. It couldn’t be easier.

Speak to our team to work out the best solution for your business.