Using podcasts for internal communication

The branded podcast is currently on everyone's lips:

The number of podcasts being created is growing by leaps and bounds,
Articles on "how to set up a branded podcast" are flooding the web,
Study after study shows that podcasts are the media to bet on in the months and years ahead.

Unfortunately, no matter how much we click, scroll and jump from Google to Youtube... Very few mention the value of podcasts for internal communication! Still under-exploited by brands in France, the internal branding podcast is already moving up a gear in the United States (you'll find a few examples below)And yet, on both sides of the Atlantic, the issues of recruiting and retaining employees are the same!

Reduce turnover and increase commitment!

Whether you're a human resources manager, office happiness manager or human resources consultant, you'll need to keep your glasses on tightly... We've prepared some never-before-seen content for you! 1,2,3 read on!

Contents

1. The corporate podcast to involve employees

According to a Gallup study, "employee engagement" boosts profitability by 44%.Interesting, isn't it...? Especially as today's podcast fans are predominantly urban dwellers from higher socio-professional categories.Does that sound like your company's employees? That's what I thought... I guess it gives you a different perspective on corporate podcasting, especially since, according to the Gallup study, high levels of employee engagement can also :

86% increase in positive customer feedback,
70% reduction in turnover,
70% increase in productivity.

Beyond being a complementary means of internal communication, it's a genuine performance tool for your company.It has the virtue - thanks to its longer, immersive, human format - of reinforcing your employees' commitment to the company.The corporate podcast allows the company to whisper in the ear of its employeesCovidor not, telecommuting is going to take root in our companies. It doesn't matter whether your company is fully remote or not: creating content by and for your employees helps maintain - and strengthen - the bond with them, as well as the sense of belonging that tends to erode with distance ("Out of sight..." you know the rest).There are several possible editorial angles for a corporate podcast integrated into employee communications:

The event podcast: deployed for a specific event (Christmas, New Year, back-to-school, etc.),
Themed podcasts: covering and deciphering key topics specific to the company's culture,
The strategy podcast: aimed at presenting, breaking down and explaining the company's strategy(ies).
The culture podcast: showcasing the company's men and women, while giving meaning to the company's values.

By diversifying and sharing with all employees, you :

Echo the company's messages to better assimilate them,
Inspiring employees through colleague testimonials and the mirror effect
Build bridges between your company's departments (decompartmentalization)

2. Don't leave your employees in the dark: keep them informed

Imagine getting up every day at 7am, staying in the office until 6pm, taking public transport up to 3 hours a day... And you're the last to hear that the company has just raised funds.How would youfeel? Feel bad? Yet this is the case for 74% of employees who feel they are missing out on company news. Unfortunately, this problem is not confined to large groups with thousands of employees: the same statistics apply to employees of small and medium-sized businesses and even start-ups, which are expanding at breakneck speed.Now that you've got the picture, let's pause for a moment... What are your options for informing/updating your employees about developments at your company? To help you, here's a quick summary of the options available to you in the table below:Options for informing your employeesProblemCreatean e-mail campaign (newsletter)

(Too) Formal
The information is likely to be drowned out in their inboxes

Organize a physical/remote meetingChronophageous: you're going to consume an outrageous amount of time getting all your employees together (exchanging emails, creating the zoom link etc)Write a blog article

Time-consuming
It's hard to find the right copywriter to captivate your employees.
Are you sure your employees read your blog posts? Are they focused when they do?

And then you say to yourself: "But what can I do?" (Yes, I'm a mentalist in my spare time).You guessed it: the internal podcast!

Why is the internal podcast the most effective way to keep your employees informed?

In short, the internal podcast has the advantage:

humanize the discourse, which isn't easy to do in a newsletter
listen "on the go" (no need to sit at your desk with your company's intranet codes),
offer infinitely more creative and personalized options than a simple email

What type of internal podcast should I launch to keep my employees informed?

Instead of giving you a stupid answer, let's take a trip across the Atlantic.Tell Me Why"Presented by its communications director, this publicly accessible podcast helps employees understand the reasoning behind their decisions.

The result for American Airlines:

Employees are less skeptical (or even convinced that management is doing the right thing).
Employees are more productive because they understand what's going on, rather than living in a constant state of limbo (going to work every day without knowing whether the company is going to survive doesn't appeal to anyone).

3. The podcast in internal communications as a lever for getting your employees to know each other

Here... at this point in the article... I want to draw the attention of those responsible for internal communications... Are you with me?If I tell you that in your companies and large groups, you're facing a number of internal problems, such as ..:

Lack of connection between departments
Your company's lack of recognition for your employees' individual qualities (they generally don't feel personally valued).
On-boarding of your new employees, with your internal support and understanding (all remotely, of course!).

Am I wrong? No, you're not! If I tell you that you could improve your score on the subject, would you be interested? A recent study shows that employee productivity can increase by 25%... if they feel connected to each other. Do youseewhat I'm getting at? The podcast can be used as an internal lever for :

Highlight your employees,
Celebrating their talent,
Discover their personalities (the Netflix series they watch, the places they've visited, the values they stand for)

In this way, you can boost your employer brand and strengthen your ability to :

Recruiting talent that matches your business
Retaining existing talent

Put your people first, and your people will listen.Yes! You can smile... You now have an audience!

Example of a branded podcast for internal use

LVMH has launched a series of podcasts featuring twelve inspiring female employees. All from different LVMH Houses, they share their professional journeys and the key moments of their careers in the tone of intimate, powerful and revealing testimonials.

Discover it here.

4. Maintain your competitive edge!

I'm not telling you anything new... Your team's success also depends on its ability to keep abreast of the competition.Unfortunately, competitive intelligence is time-consuming work, often neglected by your sales force and overlooked by your marketing team.What a pain, isn't it? Now imagine, once a month, a member of your team delivering to your employees - on a platter - key data, information and developments in your sector...Still there? So, let's take it a step further... I've got a bonus tip for you: it could, for example, involve an expert in your sector, or someone who has just carried out a study on the new buying behaviors of your potential consumers.

What questions should you ask yourself before launching an internal podcast dedicated to business intelligence?

Before you launch this podcast, consider the needs of your employees and ask yourself:

What's the latest news in your industry?
What key data could your employees consider relevant to help them in their work?
What do they need to know to facilitate their decision-making?

And above all, opt for a suitable format: "1 episode - 1 news" features work very well because they allow listeners to choose only the subjects that concern them from the set on offer, or the subjects that interest them at the time (in relation to a specific issue or prospect). In this way, you save them time, but not the other way round.

5. Internal podcast: the driving force behind your human resources program

It's a sad fact of life, but it's increasingly true... Your employees won't stay for ever!Their personal lives, their ambitions, their need for change will play a considerable role in their career decisions (in other words, whether they stay with you for a few more weeks, months or years)Being in charge of human resources means making sure that your employees :

This is followed by the training needed to upgrade skills,
Access to a works council that makes life easier,
Benefit from support in making professional decisions

...Only your salespeople on the road H-24, your communications managers overworked by Covid and your administrative teams have other things to think about than the umpteenth meeting with your HR team (Even if we're sure they're super nice, of course!)This is what Salesforce has understood with its internal podcast "The Salesforce Admins Podcast"which :

Teach "soft skills" (such as empathy, networking and conflict resolution)
Suggest elements to guide them in their careers

Thanks to this constant communication via the internal brand podcast, Salesforce employees feel closer to the brand, considered as humans and accountable.Ideal for a brand looking to boost its employer brand to recruit talent and/or retain talent.If you'd like more information about the brand podcast as an internal communication tool, or if you'd like to share your current thoughts on the subject for your company, contact us We love to talk about all the issues we come across, so don't hesitate!

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Why are podcasts a must for internal communications?