HYbrid culture

One of our jobs as internal communicators is to give employees options for how they prefer to consume content. Not everyone will read those newsletters or take the time to watch that video — or start every workday checking for what’s new on the intranet.

Podcasts offer another possible channel for reaching employees with cultural communications — and podcasts continue to increase in popularity. Some estimates have the number of podcast listeners topping 100 million by 2024. They’re easy to produce and require a minimal budget, even if you need outside help in recording or editing.

Here are five ways you might use podcasts in your internal communications channel mix:

Make the intranet a true hub

When employees aren’t bumping into each other in the office, they need a venue for connection. Replace or rethink your intranet to create a place that’s not only useful for employees, but a receptacle for your culture. First, make sure the intranet is an easy way for employees to find the tools and info they need to do their jobs. But also set up a calendar of regularly occurring cultural articles or digital publications hosted there.

Give new employees a mentor – and a buddy

A podcast can be a great platform for having employees share their perspectives, and for including employees scattered across global locations. Try asking the same question to a handful of employees — from how they describe the culture to how they see themselves supporting the vision — and edit into a podcast episode that includes a range of individual responses.

Encourage managers to spend face time

It’s just as easy to record someone working from home as it is in the office. It also makes no difference if employees are in India or Indianapolis, as long as you schedule appropriately for employees’ local time zones. Podcasts give you the opportunity to let employees hear from each other and build connections with colleagues around the globe.

Build human connections with communications

Some business topics or strategic goals are difficult to communicate in a short article or intranet page. A podcast provides time for a subject-matter expert or executive leader to go into more depth and provide a fuller explanation. Use a podcast to explain the research behind a new product introduction or the business reasons behind a major change initiative.

Trust and respect your remote employees

Employees may be more willing to participate in a podcast recording than a video shoot, just because they don’t have to worry about their appearance. All they need to do is engage in a conversation. If they don’t like the way they responded to a certain question, they can give it another whirl. Let them know you’ll use their best parts and delete any false starts or mistakes.