5 Can’t-Miss Podcasts on Employee Engagement (Plus 3 Bonus Episodes)

People are often enterprises’ greatest asset. For this reason, employee engagement will only become more important in 2019.

When report after report shows that almost 70 percent of employees are disengaged, it’s not hard to believe that the day of reckoning for employee engagement has come. For that reason, companies need to invest in big initiatives that address what really drives employee engagement—meaning. But how to achieve this is the question running through HR teams around the world.

This is where the podcast revolution comes in. Podcasts are a great way for HR and wellness professionals to:

  • Continue learning. Podcasts are an excellent way to stay up-to-date and educated on current HR and corporate wellness trends.
  • Grow professionally and personally. Podcasts are filled with tips and tricks to help make people’s professional and personal lives more fulfilling and rewarding.
  • Find inspiration. Many business podcasts are filled with fresh ideas and new perspectives that people’s organization may not have thought of. This motivation can not only help improve their personal performance, but they can also share new-found knowledge with colleagues and use it to sell innovative ideas to upper management.

We have compiled five can’t-miss podcasts to introduce to the rotation for HR leaders’ daily commute.

1. The Tim Ferriss Show ~ Tim Ferriss

This podcast has been ranked the #1 business podcast on iTunes on several occasions – and for good reason. Tim Ferriss, the best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, has been dubbed as “the world’s best human guinea pig.” During each episode, Ferriss interviews world-class performers, entrepreneurs, and athletes to unlock some of the tools and tricks that helped them achieve success.

Each entertaining episode includes helpful books, morning routines, exercise habits, and time-management tricks that listeners can use to become more motivated and successful. HR and wellness professionals will benefit from his discussions on leadership and goal-setting. The podcast also features many successful guests including Jamie Foxx, Edward Norton, and Maria Popova.

2. HR Happy Hour ~ Steve Boese & Trish McFarlane

One of the longest-running podcasts in the HR space, “HR Happy Hour” focuses on human resources, management, leadership, and workforce technology. Hosts Steve Boese, co-chair of the HR Technology Conference, and Trish McFarlane, an HR executive and writer, release episodes two to three times a month; and with more than 200 episodes recorded since 2009, there’s plenty of material for you to work through.

The episodes are easy to digest while still offering a plethora of information.

HR and wellness professionals will gain great insight on emerging HR trends and management advice from two very successful industry leaders. The episodes are also the perfect length to squeeze in over a lunch break!

3. Best Part of My Job ~ Lars Schmidt

Hosted by recruiting veteran Lars Schmidt, “Best Part of My Job” is a podcast that highlights everyday people and their individual professional stories. According to Schmidt, the podcast was inspired by the many times he’s asked people, “what’s the best thing about your job?” during his career as a recruiter. The many answers to that question, he says, are fascinating because they illuminate what really drives people; and they help leaders understand what employees truly value in a career. The podcast covers people across a variety of industries, from technology, to art, to marine biology.

4. The School of Greatness ~ Lewis Howes

This is one of the top-ranked business and self-development podcasts in iTunes and has been downloaded over two million times a month. Host Lewis Howes spent his career as an elite athlete and professional football player before sustaining a  career-ending injury. Since then, he has built a multimillion-dollar online business and become a successful business coach and speaker. He uses his podcast to inspire others to reach their full potential by giving listeners the tools, knowledge and resources they need to get there.

In each episode, Howes features interviews from various sought-after leaders in entrepreneurship, health, and athletics, as well as mindset and relationship experts. HR and wellness professionals will benefit from the powerful and inspiring lessons and practical exercises used throughout the show. Howes discuses many topics—such as mindfulness, confidence building, and stress relief—that can be leveraged in the workplace.

5. Human Capital Institute Podcasts

The Human Capital Institute Podcast are perfect for anyone who is looking to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in HR but doesn’t have much time on their hands. The short-form episodes are perfect for lunch-break listening and cover pretty much everything from talent acquisition and analytics to engagement, retention, and development. Additionally, the podcast gives listeners access to leading HR practitioners from Fortune 1000 companies, as well as thought-leaders, authors, and academics.

More of a skip-around type of listener? If you’re not looking to commit to a full podcast but want some single episodes to check out, these three are definitely worth a listen:

  1. The Meaning of Work (TED Radio Hour) ~ The NPR podcast TED Radio Hour covers all things TED. That is, any ideas, concepts, or inventions that push our minds forward. In the episode, TED speakers dive into why we work for a living and how employers can make the experience more meaningful.
  2. Netflix’s Reed Hastings on Culture Shock (Masters of Scale) ~ Netflix is famous for its 100+ slide culture deck and its strong company culture. In this episode, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings dives into why defining and documenting culture is so important. (Spoiler alert: Being unabashedly upfront about what you value will bring in employees who share those values!)
  3. Starbucks: Howard Schultz (How I Built This) ~ “How I Built This” dives into the stories behind the world’s best-known companies. In this episode, host Guy Raz connects with Starbuck’s Howard Schulz. Tune in to listen to Howard’s incredible experience growing Starbucks from a small Seattle coffee shop to a global brand, and how he’s cared for his employees along the journey.

Are you an HR leader looking to gain inspiration or enhance your skills and education, but don’t have the time to read a book or attend a workshop? Podcasts could be the perfect solution. Make the most of your next commute or lunch break by listening to top HR, wellness, and business experts as they share their experience and discuss innovation in employee engagement to help you become an even better leader.