Using Podcasts for Employee Training

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Podcast meaning

Podcasting is becoming one of the most popular media forms, and this concept is even attracting many well-known personalities to host their own podcasts, unlike traditional radio or talk shows. What do you think about using podcasts for employee training? Share with NIT Ltd. or get some tips.

The unique thing about a podcast is that anyone can do it with minimal effort, including people in a business or corporate environment. Before we look at the concept of using podcasts in e-learning and as a tool for employee training, let’s first cover the basics of what a podcast is.

What is a podcast? A podcast has a structure and style similar to a radio talk show and can be accessed via an iPod or MP3 player. You can also make a podcast available for download through a regular computer, tablet, or smartphone. You really can download a podcast on almost anything, which makes it great as a corporate tool, since you do not need special equipment to listen to it.

Creating podcasts is extremely inexpensive and you do not need special training or experience.

It is a medium that many people feel comfortable with, since they are probably already listening to at least one podcast regularly, and it is easy to create a conversational tone that everyone, including employees, will find engaging and pleasant to listen to.

Subscribing to podcasts works in a way similar to subscribing to blogs, so you can stay informed about every new podcast when it is uploaded.

 Would you like us to help you create training? You can contact us by phone: +359 878 685 304, e-mail: office@nitbg.com.

Using podcasts for employee training

Podcasts can be used in the corporate world in various ways, but what about training and development?

We would say that this is a very good idea.

Benefits of using podcasts as a training method

Here are a few benefits of using them as a training method:

Podcasts can personalize training and create a discussion environment that can improve effectiveness and attention retention. Although e-learning offers huge advantages over classroom training, it does not remove the element of personal attention and instruction from a professional, or the sense of a personal approach. With podcasts, you can still benefit from e-learning without losing these essential elements of classroom training.
Using podcasts as a training tool allows learners to be in control. We have often discussed the benefits of self-paced employee learning paths, and podcasts align directly with this concept, since employees can choose the podcasts they find most interesting to listen to.
Podcasts make training more engaging. When designing e-learning, you may be wondering how to make certain parts of the content more engaging. This is one of the biggest challenges instructional designers face, because we all know that large blocks of written material do not perform well in terms of e-learning effectiveness. Podcasts can be an alternative to large blocks of written content. This is a great way to supplement interactive and self-paced resources. Think of it this way: using podcasts as part of training is like making employees attend college lectures, and then the rest of the e-learning is like breaking into smaller study groups or using additional materials to reinforce the concepts highlighted in the lecture.
As mentioned above, podcasts are extremely inexpensive. Producing and delivering them costs almost nothing, so together with e-learning they can save you significant amounts in employee training costs.
Their effectiveness and portability make them very attractive. Employees are busy and training managers are always looking for ways to reduce the time they spend on training while increasing effectiveness. Podcasts meet this need and can be used on the go, so employees can learn while in the car, on the train, or really anywhere.
Using podcasts as part of job training, learning, and development can be an excellent way to build loyalty and create “personal” relationships between executives and company managers, and the people they hire. When employees feel connected to the people who lead them, it builds loyalty and can help reduce turnover.
You can archive podcasts to create, over time, a valuable training library that employees can access at any time.

So, if you are convinced of the benefits of podcasts as an additional method in a larger training toolkit, how do you implement them?

How to use podcasts for training

Guidelines for using podcasts for employee training.

When considering using podcasts together with e-learning and other training methods, keep these tips in mind:

Control the sound quality: Sound quality is crucial, as with any audio material included in employee training. Although podcasts are easy, make sure they are always created with quality in mind.
Make a plan: Before creating a podcast, have a plan, but do not structure it so much that it loses its value as something personal and conversational. A good rule is to create a general outline to guide the podcast, but not to script it so thoroughly that it becomes like reading from a script. The conversation should flow naturally and feel like a conversation with an employee whom the person creating the podcast is speaking to directly.
Keep a structured archive: Keep archived podcasts very well organized; this is especially important when using them as a training tool. You want your employees to find these podcasts useful, to have access to them, and to refer back to them on demand, so make it easy to sort and find the topics they want to listen to or need to review.
Collect statistics: Collect data about your podcasts. Something we think is useful here is the ability to see which podcasts are listened to most. You can use this easy-to-collect data to promote other training methods and show the areas in which employees are most engaged and interested.
Find a way to integrate them directly into the LMS: Although we often think of podcasts as being available primarily through the iTunes platform, you can actually integrate them directly into your e-learning. You can add download links in your learning management system, so during training you can simply click and listen to the podcast.

As a final note to our guide to podcasts for training, it should be noted that while they are a fantastic supplementary tool, they cannot replace all other forms of training and development. Rather, the best approach is to create an interactive self-paced training methodology and then combine it with podcasts as reinforcement or follow-up.

 Would you like us to help you create training? You can contact us by phone: +359 878 685 304, e-mail: office@nitbg.com.

How do you make a podcast for corporate training?

1. Focus on a single goal per episode

You want your episodes to be accessible. If your employees forget something or have a question, you want them to be able to go back to your episodes to find the answer without searching through 45 minutes of content. This also gives employees the opportunity to focus on a specific task during the episode.

Yes, that means your corporate training episodes will be fairly short. Some organizations publish episodes that are only a few minutes long.

2. Create an outline of the main talking points

It is a bad idea to record your episodes in a hurry. You will certainly make mistakes, go back, and repeat yourself. This can be confusing for an employee who is trying to master a new skill for their job.

It is wiser to create a general outline before pressing the record button. This helps you write a complete script. It keeps you on topic so you can deliver the full message briefly without missing key elements.

At the same time, try to keep your delivery relaxed and conversational. Avoid sounding mechanical or using stiff corporate language. Do not use jargon or terms your audience would not understand, but do not rely on technical jargon either.

3. Create a forum or collaboration group

Podcasting is a one-way channel, so it is useful to create a space where your employees can ask questions about your episodes. If you cannot create something on your internal site, use something free like a closed Facebook group.
Connect a corporate training podcast with a Facebook group

It is also a good idea to assign someone to moderate that group, correct false statements from other employees, and answer questions when no one else does. If a question goes unanswered, it means the employee did not receive proper training, so it is important for someone to be responsible for the answers.

4. Do not skimp on production value

Some employers make the mistake of trying to save time and money by producing a low-quality show. The sound is bad, there is no editing at all, and the entire episode consists of one person who keeps talking and repeating themselves. They think their employees have to listen, so there is no need to invest in production to keep people interested.

Your employees may be forced to listen, but they will not retain the information if they do not enjoy the experience. Therefore, you can improve training effectiveness by treating your corporate training podcast just like a real podcast, which includes:

Using appropriate podcasting equipment;
Properly editing each episode with a reliable editing tool;
Conducting interviews when necessary. It is especially useful to invite people from your organization onto the show if they can provide valuable information;
Adding effects to audio clips where they make sense (but do not overdo them);
Recording in a space designed for podcasting.

5. Use anecdotes and real stories

Storytelling is a key part of podcasting. People simply connect better with personal stories that resonate emotionally. You can evoke feelings and build a connection with your employees by weaving stories into your corporate training lessons. This makes the training more human and gets your team engaged in learning.

For example, let us say you are teaching your listeners how to use the internal HR software. You could warn them about a potential mistake by telling the story of a time when you made that mistake. In this way, you teach the lesson and convince the employee that you know what you are talking about.

6. Choose the right publishing schedule

"When should I publish podcast episodes?" is one of the most frequently asked podcasting questions. Unfortunately, there is no clear answer. It depends entirely on your show and your audience. However, when it comes to corporate training podcasts, the decision is actually quite simple.

Are you building a library of content that you expect employees to access on their own? If so, publish them as soon as they are completed, regardless of any schedule.

For example, a series of how-to materials on using company software or a season of episodes on workplace safety and harassment should be published immediately. Employees will review them on their own schedule or at the manager’s direction (for example, during onboarding).

Does your podcast teach soft skills that are not directly related to their job, but are still important to know? If so, release them on a weekly or biweekly schedule that suits your workflow. This allows them to look forward to new episodes and set aside time to listen to them.

7. Create a work schedule

One of the best things about creating an internal corporate podcast is that your marketing is simple.

Promoting a podcast is a major challenge, but corporate podcasts are easier to promote for three reasons:

1. Your audience size is fixed. The podcast is only for people in your company, so it does not need to grow beyond that.
2. Your audience is known. You know exactly who will listen. If you want, you can survey each potential listener one by one (although that may be a lot of work).
3. You can reach everyone. You can promote the show and notify your audience about new episodes with a single company-wide email.

Although promoting your podcast is easy, you will still need to create a checklist that you go through for each new episode.

This checklist should include a number of activities to announce the new episode.

Here are some basic ideas:

Send an email to the entire company.
Notify key people in the organization depending on the content of the episode (i.e., notify the head of the legal team if the episode is about legal issues).
Write a short note for the operations team to read over the loudspeaker.
Put flyers in the cafeteria and break rooms.
Send a company-wide notice

8. Keep your episodes organized

Publish your episodes on a podcast host and then link to them from a page on your company website. Keep that page organized so your employees can quickly find what they are looking for. The episodes should be downloadable and available to listen to on your site.

The titles of each episode should be clear and descriptive. Avoid using ambiguous phrases. Use key words related to the problem or goal of the audience.

For example, an episode about requesting leave should be titled "How to Request Paid Leave." An episode about productivity at work could be called "8 Productivity Tips."

What do you think about using podcasts as part of your training strategy?

 Would you like us to help you create training? You can contact us by phone: +359 878 685 304, e-mail: office@nitbg.com.