Is now the time to create an internal podcast?
Lots of companies, like Netflix, Shopify, and Spotify, are using internal podcasts to communicate and connect their CEOs, employees, and team members.
Netflix’s internal podcast, WeAreNetflix, features employees talking about life at the company.
On Shopify’s podcast, team member Simon Hørup Eskildsen interviews other employees about their work and interests.
Spotify’s TheGreenRoom explores the streaming platform’s culture and work-life through interviews with employees.
But what is an internal podcast? And why should you have one in your business?
What is an internal podcast?
An internal podcast is a private podcast solely for your business and company (some large multi-generation business families also have them, too).
It’s a new way of providing communication and building culture in your business that is uniquely different from newsletters, emails, and zoom meetings.
They differ from other ‘private’ podcasts that are only available behind a paywall. They can only be accessed by employees, team members, and people associated with the business.
Why should I have one?
You’re probably wondering why you should start an internal podcast, right?
You’re already using emails, instant messenger, project management software, and meetings (in person or online) as communication channels in your team – why do you need another one?
One main reason to start an internal podcast is to build empathy. Hearing someone speak creates an instant connection that just isn’t possible with just the written word. If you have a large team, where employees are working remotely from home and in the office, then a private company podcast is a great way to connect with them with a personal form of communication.
An internal podcast can create ties of communication between otherwise separate departments. The podcast could, for example, allow people from the sales team to hear about what the marketing team is up to and vice versa.
It’s a humanistic medium of communication that can galvanise the many parts of your team into a whole.
Internal podcasts also allow team members to listen in their own time. Instead of disrupting a team member’s day or flow with instant messages, emails or Zoom meetings, they can tune in to the podcast when it suits them.
How would I structure my internal podcast?
An internal podcast can come in any shape and size depending on your goals and what you want to communicate.
The podcast could have a regular host with different guests each week. In this structure the host could be someone you hire specifically, or someone who already works at the company. This format is a manageable way of approaching an internal podcast as the onus is on the host to create the scenario. The guest only has to show up and talk!
The host chooses who each week’s guests will be, prepares what they will talk about and records the episode.
Each episode could feature them talking with someone from a particular department about work and life at the company. Or, it could even be a conversation with the CEO about the direction of the business.
Another way of approaching an internal podcast is by letting a different department host each week. This way every episode is a deep-dive into that specific department where they can talk more broadly about everything and anything that is going on in their world.
The possibilities are endless!
What would the internal podcast be about?
This is the fun part.
Your internal podcast can be about anything to do with the company and the people in it. Again, this all depends on what you want to achieve and what your goals are.
Here are some ideas to get the ball rolling for your internal podcast:
A message from the leadership team
Each week the leadership team could update the wider network of team members about what the company is doing, fresh ideas, and top-down housekeeping.
Empowering teams to share what they are working on
In each episode a department gets to share what they have been working on. They can share any victories they’ve had, things that haven’t gone to plan and what they’ve learned along the way.
A newsletter
The podcast could just be an audio version of an internal company newsletter! It’s a brilliant way to disseminate any news or updates about the business. As well as this it can be used to shout out individual team member’s birthdays and other life-events!
Onboarding new employees
An internal podcast for new employees that discusses the history of the business, how it got started, the mission statement and core values, and what life looks like in the company.
A message from the leadership team
Each week the leadership team could update the wider network of team members about what the company is doing, fresh ideas, and top-down housekeeping.
How do I get started?
If you need help getting your internal podcast off the ground or would like to know more about this exciting form of communication, get in contact with Oh My Pod today. We can do all the boring production stuff so you can focus on your business and the wonderful people on your team.
