A podcast is a powerful recruitment tool for breathing life into your employer brand, sharing authentic stories and demonstrating thought leadership. Find out how to use podcasting for recruitment and measure the engagement it brings.
By 2024, Statista projects that a staggering half a billion people worldwide will be tuning into podcasts, marking a meteoric rise in their popularity.
Employers can tap into this in the form of employee podcasting which can explore topics that are relevant to your workplace culture in depth and in a way that audiences love to engage with.
In this blog, we’re going to take a look at harnessing the power of podcasting to reach a passive candidate audience and engage them based on their interests, needs, aspirations and work-related pain points.
Podcasts serve as a dynamic medium to breathe life into an employer's brand narrative. They offer an immersive auditory experience, allowing organisations to weave intricate tales of their people, culture and values.
An employer brand isn't just a logo or a catchy slogan; it's a set of promises that a company makes to its employees and potential recruits. Traditional recruitment channels can limit the depth and authenticity of these promises. Podcasts, however, offer the opportunity to tap into an unprecedented level of authenticity. Through candid interviews with employees, a behind-the-scenes look into company operations or discussions about organisational milestones, podcasts give life to these abstract promises. They allow listeners to not just hear, but also feel the ethos of a company.
It’s about more than sharing what a day in the life looks like for an employee, you can do a deep dive into areas that are meaningful to your company. A software company might focus on the innovative tools that its team love to use. A senior leader might share surprising things they’ve learned about leadership. A company that wants to demonstrate the importance they place on health and wellbeing might share employee stories about their own health, and how they are being supported.
In an age where authenticity and transparency are highly valued, podcasts resonate with the target audience of ideal candidates–including hard-to-reach passive candidates–who increasingly value genuine insights over polished exteriors. As candidates become more discerning in their career choices, organisations need innovative channels like podcasts to give shape to, and amplify, their employer brand. Through stories, insights and authentic discussions, podcasts are proving to be a crucial tool in the modern recruitment landscape.
In addition to making the perfect tool for authentic employee storytelling, a podcast is a powerful platform that can demonstrate the thought leadership of a company, and the people who work there. This reputation helps to grow employer brand engagement by building trust and credibility, and raising visibility to keep you front of mind should your ideal candidate begin a search for a new role.
The podcast format offers a distinctive avenue for professionals and organisations to share insights, dissect industry trends and offer informed perspectives on pressing issues. Unlike written articles, podcasts provide an opportunity for a more personal, conversational style of engagement, allowing thought leaders to connect with their audience on a deeper, more relatable level.
The extended format of podcasts allows for nuances, expert interviews, case studies and detailed exploration, all of which fortify the presenter's position as a genuine authority in their field. For companies and professionals seeking to establish or consolidate their thought leadership, this depth of content, combined with the widespread accessibility of podcasts, makes for an unmatched combination.
However, the true beauty of using podcasts for thought leadership lies in their inherent flexibility. From panel discussions to solo musings, from interviews with industry titans to collaborative sessions with emerging talents, the podcasting world offers endless possibilities. This adaptability ensures that thought leaders can tailor their content, ensuring it resonates with their target audience while genuinely reflecting their expertise and insights.
In the dynamic landscape of digital media, merely producing content is not sufficient; it's essential to gauge its effectiveness. For a podcast aimed at bolstering employer brand engagement, key performance indicators (KPIs) need to be meticulously selected to capture its true impact. Start by analysing listenership metrics such as download counts, listener retention rates and episode completion percentages. Additionally, delve into demographics to understand if your target audience–potentially prospective employees or industry peers–is tuning in. Platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts offer detailed insights which can help determine how captivating your episodes are and where there might be drop-offs.
Feedback is a goldmine when refining any strategy. Encourage listeners to leave reviews or ratings and actively seek comments on platforms where your podcast is shared. This direct audience feedback can offer invaluable insights into what's resonating and what might need tweaking. Beyond this, measure engagement off the podcast platform as well. Are discussions around your podcast episodes sparking on LinkedIn, Twitter or industry forums? Such organic conversations can be a telling sign of the podcast's influence and reach.
Once you've gathered these insights, it's time to refine your approach. If certain topics or formats result in higher engagement, consider producing more of such content. Conversely, address areas of drop-offs or negative feedback by either tweaking the content or adjusting the presentation style. Continual engagement with your audience, whether through surveys or social media polls, can further inform and guide your content strategy. Remember, the objective is to nurture a relationship with your listeners, turning them from passive consumers into active advocates of your employer brand. In this ever-evolving process, adaptability, backed by data-driven decisions, is the key to success.
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