Surely one of the biggest and most widely felt results of the ongoing global pandemic has been the complete transformation of the idea of “the workplace”. Everyone’s workspace went from being a 5x5 cubicle or an open floor plan of workstations to being a desk at home or a spare bedroom converted into an office (over time and by necessity). The idea of co-workers and the water station break went right out the window, and spontaneous team lunches and coffee breaks became a thing of a nostalgic past.

Suffice it to say, every working professional had to deal with these quick, blinding changes. World over, people adapted, or grappled with the adaptation, to a “new normal”. And now, an oft cited fact is the impact this “new normal” has had on various sectors of the workplace. While internal team structures found their footing comparatively early on, under the guidance of team leaders and senior management, other teams like finance and HR were dealt some tough cards. This meant drastic and quick restructuring.

Think about it – with the absence of office space, offline employee activities and more, budgets were the first thing to come under the microscope. But, following a close second was the work of HR teams world over. Not only did their work come under a microscope, but it stood at the bring of a transformation – once again, by necessity.
The HR team of any organisation is highly invested in the engagement of its employees. And, it’s safe to say that, in these times, employee engagement took a hit by quite the mile. Accompanying discussions of a “new normal” are often discussions about combatting “work from home exhaustion” or “saturation”. It’s easy to feel exhausted and saturated when all one is doing is engaging with house work or professional work. And in that state of saturation, engaging in any capacity apart from the calls of the job is a difficult thing to do.

And, there lay every HR teams’ new challenge and priority. The idea of employee engagement had to change – what it comprises, what it aims to do and why it exists. It could no longer feature any real-life presence. It had to rely on the virtual tools available to everyone. And, while virtual meets and zoom-led activities kept things afloat for a while, saturation eventually dug its claws into that, too. Employee engagement programs were left high and dry as HR professionals looked for new ways of fostering employee engagement.

And, almost in some sort of virtual employee engagement eureka moment, podcasting and other forms of audio content emerged victorious. In an unprecedented turn of events, personalised shows, tailor made to the organisation’s communication needs arrived as the answer to every HR teams woes.

And it makes sense too. Podcasts are a highly personal, tangible and engaging way of connecting with one’s audience. This format allows organisations to actually engage with their employees rather than focusing on merely engaging them. From informative conversations to entertaining games and capsules, this format of employee engagement allows for a lot that more traditional formats of internal communication and engagement and motivation.

Kickstarting a podcast or radio show just for your organization is a great way, in today’s day and age, to motivate and engage your employees as well as engage with them. This format also comes with the added benefits of other motifs like music and talk radio-style conversation that contribute to motivation and increased levels of productivity. Think of this as a way of giving your employees a breather in the midst of a hectic work week – an aim that all employee engagement activities/ HR led activities kept in mind, previously.

In fact, podcasts and corporate radio shows have become major players both in the media world as well as for the purpose of employee engagement. And, for the interested, there are experts in the field who can help elevate your employee engagement strategies. Organisations like Timbre Media, for example, offer best in class services through an expert content creation team, creative producers and a holistic, 360 degree approach to engagement strategies.