Top 10 HR Podcasts to Fine Tune your People Processes

Stay up to date with HR Podcasts

Do you want to be up to date with the latest news and trends in the world of work? We have one word for you - podcasts. Whilst lengthy books and white papers are beginning to look a little outdated, HR podcasts are an ideal way to gain invaluable industry insights in easily digestible chunks.

Podcasts bring HR to life

Podcasts are unique in the way that they bring industry experts, business leaders and HR thought leaders to life by sharing their real professional experiences. To help you find your favourite we have put together a list of our top 10 leading HR podcasts to help you fine tune your people processes.

HR Podcast selection criteria

When compiling this list we considered a range of criteria: number of followers and listeners, whether the hosts are leading industry professionals, where the podcast ranks on the search engine results page, and how relevant we found the themes. We scoured the internet for the longest running and top downloaded podcasts that provided the best industry insight. Without further ado, here are the best free podcasts for human resources professionals (listed in Alphabetical order):

Top 10 HR Podcasts

1. CIPD Podcast

• About: Having racked up more than 150 episodes, the CIPD podcast provides a polished look at to key issues concerning HR and people development professionals. The professional body interviews some of the brightest minds in the business exploring topical workplace, HR and L&D themes like workplace agility, unconscious bias and performance management.
• Host: Nigel Cassidy
• Length: 30 minutes
• Where: Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud
• When: Monthly
• Recommended episode: Podcast 162: Workforce monitoring – how far is too far

Honoured - thanks to a great CIPD team. Like you, with the working world in ferment, we know it's crucial to keep finding insightful contributors who are one step ahead of the people issues. Next we dive into post-Brexit recruitment. Could we keep more EU employees but just send them back to work from home? - Nigel Cassidy

2. Digital HR Leaders

• About: Digital HR Leaders with David Green talks to industry experts who are pushing the boundaries in their organizations with data-driven and digital HR. Expect to hear from leaders who are driving transformation within their organizations, and who offer real thought leadership on preparing for the future of work.
• Host: David Green
• Length: 40 minutes
• Where: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor
• When: 2-3 times per month
• Recommeded episode How IBM is Reinventing HR with AI and People Analytics (Interview with Diane Gherson from IBM)

3. DriveThruHR

• About: Regularly broadcasting since 2010, this bitesize lunchtime podcast packs a punch, covering a range of topics including HR technology, recruiting, talent management, leadership, organizational culture and strategic HR. Each episode features a guest who joins the hosts to share their knowledge and experience of HR.
• Hosts: Mike VanDervort, Robin Schooling, Dwane Lay, and Crystal Miller Lay
• Length: 30 minutes
• Where: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | PlayerFM
• When: Three times each week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 12PM Central Time)
• Recommended episode: The Math of Leadership w/ Terry Dunn of Positive Management Leadership

On behalf of Drive Thru HR, I wanted to thank the great folks at PeopleGoal for including us on your recent list of HR podcasts. Drive Thru HR has been around since 2010 with a variety of hosts who all strive to help our colleagues in the HR profession have a little fun and learn something useful. As we approach our 1500th episode, we are proud to share a spot on your list with so many other great podcasts. - Mike VanDervort

4. HR Happy Hour

• About: The longest-running downloadable HR podcast on our list, HR Happy Hour explores themes such as human resources management, mental health, leadership, and workforce technology. Show hosts Steve Boese and Trish McFarlane invite thought leaders, HR and tech pioneers as well as academics to discuss workplace trends, covering topics like innovation, inclusion and leadership.
• Hosts: Steve Boese and Trish McFarlane
• Length: 40 minutes
• Where: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | PlayerFM
• When: Weekly
• Recommended episode: Episode 440 The Impact of Coronavirus on HR and the New Normal of Work

5. HR Leaders Podcast 

• About: HR leaders is a daily podcast and LinkedIn Live show which tackles issues such as diversity, culture and engagement. Chris Rainey invites a variety of industry experts and HR executives from market leading organizations (like Microsoft and Lego) alongside academics in the field (from the likes of Harvard Business School) to share their journey, experience and insights. Listen to find out what the future of work looks like, why it is changing, and what world leading organizations are doing about it.
• Host: Chris Rainey
• Length: 30-40 minutes
• Where: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube
• When: Daily
• Recommended episode: The New Normal: From Surviving to Thriving with Deborah Borg, Chief HR Officer at Bunge

6. HR Works: The Podcast for Human Resources

• About: The Podcast for Human Resources provides clear, relevant, actionable information on topics that matter for HR professionals through engaging interviews with key industry leaders and thought experts. With new episodes regularly reaching 1000 listens in a day and at least 5000 in a month, James Davis interviews top HR industry players on topics ranging from employee engagement to struggles in the workplace.
• Host: James Davis
• Length: 30 minutes
• Where: Apple Podcasts | PlayerFM | Stitcher
• When: 2-3 per month
• Recommended episode: Episode 122: What Will HR Look Like in 2021 and Beyond?

7. Illuminate HR

• About: Nate Randall invites a multitude of visionary thought leaders to share the great employee experience and human resources conversations we are all part of everyday. Topics range from managing the physical, financial and emotional demands of the modern workforce to the latest ways of providing a superior employee experience.
• Host: Nate Randall
• Length: 30 minutes
• Where: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher
• When: Twice per month
• Recommended episode: Engagement and Incentives - barbara Wachsman

8. Nine-to-Thrive HR by HCI Podcasts

• About: Nine-To-Thrive is the perfect podcast for the busy HR professional who need industry insights in less than 30 minutes. Brought to you by the Human Capital Institute, a range of authors, thought leaders and academics cover everything from talent acquisition and analytics to engagement, retention, and development. Perfect for lunchtime listening.
• Host: Alan Mellish / HCI
• Length: 30 minutes or less
• Where: Apple Podcasts | PlayerFM
• When: 2-3 times per month
• Recommended episode: Support Diversity, Equality and Inclusion with People Analytics

Nine-to-Thrive HR is a place for discussing the latest trends, best practices, and a forum for new ideas in the HR/talent management space. - Alan Mellish

9. Redefining HR

• About: Previously known as 21st Century HR, Redefining HR focuses on building better business through modern approaches to people management. Each week, host Lars Schmidt sits down with leading thinkers to discuss topics like hacking, culture and inclusion.
• Host: Lars Schmidt
• Length: 30 minutes
• Where: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | PlayerFM
• When: Weekly
• Recommended episode: Episode 55: Mark Levy, Employee Experience Advisor

10. #Worktrends

• About: #Worktrends is an HR podcast and Twitter chat hosted by Meghan M. Biro from TalentCulture. Tune in to stay on top of current HR trends, as well as hear from leading experts, HR tech vendors and HR practitioners about what inspires them. Topics cover remote work, attracting talent and company culture.
• Host: Meghan M. Biro
• Length: 30 minutes
• Where: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher
• When: Weekly podcast every Friday. Twitter chat conversations with sponsored guests every Wednesday from 1:30 - 2:00pm ET
• Recommended episode: Episode 326: Aligning Around Performance Management: New Findings

Absolutely thrilled to see #worktrends in your top 10! Hope you continue to enjoy the content and congrats all! - Meghan M. Biro

Honourable mentions

Whilst this list is limited to our Top 10, we couldn't help but share a few more excellent HR podcasts that deserve your attention:

• The HR Social Hour Half Hour Podcast
• HR Break Room
• Let's Fix Work

Finally, have a listen to PeopleGoal's podcast series which takes a look at the ever changing world of HR from multiple business perspectives. We’ve got insights from the fields of law, recruitment, technology and much more to come. So from onboarding to offboarding and everything in between, look no further...

Interested in staying ahead of the newest HR trends? Check out our list of the Top 10 HR Webinars Themes 2020.