Podcasting has taken the world by storm in recent time. On the commute to work, waiting for transport, or folding laundry, it seems that we can’t get enough of downloading and listening in to our favourite podcasts.
Learning and development podcasts – an efficient way to continue your professional development.
What is a Podcast? An Explanation in Plain English
“SIMPLY PUT, A PODCAST IS TALK RADIO, BUT ON DEMAND.”
It’s a series of spoken, audio episodes, often focused on a topic or theme, like business or cricket. It is safe to say if there is any interest out there, chances are there is a podcast on the topic. You can subscribe to the show with an app on your phone and listen to episodes whenever you like on your headphones, in the car or through speakers.
It’s a great way to stay abreast of changes, and innovations, without having to print out reams of paper, or attend conferences. What’s not to love?
New podcasters and podcasts are being launched all the time. Like any resource, some resources, or podcasts are better than others.
Here is a list of our favourite learning and development podcasts, with a human resource podcast thrown in for good measure.
About: 5 Trainers in a Car is an L&D podcast focused on a variety of topics with a variety of trainers. What happens when a bunch of us get in a car and start talking? Well, fascinating conversations, practical information, and a lot of fun.
About: The GoodPractice podcast is a must-listen for anyone involved in Learning and Development or Human Resources. The weekly show, featuring regular appearances from members of the GoodPractice team, plus the occasional special guest, gets right to the heart of issues affecting the L&D and HR communities. From learning needs analysis and evidence-based practice through to the impact of technology on work and hot topics at industry conferences, get critical insights into the world of work, learning and performance.
About: Brought to us from John Tomlinson in Europe, the concept is simple – to share effective training tools and tips across the training community in order to make all of us into more effective learning and development professionals. In each Trainer Tools episode, John Tomlinson interviews an experienced trainer and asks them to share a particular tool, tip or other content that can be of practical use to the learning and development community. Listen to an episode here.
About: Leanne Hughes from the First Time Facilitator blog reveals all her group facilitation, training and workshop tips and tricks so you can be ahead of the curve the next time you step out in front of a group. Discover how you can tweak elements of your facilitation style or incorporate new techniques to engage your audience and leave with lasting impact (and 5-star feedback). Icebreakers, leadership, group interaction, preparation, games, conflict, props, flip-charts, delivery, voice, body language, confidence, discussions and everything that works (and doesn’t work) to help you better understand how to deliver and connect with your audience, every single time.
About: It’s a must-listen for anyone in the industry. The weekly show, featuring regular appearances from members of the GoodPractice team, plus the occasional special guest, gets right to the heart of issues affecting the L&D and HR communities. From learning needs analysis and evidence-based practice through to the impact of technology on work and hot topics at industry conferences, you can get critical insights into the world of work, learning and performance. A recent favourite was one Karen Moloney from eLearning eXperts highlighted how the language we use within learning effects learning outcomes.
About: HR Happy Hour is one of the longest-running and most downloaded HR podcasts. It primarily focuses on human resources, management, leadership, and workforce technology. The show is hosted by Steve Boese, the Co-Chair of the HR Technology Conference, and Trish McFarlane, a Human Resources Executive, and writer/speaker on HR and workplace topics. With 300 episodes online you’re bound to find something of interest!
About: This is a newish podcast taking a slightly different angle than most other learning and HR podcasts. Each episode features a new story on an individual and their career story. These stories span a diverse mix of fields and professions. They explore different career paths to share wisdom and experience from a broad range of professions. Stories are of course a great way to learn.
About: The market for continuing education, professional development, and lifelong learning is large and evolving rapidly. Competition is growing and learners have more options than ever. Leading Learning is the podcast for learning business leaders who want to thrive in this new landscape. Each week the hosts, Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, provide actionable insights based on their own deep experience and expertise or invite in experts and practitioners to share their perspectives.
About: The Learning Innovations podcast is about all things Corporate Learning. We discuss the latest in EdTech, innovations in talent development, and the corporate learning ecosystem. You’ll hear interviews with learning and development thought leaders and discussion around learning managements systems, authoring tools, learning analytics and more.
What are your favourite podcasts? We would love to add to our podcast list, after all, we are all about lifelong learning.