Staying up to date with the latest industry trends can feel impossible in today’s ever-changing digital world.
Whether it’s during your daily commute or lunch break, podcasts allow people leaders to stay informed and learn new things on the go.
However, finding thought-provoking and relevant HR podcasts can be challenging. That’s why we’ve put together this article.
Below, we outline the 14 best HR podcasts that will allow you to learn from the world’s top people leaders and stay informed about the latest industry information.
DriveThru HR
The Podcast at a Glance:
🎙Location: Dallas, Texas
🎙Listeners: 723,000+
🎙Hosts: Mike VanDervort, Robin Schooling, Dwane Lay and Crystal Miller-Lay
🎙Stream: Spotify, PlayerFM and iTunes
🎙Duration: 30 minutes
🎙Release times: Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Here’s What You Can Look Forward To:
✅ Quick and insightful people management content
✅ The latest HR news and trends
✅ Advice and interviews from top business and talent leaders
DriveThru HR offers engaging, straightforward (and on occasion, controversial) discussion topics through a laid-back and knowledgeable approach.
This podcast was founded in Dallas in February 2010 and is hosted by HR professionals Mike VanDervort, Robin Schooling, Dwane Lay and Crystal Miller-Lay.
Robin has worked at places such as the HR Technology Conference and Talent Management Alliance, while Dwayne has been an author and a speaker since 2008.
The other two hosts, Crystal and Mike, both have years of experience in HR and people development.
The show covers a wide range of topics, including HR technology, talent acquisition and company culture.
DriveThru HR also features guest speakers who share their insights about the future of work and emerging HR trends.
There have been contributions from Upwork, SHRM and even Sir Bob Geldof in recent installments.
The episode series, "Have a Quarantini with Robin and Michael" is one of the DriveThru HR’s most popular installments since its release.
One of the episodes focuses on how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected people management and relationships in the workplace.
Punk Rock HR
The Podcast at a Glance:
🎙️Location: London
🎙️ Hosts: Laurie Ruettimann
🎙️Stream: Spotify, PlayerFM and iTunes
🎙️Duration: 5-30 minutes
🎙️Release times: Every Thursday
Here’s What You Can Look Forward To:
✅ To-the-point, digestible episodes
✅ Advice and interviews from industry leaders
Punk Rock HR was founded by Laurie Ruettimann in early 2018.
Laurie has worked in the Human Resources sector since 2004 and has been recognised by CNN as one of the top five career advisers in the United States.
Her work has also appeared on NPR, The New Yorker, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and Vox.
The Punk Rock HR podcast gives people and business leaders insight into how to deal with work-related issues and develop actionable solutions for these challenges.
Laurie talks to HR specialists, celebrities, and politicians about what goes on behind closed doors in different work environments.
In an episode called, “HR Check-In with Susan Richards”, Laurie interviews the HR professional and founder of Sapient Insights Group, Susan Richards.
Laurie and Susan chat about how investing in workforce technology can prevent employee burnout, as well as the importance of focusing on wellbeing as part of the employee experience.
She has also interviewed the CEO of Amplify Talent, Lars Shmidt, attorney Kate Bischof and business mogul Derek Irvine.
Disruptive HR
The Podcast at a Glance:
🎙️Location: London
🎙️Hosts: Lucy Adams and Karen Moran
🎙️Stream: Spotify, iTunes and PodBean
🎙️Duration: 20 minutes
🎙️Release times: Every Tuesday
Here’s What You Can Look Forward To:
✅ Advice and interviews with top business leaders
✅ Innovative ideas and new ways to approach talent management
Disruptive HR is a series of HR podcasts that focuses on how people management impacts the workplace.
This includes improving employee retention, building relationships and handling conflict.
This podcast was founded by experienced HR leaders Lucy Adams and Karen Moran in early 2020.
Lucy launched Disruptive HR after holding several senior-level HR roles in various industries, most recently at the BBC.
Karen has over 20 years of people management experience in a variety of businesses and leading HR campaigns.
In this podcast, Lucy and Karen interview various people professionals who share innovative ideas and perspectives on the Human Resources industry.
Some of these topics include new approaches to performance management, HR product design and helping employees manage their own development and careers.
This HR podcast series features interviews with leading HR professionals like the founder of ZigZag Magazine, Ben Wiseman.
Lucy, Karen and Ben discuss what it takes to create the best candidate experience and how HR technology can have a significant impact on recruitment.
Squiggly Careers
The Podcast at a Glance:
🎙️ Location: London
🎙️ Listeners: Over 1 million
🎙️ Hosts: Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper
🎙️ Stream: Spotify, iTunes, and PodBean
🎙️ Duration: 30-40 minutes
🎙️ Release times: Every Tuesday
Here’s What You Can Look Forward To:
✅ Ideas to improve the working environment
✅ Advice and interviews with top leaders from the HR community
✅ Practical tips for coping with stress
Founded in February 2017, Squiggly Careers is hosted by the Founders of Amazing If, Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper.
Sarah studied Participative Leadership at Harvard Business School, while Helen has worked as a marketing director at both Microsoft and Virgin.
Together, they have also done work for Barclays and Sainsbury’s.
The weekly podcast covers how to cope with stress, overcome self-confidence and micro-aggression issues, and discover your professional strengths.
Squiggly Careers was a nominee for the best business HR podcast at the British Podcast Awards and has been featured in Stylist, Marie Claire and Management Today.
Once a month, Sarah and Helen interview HR leaders who provide new ideas on how to improve the workplace.
Recently the hosts interviewed the founder of Executive Career Jump, Andrew MacAskill, who specialises in providing support for job seekers.
The episode explores the challenges of creating change in the corporate world, the senior HR leaders who have inspired Andrew, and his most influential work.
Past guests have also included entrepreneur and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley, author Bruce Daisley and neuroscience expert Amy Brann.
The Founder Coach Podcast
The Podcast at a Glance:
🎙️ Location: London
🎙️ Listeners: 300,000
🎙️ Host: David Bailey
🎙️ Duration: 30-50 minutes
🎙️ Release times: Tuesday
Here’s What You Can Look Forward To:
✅ Conversations about innovative entrepreneurial ideas and the importance of building a strong leadership team
✅ Learning more about the broader business environment
The host of this HR podcast, David Bailey, interviews founders and CEOs of up-scale companies.
After graduating from Stanford University, David has worked with entrepreneurs who specialise in building high-performing, high-growth businesses.
Not only is David one of Europe's top CEO consultants, but his blog also receives millions of readers each year and has been featured in several tech publications.
Since first airing in November 2020, The Founder Coach Podcast has become one of the best HR podcasts for CEOs in the UK.
Guests have included Learnerbly's CEO Rajeeb Dey and Simon Mellin, who is the CEO of The Modern Milkman.
This podcast gives you behind the scenes insight into people management strategies and the challenges of growing a company in today's business climate.
In the episode, “What It Means to Leave Your Comfort Zone” Jacob Waern, CEO of EduMe, discusses how he had to cut 90% of his team to improve the company’s performance.
He also explains how he has overcome business obstacles while sick with suspected Coronavirus and shares the importance of building a strong leadership team.
Flip Flops & People Ops
The Podcast at a Glance:
🎙️ Location: Austin, Texas
🎙️ Host: Christie Hoffman
🎙️ Stream: iTunes, Spotify and Audible
🎙️ Duration: 45 minutes
🎙️ Release times: Thursday
Here’s What You Can Look Forward To:
✅ Innovative people management ideas
✅ Advice and interviews with industry leaders
The Flip Flops and People Ops podcast was started by Christie Hoffman in April 2021.
Since graduating from Northern Arizona University, Christie has gained over a decade of experience in brand and product marketing.
The Flip Flops and People Ops podcast is perfect for HR professionals looking for research-driven, practical and relevant people management tips.
Listeners also have access to insights from senior HR industry experts.
An interview with the CEO of FitPros, Connor Carroll, discusses some of the best ways to encourage HR teams to be more mindful about their general wellbeing.
In the episode, “Why does it feel good to do good for others?” Christie and Connor discuss why a social impact program is important to the employee experience in the workplace.
They explore how creating a positive association with the charities that people teams are most passionate about can help boost retention.
Mental Health at Work by Oliva
The Podcast At A Glance:
🎙️ Location: London and Spain
🎙️ Host: Maite Otero
🎙️ Stream: iTunes, and Audible
🎙️ Duration: 20-40 minutes
Podcast Highlights:
✅ Interviews with top business and people leaders
✅ How to better manage workplace mental health
Oliva is an organisation that focuses on mental healthcare in the UK. It was founded in 2020 by HR leaders Javier Suarez and Sançar Sahin.
This HR podcast aims at helping people who suffer from anxiety, low self-esteem and depression.
The show's host, Uruguayan-born and European-based Maite Otero, has years of experience in people management at fast-growing companies.
Maite is also a certified psychologist who specialises in trauma. She believes psychology is the key to building happier and more resilient employees.
This podcast features interviews with HR leaders from Revolut, Figma, Maze and Hotjar.
Amongst other topics, these guests share how mental health experiences have shaped their careers.
One of the most popular episodes on this podcast is an interview with Griffin's VP of People, Maria Campbell.
She shared how taking time off work for her mental health helped her gain a new perspective on her anxiety and depression, which had a positive impact on her business approach.
Recruiting Future Podcast
The Podcast at a Glance:
🎙️ Location: London
🎙️ Listeners: 1 million+
🎙️ Host: Matt Alder
🎙️ Stream: iTunes, Spotify and Evergreen Podcasts
🎙️ Duration: 10-20 minutes
🎙️ Release times: Thursday
Here’s What You Can Look Forward To:
✅ Discussions about the challenges of rapid digital transformation in the people management sector
✅ Interviews with industry leaders
✅ Quick, insightful episodes
Founded in 2015 by Matt Alder, the Recruiting Future Podcast has become the world's top podcast on talent acquisition.
Matt has years of experience helping companies keep up with rapid digital transformation within the HR and recruitment sector.
Matt is also responsible for developing marketing strategies that provide effective people management and recruiting solutions both in the UK and the US.
He has worked with award-winning tech startup companies at critical points of their growth.
As a future-focused HR podcast, the show discusses topics such as AI, employer branding, diversity and inclusion, as well as the future of the corporate work environment.
In one of his most recent podcasts "Reflecting Back, Looking Forward” Matt interviews Lars Schmidt, CEO of Amplify Talent and author of the bestselling book, “Redefining HR”.
The interview discusses the opportunity to redefine the nature of the workplace, pre-boarding and onboarding, increasing talent mobility and fluidity.
Leading Between the Lines
The Podcast at a Glance:
🎙️ Location: London
🎙️ Host: Peter Thorp
🎙️ Stream: iTunes, Spotify and Listen Notes
🎙️ Duration: 30-45 minutes
Here’s What You Can Look Forward To:
✅ Advice on working remotely
✅ Interviews with industry leaders
The host of this podcast, Peter Thorpe, founded this podcast in late 2020.
The show explores leadership, both individual and team-based, using the experiences of successful people from all backgrounds and cultures.
Peter interviews HR executives from a variety of fast-growing businesses. This includes the Deloitte Fast 50, the Sunday Times Fast Track and Forbes.
He also takes a closer look at employee engagement to better understand how to retain top talent management and build a strong work culture.
In one of the first episodes, “Remote Leadership”, Peter interviews Andy Punter who is working remotely as the Legacy Manager for Cancer Research in the UK.
This episode provides an in-depth insight into how you can work more effectively from home.
Talent Hacks for Scaleups
The Podcast at a Glance:
🎙️ Location: Europe and the UK
🎙️ Listeners: 1 million+
🎙️ Host: Theo Smith
🎙️ Stream: iTunes, Spotify and Listen Notes
🎙️ Duration: 30-45 minutes
Here’s What You Can Look Forward To:
✅ The latest people management trends and information
✅ Interviews with industry leaders
Talent Hacks for Scale-ups is hosted by Theo Smith, a leading neurodiversity advocate and author.
Throughout his career, Theo has worked with leading names in the people management world like Stanislaw Wasowicz and Steve Jacobs, to name just a few.
In this podcast, Theo interviews the world’s top business leaders and discusses topics such as how to hire the right talent for your company's needs.
The podcast also takes a closer look at the latest HR strategies and ideas within some of the world’s top startup companies.
One of the show’s first episodes entitled “Sophie Theen, HR Tech an Enabler or Disabler?” features an interview with Sophie Theen, an experienced HR manager at Oakam.
The episode focuses on the challenges that financial technology companies face and takes a closer look at innovative hiring practices.
People Over Perks by Leapsome
The Podcast at a Glance:
🎙️ Location: Europe and the UK
🎙️ Listeners: 50,000+
🎙️ Host: Jenny von Podewils and Kajetan von Armansperg
🎙️ Stream: iTunes, Spotify and YouTube
🎙️ Duration: 30-45 minutes
🎙️ Release times: Monthly
Here’s What You Can Look Forward To:
✅ The latest people management trends and information
✅ Interviews with industry leaders
✅ Quick, insightful episodes
The People Over Perks podcast was established in 2021 by Jenny von Podewils and is co-hosted by Kajetan Armansperg.
Jenny is Leapsome’s Co-CEO and People Operations Manager, while Kajetan has a background in quantitative economics and building startups.
This podcast covers a range of topics, from how to build thriving companies to the future of work.
People managers can also learn how to support teams with their mental health and build processes for personal growth within the corporate workplace.
In a recent episode Jenny and Kajetan interviewed Krystall Fierens-Lee, who is the Chief People Experience Officer at Proxyclick.
The episode covered how Krystall ensures consistent employee engagement at Proxyclick’s global offices, as well as how working in an HR corporate environment differs from startup companies.
CIPD Podcast
The Podcast at a Glance:
🎙️ Location: The UK
🎙️ Host: CIPD Employees
🎙️ Stream: iTunes and Soundcloud
🎙️ Duration: 30 minutes
🎙️ Release times: Monthly
Here’s What You Can Look Forward To:
✅ Interviews with industry leaders
✅ Conversations that explore how people management is evolving
This podcast was started in February 2014 by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Each episode is hosted by a different senior CIPD manager and covers a range of strategic HR topics.
This includes recruitment in the social media age, the importance of learning and development (L&D), the wellbeing of remote workers, and the key challenges facing businesses during the pandemic.
In an episode called “Embracing and Leading Organisational Change”, one of the hosts Nigel Cassidy interviews the founder and principal of Agile Change, Melanie Franklin.
Amongst other topics, Nigel and Melanie discuss how people leaders can overcome behavioural barriers to change implementation in the workplace.
The podcast has also interviewed business and people leaders from some of the world’s top companies.
This includes HR professionals Andrea Winfield from Microsoft and Gavin McQuillan from NatWest, to name just a few.
The Recruiting Brainfood Podcast
The Podcast At A Glance:
🎙️ Location: The UK
🎙️ Listeners:
🎙️ Host: Hung Lee
🎙️ Duration: 30 minutes
🎙️ Release times: Every week
Here’s What You Can Look Forward To:
✅ Interviews with industry leaders
✅ Insight into people management and recruitment trends
The Recruiting Brainfood Podcast was started in 2019.
The show’s founder and host, Hung Lee, has 15 years of experience as a HR professional. He has also created the award-winning career platform WorkShape.
The podcast shares relevant industry content, from recruiting trends and the future of work to workplace culture and the gig economy.
Each episode takes a fresh approach to the recruiting process and keeps HR professionals informed about the latest industry developments.
In a recent episode, “Mental Health for Recruiters during Lockdown”, Hung interviews Leadership Coach Garry Turner and psychotherapist Zuzana Tarcalova.
The interview teaches listeners new strategies for dealing with mental health challenges in the workplace.
There’s This Thing at Work
The Podcast at a Glance:
🎙️Location: The UK
🎙️ Listeners: 100,000+
🎙️ Host: Ben Gateley
🎙️ Duration: 30-40 minutes
🎙️ Release times: Monthly
Here’s What You Can Look Forward To:
✅ Quick, insightful episodes
✅ Interviews with industry leaders
There’s This Thing at Work was created in 2020 and is managed by HR software provider CharlieHR.
The co-founder and host of the podcast, Ben Gately, has seven years of people management experience.
The podcast focuses on modern workplace challenges and shares candid stories from a diverse group of business leaders and HR professionals.
Learnerbly’s CEO and founder, Rajeeb Dey, has also joined Ben on the podcast to discuss how L&D is vital to business success and retention.
In another episode, "My team is uncomfortable having honest conversations. How can we change that?" Ben interviews the CPO of Bulb, Tom Fraine.
In this podcast, Tom shares how he, as an HR leader, has managed to keep his business running through transparency and accountability.
He also discusses how losing your co-workers' trust can be detrimental to the mental health of your team.
Happy Listening!
HR podcasts are more than just talking points for interesting break room conversations.
Rather, they are great resources for auditory learners and provide people leaders with invaluable insight into their industry.
Whether you want to keep up with the latest HR trends or learn more about the broader business environment, the list provided in this article has something for everyone.
You can also check out Learnerbly Live to learn more about the future of L&D, workplace culture and startups from interviews with thought leaders across the industry.
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