You don't have to look too hard to find a podcast on HR.
From renowned influencers to vendors in the space, there’s no shortage of experts sharing their insights on the airwaves.
But as much as many of these professionals might have something valuable to add to the wider conversation about the world of work, you can’t listen to them all. So how do you know which HR podcasts are worth your time?
In this blog, we’ve looked at some of the best and most popular shows on the airwaves, and curated a selection of shows you might want to try depending on what you’re looking for.
Best podcasts for HR professionals in frontline and deskless companies
Despite the fact that 80% of the workforce is deskless, professionals in frontline organizations are somewhat underserved by HR podcasts, with most of the shows on the market speaking more to office and remote environments.
While some of the content will still be useful, this can mean that many of these shows discuss issues which aren’t relevant to frontline HR, such as hybrid and remote work challenges.
Fortunately, there are a few podcasts out there designed for folks in these sectors. Here’s what you can check out.
1. HR on the Frontline
In HR on the Frontline, Guusto’s people and culture experts look at the burning HR issues of the day specifically through the lens of frontline and deskless companies.
With a rotating panel of hosts and expert guests from industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and retail, we discuss challenges in recruitment, retention, career development, and recognition, and how they can be overcome within the unique frontline environment.
Episode to check out: Learning Equity for Frontline Workers
In this recent episode, RedThread Research's Heather Gilmartin shared some eye-opening statistics and insights into the availability of learning and development opportunities to different employees in frontline industries.
2. In the Know with Axonify
Both a live broadcast and podcast, In the Know comes from frontline training and communication software provider Axonify. Pulling guests from a wide variety of fields and areas of expertise, the show is never short on insight, and regular host JD Dillon is a fun and charismatic presence.
Episode to check out: Designing Jobs That Don’t Suck!
What do today’s employees actually want in a job? Dillon talks to Dr. Steven Hunt, Chief of Technology & Work at SAP, about creating work environments that fit the changing nature of work, and the role technology can play in the process.
3. We’re Only Human
While not strictly a frontline-only HR podcast, Ben Eubanks’ We’re Only Human does touch on issues affecting the sector a lot, and also delves deep into the roles of technology and data in modern HR.
Episode to check out: 3 People Leaders Share Frontline Employee Engagement Secrets
Ben asks 3 frontline HR leaders – Michele Corkins of Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, Gemma Elay of Hawksmoor, and Ana Ledesma of Just Salad – what their most valuable tips are for engaging frontline staff, and gets some surprising answers.
Best DEI Podcasts for HR Pros
Diversity, equity and inclusion is another area where many HR professionals will have a special interest, and there’s no shortage of HR podcasts out there that specifically focus on the topic. Here’s a few of the top DEI podcasts on the air right now.
4. Weirdos in the Workplace
Positivity Group founder Erin Patchell has guested on Guusto’s podcast before and is a goldmine of insights and inspiration. Her own podcast celebrates people leaders and other professionals from different backgrounds who do things differently, and features both guests and Erin’s own musings on various topics.
Episode to check out: On Being a Mama, a Founder & a Neurodivergent Creative
In this episode, Erin welcomes entrepreneur and neurodivergent creative Stephanie De Montigny, about balancing motherhood and her career.
5. The Imposter Syndrome Files
We love HR podcasts that go deep on a specific theme, and that’s just what Kim Meninger does on The Imposter Syndrome Files, diving deep into every aspect of the pervasive self-doubt many professionals feel as they try to advance in their careers, particularly those from marginalized groups.
Episode to check out: Who decides what is enough?
People who experience impostor syndrome will often overcompensate by trying to do too much, and this episode examines this from both a sociological and neuroscientific perspective with guest Jamie Lee.
6. The Will to Change
Hosted by author, speaker and consultant Jennifer Brown, The Will to Change is one of the best DEI podcasts out there due to its storytelling focus. Each episode, Jennifer looks to showcase and champion DEI leaders and dives deep into their personal journeys.
Episode to check out: In the “Bug Soup” Part of Change: Thriving Through Beginnings, Endings, and Transitions with Kat Gordon
In a conversation which is sure to resonate with a lot of HR professionals out there, Jennifer speaks to Kat Gordan, one of the founders of The 3% Movement, about the early days of driving change in your organization, relating her experiences in the advertising industry.
7. Women at Work
You know you’re always going to get high quality, hard-hitting content from the Harvard Business Review, so it’s no surprise that this DEI podcast hosted by HBR editors Amy Bernstein and Amy Gallo packs a punch.
Each episode, ‘The Amys’ lead in-depth discussions about some of the biggest issues modern working women are faced with.
Episode to check out: So Many Feelings. Too Many?
Taking author Liz Fosslien’s prediction that ‘The future of work is emotional’ as a jumping-off point, the hosts look at the benefits, drawbacks, and stigma surrounding expressing emotions freely in a professional environment.
8. Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox
Hosted by Jackie Ferguson, Co-founder and VP of Content & Programming at The Diversity Movement, this podcast wins for sheer workrate. Jackie drops a new episode every week with a host of great guests from all walks of life.
Episode to check out: From Chatbots to Change Agents: 12-year-old Arjun Sharda's Entrepreneurial Evolution
This episode boasts possibly the youngest guests in this list, as Jackie chats to Arjun Sharda, who founded 2 non-profits before the age of 12!
Top recruiting podcasts
Recruitment is another specialized area facing its own very specific issues in the current climate. Whether you’re a frontline HR professional dealing with the current talent shortage or a recruiter in the tech industry navigating the current slowdown, it’s always challenging one way or another.
Here’s a couple of the top HR podcasts for those in the talent acquisition game.
9. Recruiting Future with Matt Alder
One of the most popular recruiting HR podcasts out there, Matt Alder’s recruiting future is regularly in the top 100 charts for business podcasts. A former executive recruiter for The Guardian among other companies who also has a rich background in digital media, Alder’s podcast is professional, high on production value, and features several big-name guests.
Episode to check out: Building Exec Search In House
Do you need to outsource your Executive search to an agency, or can you do it yourself? Alder chats to Katie Howard of IHG about how her company turned their search for new leaders into an internal operation.
10. The Employer Branding Podcast
We love this HR podcast because it looks at the wider scope of employer branding and the impact it has on recruitment. It’s hosted by Jorgen Sundberg, CEO of London-based employer branding firm Link Humans, and features guests from several well-known companies.
Episode: Finding the Right Fit When You Have Strong Brand Recognition
We almost picked out this episode on the strength of the title’s pun alone, but this conversation with Lego Group’s Andrew Paterson is a must-listen. Sundberg and Paterson examine the challenges a company that practically everyone has heard of faces when it has to sift through the slew of applications it receives to find the right candidates.
HR podcasts with a twist
If there’s one criticism of the current HR podcast landscape, it’s that a lot of the shows out there tend to be very similar in terms of their style, tone, and content. But occasionally, a few daring people leaders try to break the mold.
Here are a few podcasts that give the medium a fresh twist, whether by tackling a very niche area of the sector, adopting a unique format, or just bringing a fresh voice and perspective to proceedings.
11. I Hate it Here
A lot of the top HR podcasts tend to have a positive outlook on the industry, but let's be honest, it’s not all fun and games for people leaders. That’s why Hebba Youssef’s I Hate It Here is one of our favourite shows out there.
Pulling no punches, Hebba and her guests share stories from the worst of HR, along with resources and advice to help make the hardest parts of the job a bit better. As she says, HR is “one of the most one of the most soul-crushing industries to work in, how come we’re not talking about it more?”
Episode to check out: When Cupid’s Arrow Causes Chaos: Office Love Gone Wrong w/ Kim Rohrer
This episode with Kim Rohrer – another favourite peer of some of our Guustonians – discusses office romances, and the headaches it creates for HR when they go wrong.
12. HR Besties
‘3 of social media’s most popular HR content creators in the staff meeting you want to attend’ is how HR Besties bills itself, and we’d have to agree. Candid and casual, the three-way conversation between Leigh Henderson, Jamie Jackson, and Ashley Herd is fun and informative, and you’ll instantly want to tune in again to spend more time with them.
Episode to check out: Sorry I can’t share that, I have an NDA
It’s hard to pick out just one episode of HR besties. Rather than focus on a single topic our guest, the trio cover a range of different subjects from a loose ‘agenda’. The one above runs the gamut from corporate speak to NDAs to advice from TikTok.
13. Everybody Hates HR
This British HR podcast is like a hybrid of HR Besties and I Hate it Here, with a similarly candid and irreverent tone. The main difference is that hosts Lola and Velisa tackle work-related dilemmas submitted by their listeners.
Episode to check out: The New (Lacklustre, Bare Minimum) Flexible Working Rules
Like the previous entry, episodes of the Everybody Hates HR podcast can vary wildly in subject matter, making it hard to select a particular one as an entry point. This latest edition (at the time of writing) covers everything from remote work challenges to the host’s upcoming wedding.
14. The Chad and Cheese Podcast
If you find a lot of HR podcasts a bit too serious, maybe this show is more your speed. Hosted by Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman, ‘HR’s most dangerous podcast’ is snarky, irreverent, and wickedly funny, while also delivering refreshing and surprising insights.
Episode to check out: Firing Squad: Boostpoint CEO Sam Beiler
Firing Squad is a sort of ‘show within a show’ for the podcast, where the hosts put CEOs of HR tech startups through their paces and give their verdict on their products. It’s a lot of fun, and also very useful for any people and culture pros investigating new tech.
15. HR Party of One
Available both as a podcast and a YouTube series, this show from BerniePortal’s Elisabeth Wallace eschews the usual HR podcast talk show format in favour of short, simple instructional videos relating to common HR challenges.
Episode to check out: Coaching Gen Z for Success at Your Organization
Elisabeth offers a few pointers for those managing the younger generation of workers.
16. The HR Soundoff
What makes the HR Soundoff podcast unique is its simple but effective format. Each episode, host Julie Turney asks guests for:
- Their HR origin story.
- Resources they think the audience will enjoy.
- One misconception people have about HR that they’d like to correct.
The resulting conversations are surprisingly insightful, and cover a broad range of topics in simple, useful terms.
Episode to check out: How to get HR Certified with a Twist
Julie speaks to Anthony Howard about his mission to help underrepresented people in the HR sector to become certified.
17. Pages of HR
HR Daily Advisor actually has several popular HR podcasts on the go, including the DEI-focused A Seat at the Table and the popular HR Works. But our favourite has to be Pages of HR, which focuses exclusively on HR books and their authors.
Deciding which books are most beneficial for their professional development is a permanent headache for a lot of HR folks. This show gives them the chance to hear the author discuss new publications they might be interested in and get a feel for them.
Episode to check out: Effectively Setting Up New Managers for Success
This two-part episode features Ramona Shaw, author of The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role. She talks about her own professional experience entering into a leadership role for the first time, and how her new book aims to make it easier for those that come after her.
18. The HR Dialogues
The Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR) offers a wealth of great content with a particular focus on the science and data behind the profession. Their podcast, hosted by Chief HR Scientist Dieter Veldsman, takes a similar analytical approach to subjects, which can lead to refreshing insights.
Episode to check out: Why Frontline Employee Experience is Critical for Business Impact
Dr. Veldsman and Oneteam CEO Ruben Wieman talk about the experience of deskless workers, and why business leaders need to prioritize it more.
Other top HR podcasts we love
Most other top HR podcasts adopt a broader focus, taking in everything from people and culture initiatives, to industry developments, to more practical discussions about things like benefits. But there’s still some great content to be found among these shows. Here are a few of the very best.
19. Work Life with Adam Grant
Behavioural psychologist Adam Grant is one of the most prominent commentators on the modern workplace today, and it’s no surprise that his show is one of the best podcasts for HR professionals, as well as those in other fields.
In addition to providing his own insights, he also attracts a host of top quality guests that cover a wide array of topics about navigating professional life.
Episode to check out: Overcoming Toxic Positivity with Susan David
Is it always good to look on the bright side? In this episode, Grant discusses the phenomenon of toxic positivity with fellow psychologist Susan David, and the deeper issues it can cause in company cultures.
20. Redefining Work
Our People Team has been involved in the Amplify Talent community for several years now, and we can testify to the brilliance of their work in the space. So it’s no surprise that Founder Lars Schmidt’s Redefining Work is one the top HR podcasts out there.
Lars is never afraid to delve into complex and difficult topics, and calls on an extensive array of guests with unique perspectives.
Episode to check out: Leading with Innovation and Empathy with Donna Morris
As we often cover in our content, some frontline organizations can be slow to innovate when it comes to People and Culture, so it’s refreshing to see the sterling work Walmart CPO Donna Morris is doing. Here, she and Lars discuss how the retail giant is evolving to make the lives of its 2 million workers better.
21. HR Coffee Time
Boasting over 50,000 listeners, HR Coffee Time is one of top HR podcasts today. Hosted by career coach Fay Willis, the show doesn’t do anything wildly different, but does it extremely well. Willis brings a relaxed, empathetic, and personal air to her conversations, and always ensures listeners come away from conversations with practical insights they can put into action in their own work.
Episode to check out: Thriving as an Introvert with Tom Cleary
Are we working in a world designed for extroverts? Willis speaks to Introverts and Co. Founder Tom Cleary about how more introverted professionals can thrive professionally while still being true to their natural personalities.
22. People Managing People
Since its launch in 2019, People Managing People has grown into one of the most trusted spaces on the web for HR folks, who turn to the publication for everything from guidance on new technology to practical advice on culture.
Their podcast is as good as you'd expect, with excellent interviews and high calibre guests covering the latest trends and best practices in the industry.
Episode to check out: What Leaders Are Learning About Work in the Generative AI Era
The effects of AI in the workplace is a hugely divisive and pressing issue right now. This discussion with Amanda Halle of Mindful Growth Partners offers some surprising insights into its impact.
23. #WorkTrends
#WorkTrends is a topical weekly show hosted by TalentCulture’s Meghan M Biro. The show is sometimes livestreamed on Twitter, which can give it a more spontaneous feel and also invites more listener interaction.
Episode to check out: The Keys to Recruiting Frontline Talent
The frontline talent shortage is real, and people leaders in the sector are constantly looking for better ways to attract new employees. Mateo Cavasotto, CEO and Co-founder of frontline recruiting platform Emi, offers his take on the subject in this episode.
Want to be a guest on one of the best HR podcasts out there?
Yes, we know we’re a bit biased, but we really do believe Guusto’s HR on the Frontline is one of the top podcasts for HR professionals looking to improve culture in frontline organizations. But any show is only as good as the experts it brings on, and we’re always looking for more!
If you’re a people leader and you have insights to share with your fellow professionals, fill out this form and we’ll be in touch to see if you’re a good fit:
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