Why internal podcasts solve “the alignment problem”
If you want to strengthen company culture, an internal podcast gets heard, while intranet posts and newsletters don’t.
Emails pile up. Slack channels scroll endlessly. Intranets become digital graveyards. According to Gallagher’s 2023 State of Internal Communications report, only 36% of employees say their organization communicates effectively .
Podcasts cut through because they meet people where they are: on the go, between meetings, at the gym, brushing their teeth. And more importantly, they let employees hear tone, intent, and authenticity in a way text simply can’t deliver.
What podcasts do differently than newsletters
So, why does an internal podcast strategy work where other channels fall flat?
- Accessibility: You can listen while commuting, walking the dog, or doing dishes. No competing with inbox overload.
- Human connection: Hearing a leader’s voice builds empathy and trust — far more than reading another corporate memo.
- Consistency: A recurring podcast sets a cadence of communication that becomes part of the culture.
- Engagement: Edison Research found in 2023 that 74% of podcast listeners tune in to learn new things, making it a natural fit for company strategy updates or employee storytelling.
How hearing leaders’ voices builds trust
When I worked in advertising, I learned that the medium is the message. If the message is about trust, then the medium had better feel human.
One of the biggest blind spots in corporate comms is that leaders sound invisible. Employees read a carefully worded note on the intranet and think: “Did they even write this?” But when they hear a leader’s tone — conviction, vulnerability, even humor — it lands.
At JAR Podcast Solutions, we saw this firsthand with lululemon’s Speaker Series. By putting senior leaders into employees’ earbuds, lululemon turned abstract strategy into real, human conversation. Employees weren’t just reading about culture; they were hearing it, directly.
Using podcasts to unite employees after change
Internal podcasts shine during moments of transition.
Take Prospera Credit Union. After merging with Westminster Savings, they needed to unify two distinct employee groups under a shared identity. We helped them launch an internal podcast to share stories of values, purpose, and people across the new organization.
It wasn’t about jargon-filled “change management.” It was about voices. Employees from both legacy companies heard their peers and leaders affirming what the new culture stood for. They heard on the ground stories, in the community, from the real people and their clients. That clarity accelerated alignment in a way no deck or town hall ever could.
What business outcomes can an internal podcast deliver?
Done right, an internal podcast isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s a performance lever.
Here’s what we’ve seen it do:
- Boost engagement: Employees who feel heard are 4.6x more likely to be engaged at work (Gallup, 2022).
- Reinforce values: Regular episodes keep values from being words on a wall — they become lived stories.
- Strengthen culture: Shared listening experiences create a sense of belonging, even across time zones.
- Elevate employer brand: When employees are genuinely aligned, it shows up in recruitment, retention, and Glassdoor reviews.
Answering the big question:
Should your company start an internal podcast?
Yes — if your goal is to build a clearer, stronger cultural identity in a hybrid or global workforce.
An internal podcast is the most underused, high-return tool HR and comms leaders have for:
- Breaking through communication fatigue
- Building human trust through voice
- Reinforcing values consistently
- Celebrating employee stories authentically
Or to put it plainly: If you’re struggling with alignment, start recording.
Want to dig deeper?
We’ve written more about branded podcasts for internal communications — including how to design one that actually moves the needle.
And if you’d like more stories, insights, and practical tools for branded podcasting? Subscribe to JAR’s Newsletter ‘This Is Not a Podcast’. We keep it sharp, human, and worth the scroll.
Roger transitioned from a 22 year career in advertising account management to co-founding JAR, a podcast podcast production agency. As CEO of JAR, he propels the company’s growth by prioritizing audience engagement and podcast marketing. Under his guidance, JAR flourishes with a global clientele, aiming to broaden its reach across North America and revolutionize brand connections through immersive storytelling.
