Top 10 Topics For Online Training Podcasts
Online training podcasts provide employees with need-to-know information without forcing them to rearrange their schedules. They’re able to listen whenever it’s most convenient to brush up on company policy and discover skill-building tips. But how do you create a posting schedule that keeps everyone entertained and engaged? Here’s a list of 10 topics that you may want to add to your online training podcasts.
1. Latest Compliance Issues
Everyone needs to stay up to date with the latest rules and regulations. Compliance issue podcasts give employees the opportunity to explore what’s new in the world of company policy, as well as COI, health and safety, and anti-discrimination topics. You can even make it a weekly podcast series on its own that discusses compliance stats and noteworthy news, such as an update to safe handling procedures for your warehouse staff.
2. Time Management Tips
Heavy workloads and packed schedules cause a significant amount of stress. However, you can produce online training podcasts to increase workplace productivity and impart time management tips. Offer advice on how to streamline work practices and save time without cutting corners. Online training podcasts are already a time-saver because employees can listen on the go.
3. Team Building
Online training podcasts are also great collaboration tools that facilitate team building. You can provide tips to become more effective communicators and respect co-worker diversity. Or even encourage employees to collectively produce their own online training podcasts and upload them to the online training repository. They must assign tasks and work together to create a topic-centered episode to share with their remote peers.
4. Sales Techniques
Bite-sized podcasts are perfect for sales online training, as employees can listen to them between meetings or on the sales floor. Focus on techniques that help your team improve negotiation skills and product knowledge. For example, how to seal the deal when a customer is unsure about the product or tips to find the ideal item for each customer based on their needs or pain points.
5. Practical Troubleshooting
Highlight a new work-related challenge or obstacle for each episode of this troubleshooting podcast series. It can be anything from avoiding co-worker conflicts to appeasing a dissatisfied customer. Provide a few possible solutions for these practical problems so that employees can try different approaches. Research your employees to create a list of topics to cover so that each episode is relevant to their needs. For example, surveys reveal that a large portion of your workforce struggles with the new POS software. As such, your first episode features tips to use the platform and solve common tech issues.
6. Customer Service Strategies
Your customer service staff is on the front line every day, ensuring that everyone who walks through the door gets a stellar experience. As such, they deserve an online training podcast dedicated to customer service strategies to make their lives easier. Not to mention, improve their on-the-job work practices. Offer advice on how to deal with angry customers, improve task proficiency, and follow company policy. For example, techniques to speed up the return process so that customers can get on with their day instead of becoming frustrated or angry about long waiting times.
7. Company Policy Reviews
Recap important company policies in greater detail or showcase new policies that employees should know about. This online training podcast should be an ongoing series that explains the ‘why’ behind rules, regulations and protocols, as well. You can even have guest hosts who discuss compliance policies that pertain to their job duties and departments. For instance, the warehouse manager explains the significance of safe handling procedures and how to use safety gear to prevent injury.
8. Skill Showcase
Showcase a new skill that employees require in the workplace in every episode. It’s also wise to explain how they can apply the skills in context. For example, the sales staff uses problem-solving skills to find the right product for each customer while your management team uses them to resolve conflicts and support their subordinates. It’s also a good idea to highlight the importance of these skills in a practical sense. This allows them to see why it’s so crucial to develop these abilities in relation to their job duties. For instance, building interpersonal skills helps improve customer satisfaction and increase sales.
9. Work/Life Balance
Employees are always looking for ways to strike a balance between their work responsibilities and personal lives. Offer tips and tricks that can help them make the most of their work day, while still focusing on their well-being. For example, how to de-stress after a challenging client meeting. You can also highlight the importance of leaving job duties at the office to avoid mental burnout, as well as the benefits of balancing both aspects of their lives and concentrating on stress management.
10. Emergency Preparedness
This online training podcast can include everything from how to handle a natural disaster in the workplace to everyday emergencies that occur in respective departments. For instance, how to handle a spill or tips to deal with a power outage that takes out the systems. Offer insights to help employees overcome these catastrophes with minimal stress. You can also pair it with relevant simulations and branching scenarios to test their reactions. For instance, a branching scenario that allows them to apply their newfound knowledge to ensure the safety of consumers.
These 10 topics can help spruce up your online training podcast series and make it memorable for remote employees. However, it’s always a good idea to delve into your current online training program to search for inspiration. For example, LMS metrics might reveal that there are gaps you need to address in your next online training podcast or pain points that warrant a sub-series of their own.
Do you know what it takes to create an attention-grabbing podcast series? Read the article 7 Best Practices To Produce eLearning Podcasts to discover the 7 best practices to produce winning eLearning podcasts.
