The 16 best recruiting and HR podcasts to follow

The way we work is evolving – for many, “the office” is now a Slack channel, AI technology is helping write job descriptions, and there’s software to automate almost everything you can imagine. 

The workforce is in flux, and every employee expects different things from their employers. 

As HR practitioners, it’s your job to stay on top of all of these changes, and nowadays, that job has never been harder.

So how can HR and recruiting professionals do their jobs while staying savvy to these latest trends? 

One answer: HR podcasts. 

There’s a reason that 90 million Americans listen to podcasts at least once a week.[1]

Unlike reading or online coursework, podcasts make it easy to learn on the go, like during a workout or on your morning commute. 

In the world of HR and recruiting, there’s a podcast for pretty much everything, including:

1. Emerging HR trends 

2. The future of work – including AI and remote work 

3. Skills-based hiring 

4. Diversity, equity, and inclusion 

5. Branding strategy

6. Early career tips

And there’s more good news; we’ve already done the hard work of finding the top HR and recruiting podcasts out there. So simply get your headphones ready and join us as we dive into the 15 best HR podcasts.

The 15 best recruiting and HR podcasts to listen to

The podcasts below cover everything from early career Q&As to single-issue deep dives on popular HR and recruiting topics like the Great Resignation and employer branding. 

No matter which corner of the recruiting world you call home, there’s something in here for you.

1. HR Break Room 

Launched: 2017

Average episode length: 30 minutes

Topics: Workplace culture, HR strategy, digital transformation, compliance, and benefits 

What it’s about: HR Break Room is a conversation podcast hosted by Morgan Beard that covers the buzziest topics in HR and recruiting with insight from industry insiders. The show tackles existential questions about the industry’s future from every angle.

Why you should listen: Beard and his guests discuss the biggest business stories of the day, such as the future of remote work and the evolution of diversity and inclusion from the perspective of HR and recruiting.

The show’s behind-the-scenes bent makes it most useful for folks already working in HR who are familiar with the lingo and come to the podcast with some preexisting industry knowledge. 

Recent topics include whether TikTok is a good choice for recruiters and the role of employee background checks in recruiting today. The show primarily features HR pros but also boasts episodes with high-profile names, including actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow of Goop and Shark Tank judge Barbara Corcoran. 

Episodes to start with:

• AI and the evolution of work and leadership with futurist Mike Walsh

• The next step: the future of remote work solutions

   

• Hill Harper talks Juneteenth and championing organizational diversity

2. The Recruitment Mentors Podcast

Launched: 2020

Average episode length: 45-60 minutes

Topics: Early career tips, recruitment founders, mentorship, startup recruiting, and international recruiting trends

What it’s about: The Recruitment Mentors Podcast is a biweekly conversation show focused on the career paths of successful recruitment and HR professionals. Host Hishem Azzouz brings on top recruiters, business owners, and thought leaders to discuss their career paths, as well as trending topics in HR and recruitment.

Why you should listen: This podcast is especially good for early-career HR professionals or recruiters interested in a global perspective on the industry.

The show goes out of its way to break down key ideas and industry jargon, so that listeners outside the realm of recruiting can easily keep up. Episodes are generally structured as question-and-answer sessions led by host Hishem Azzouz. 

They also produce regular “Golden Nugget” episodes, 5-minute mini recruiting podcasts made up of quick, actionable clips pulled from the archives and organized around popular topics like employee retention and company culture. 

Episodes to start with:

• Christian Hoyle – mindset is KING

• LIVE podcast in London | The state of recruitment in 2022 & how to thrive in 2023.

• Golden Nugget #49 | How to retain your best recruiters

3. Career Compass

Launched: 2020

Average episode length: 30-45 minutes

Topics: Early career tips, compliance, developing talent, talent management, and data-driven recruiting 

What it’s about: Career Compass is a human resources podcast for professionals at the beginning of their careers, hosted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). 

Why you should listen: With the goal of inspiring students and emerging professionals, the SHRM-backed podcast Career Compass is for the up-and-coming generation of HR professionals. 

The show is a grab bag of useful information, with tips on securing internships and interviewing, as well as breakdowns of current HR trends like quiet quitting and skills-based hiring.

Despite the podcast’s freshman bent, there’s something for even the most seasoned HR vets, like the episode below on the future of AI technology. 

Episodes to start with:

• Aaron Smith on minimizing your student debt 

• Diversify workplaces with skills-based hiring 

• AI in the future of HR with William Spencer III

4. The Recruiting Brainfood Podcast

Launched: 2019

Average episode length: 60 minutes

Topics: State of the job market, recruitment and AI, hiring remotely, founders focus, HR hot topics

What it’s about: The Recruiting Brainfood Podcast, hosted by recruitment industry professional creator of the Recruiting Brainfood community Hung Lee, is a weekly dose of brilliant conversation about recruiting and HR. 

Why you should listen: This podcast scores big on both breadth and depth – Hung and his guests cover a broad and nuanced selection of topics in an impressive amount of detail. Topics range from ageism to career progression tips to sourcing and recruiting on Slack, TikTok, and Discord. The podcast even has ‘founders focus’ episodes, where listeners can get close and personal with founders of recruitment tech companies from across the world.

Episodes to start with:

• Recruiter use cases for ChatGPT

• Measuring quality of hire

• Turning Employees into LinkedIn Talent Influencers

5. HBR IdeaCast

Launched: 2006

Average episode length: 30 minutes 

Topics: Artificial intelligence, professional development, marketing, innovation, leadership mindset, creativity, and productivity.

What it’s about: The longest-running podcast on this list, the Harvard Business Review launched HBR IdeaCast in 2006 as a place for thought leaders to discuss cutting-edge research in the areas of business and innovation. 

Why you should listen: Workforce technology and innovation are morphing the future of work at a speed that would have been unimaginable in 2006 when the HBR IdeaCast aired its first episode. 

The podcast has done a great job chronicling all this change with help from industry experts in every corner of the business world. 

Episodes focus on the latest trends in business – for example, the rising popularity of sabbatical policies – and how they’re reshaping how we think about the world of work.

Episodes to start with:

• The subtle art of disagreeing with your boss

• Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai on leadership, AI, and Big Tech

• Money, flexibility, development? Figuring out what employees really value

6. Honest HR

Launched: 2018

Average episode length: 30-45 minutes 

Topics: Leadership, diversity, equity and inclusion, strategic planning, benefits, mentorship, and mental health 

What it’s about: On Honest HR, co-hosts Amber Clayton, Wendy Fong, and Monique Akanbi cover the latest news and trends in management and workplace leadership. Like Career Compass, Honest HR is also produced by the Society for Human Resource Management.

Why you should listen: SHRM has a deep bench of HR experts and business leaders to draw from, which enables the show’s hosts to discuss a diverse range of topics, always from an expert’s point of view. At the same time, the recruiting podcast’s broad survey-like approach to topics of leadership makes it a great resource for managers as well. 

Recent episodes examine topics like The Great Resignation, mental health, generational diversity in the workplace, and strategic HR planning. 

Episodes to start with:

• Disciplinary actions: mental toughness and “icky” feelings feat. Brittany DiSciullo

• Jim Link on achieving pay equity at your organization

• “But what about your benefits?” says everyone, everywhere 

7. #WorkTrends

Launched: 2012

Average episode length: 15-20 minutes 

Topics: Onboarding, hiring, learning and development, skills-based hiring, and the future of recruiting 

What it’s about: The #WorkTrends podcast is an efficient, bite-size weekly show that keeps listeners up to date on the latest stories in the world of HR and recruiting.

Why you should listen: Each week on #WorkTrends, hosts Meghan M. Biro and Kevin Grossman share tips, tricks, and inspirational stories from leading voices in the world of HR and recruiting. If you’ve got 15 minutes to burn, the #WorkTrends archive (which goes all the way back to 2012) covers just about every HR topic under the sun. 

From managing uncertain employees to pre-employment screening and workplace gamification, each episode is quick, punchy, and informative, built to quickly get you up to speed on the latest HR topics.

Episodes to start with:

• How skills development differentiates high performing companies

• Culture lessons learned from the space shuttle Columbia accident

• Setting your team up for hybrid work success

8. Recruiting Future with Matt Alder

Launched: 2015 

Average episode length: 30 minutes 

Topics: HR futurology, digital skills, neuro inclusion, employer branding, AI and agile, and automation 

What it’s about: Recruiting Future is a two- to three-times weekly podcast focused on the latest future-facing challenges in the world of HR and recruiting, hosted by Matt Adler, one of the most prolific podcasters in the recruiting space.

Why you should listen: Recruiting Future bills itself as the “calm voice of continuity in an industry which is facing tremendous change and a high degree of uncertainty.” The show’s objective is to face the rapidly approaching future of the industry head-on.

In each episode, Adler pulls on experts from both inside and outside of the business world to explain the forces behind all the change. 

Not every topic covered on the podcast is tied up neatly with a bow, but the show has a notably optimistic bent. It might just make you feel better about the future of employment – and it definitely helps prepare you for it. 

Episodes to start with:

• Ep 485: What will replace resumes?

• Ep 507: Skills-based hiring in early careers

• Ep 525: Using AI as a co-pilot

9. Transform Your Workplace

Launched: 2012

Average episode length: 30 minutes

Topics: Communication and culture, growth, workplace trends, leadership, and organizational transformation 

What it’s about: Twice a week, Transform Your Workplace host Brandon Laws brings on a special guest to discuss big ideas that can transform a business – in particular, how to create and maintain a happy workplace. 

Why you should listen: Host Brandon Law’s philosophy is that companies should create an environment that empowers employees to bring their whole selves to work. Transform Your Workplace is organized around this principle, with an emphasis on topics related to:

1. Fostering a positive workplace culture

2. Creating systems for employee engagement

3. Seeking and implementing employee feedback 

4. Establishing a sense of workplace flexibility 

The show dedicates a lot of time and thought to the question of how employers can help workers find workplace satisfaction post-pandemic, in particular. 

Episodes to start with:

• Improving the workplace with micro-actions with Neal Nybo

• How social purpose drives success and wellbeing with Bea Boccalandro

• Addressing the invisible with Jill Griffin

10. The Journal. 

Launched: 2019 

Average episode length: 15-20 minutes 

Topics: Business, HR, social issues, and politics 

What it’s about: The Journal. is a daily podcast focussing on the day’s most important stories about money, business, and power. Episodes feature WSJ reporters going deep on their latest stories. 

Why you should listen: One of the few shows on this list that isn’t solely focused on HR and recruiting, The Journal from WSJ breaks down the day’s biggest business stories with nuance and punch. Some stories directly deal with topics related to recruiting and HR – many don’t. 

Either way, it’s an indispensable resource for understanding the ever-evolving world of business and how it affects everything else. After all, working in HR means understanding (at least a little) how other aspects of the business work. The Journal covers it all in a way that anyone can understand. 

Episodes to start with:

• Mass layoffs or hiring boom — which is it?

• Google CEO Sundar Pichai on how AI could change search

• The world’s richest person is planning for succession

11. Happiness at Work

Launched: 2016 

Average episode length: 30-45 minutes

Topics: People operations, work-life balance, workplace empathy, the employee journey, and employee burnout

What it’s about: Hosted by “happiness enthusiast” Elisa Tuijnder, Happiness at Work releases episodes twice a month that focus on building a happy workplace. Guests include digital HR leaders, influencers, and scholars. 

Why you should listen: If you’re looking for a podcast specifically about how to engage and fulfill your workers and build emotional intelligence in your workplace, Happiness at Work by Management 3.0 is a good place to start. 

This podcast is always sure to be thought-provoking, especially for team managers and other busy people leaders. It puts employee satisfaction first and never waivers, with topics such as empathy in the workplace and discussions of modern employee benefits. 

Episodes to start with:

• What does it take to be a “lovable leader”?

• Emotional intelligence in the workplace with Robin Hills

• The importance of active listening

12. The Great Retention 

Launched: 2022

Average episode length: 30 minutes

Topics: Employee retention, The Great Resignation, workplace culture, teamwork, and burnout 

What it’s about: In 2021, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, we saw the rise of an economic trend known as The Great Resignation, in which employees voluntarily resigned from their jobs on a massive scale. 

The Great Retention podcast focuses specifically on how to counteract this trend and keep employees from quitting. 

Why you should listen: The Great Retention podcast, which rolls out weekly, is hyper-targeted on the topic of the employee experience and how to reshape it in the post-COVID era. 

Hosts Prem Chatia and John Duisberg interview authors, scientists, and business executives to understand why The Great Resignation is happening and how to turn the trend around. 

Popular topics on the show include how to provide and accept feedback, engage remote workers, run an effective diversity, equity, and inclusion program, and build a purpose-driven business. 

Episodes to start with:

• Fostering a culture of belonging beginning with your interview process

• Beyond the record: connecting ex-offenders with employers

• Collaborating to create a culture of recognition and appreciation with Kiley Skadburg

13. Humanising the Future of Work

Launched: 2019

Average episode length: 30 minutes

Topics: The future of work, human capital, recruiting, HR, and HR tech 

What it’s about: Humanising the Future of Work is a podcast from the consulting company Deloitte that gives a global perspective on the future of HR tech, unraveling myths around hot topics like AI, recruiting automation, and immersive learning. 

Why you should listen: Unlike most of the HR industry and recruiting podcasts on this list, Humanising the Future of Work does not come from North America. The show, which is recorded in the UK, pulls from Deloitte’s experts across Europe, so the conversations take on a more global bent.

The podcast regularly breaks down Deloitte’s in-depth reports on human capital and the workplace. The rundowns are an easy way to absorb the latest reporting and analytics from a well-established industry leader without chewing through the full thirty-something-page document. 

Episodes to start with: 

• Growth in turbulent times

• The skills-based 

  organisation

• Should I stay, or should I go? The reality of hybrid working

14. We’re Only Human 

Launched: 2016 

Average episode length: 30 minutes

Topics: HR and recruiting leadership, data-driven HR, and mentoring 

What it’s about: We’re Only Human is a monthly podcast focused on HR analytics. The show uses data to inform the conversation around popular HR and recruiting trends. 

Why you should listen: Hosted by Ben Eubanks, principal analyst at Lighthouse Research & Advisory, We’re Only Human takes a specifically data-first approach to the topic of HR leadership. With numbers on hand, the podcast tackles tricky topics like outsourcing, paid leave policies, and employee mental health. 

Make sure to check out their case study episodes, which dive deep into the HR policies of well-known companies like Coca-Cola and the Mayo Clinic. These provide a great chance to see the inner workings that make these companies so successful. 

Episodes to start with: 

• Mentoring the 80% – avoiding the rock stars and duds

• The data behind paid leave and what workers really want

• How Coca Cola Europacific exposes external candidates to internal culture champions

15. The Employer Branding Podcast 

Launched: 2016 

Average episode length: 20 minutes 

Topics: Employer branding, HR marketing, the recruiting experience, social media marketing, and talent acquisition 

What it’s about: The Employer Branding Podcast is a monthly show all about employer branding and how companies attract applicants by marketing their company’s values and culture. The show is structured as a Q and A hosted by Jörgen Sundberg. 

Why you should listen: Marketing your company as a great place to work is an increasingly integral part of what HR teams do. Jörgen Sundberg’s The Employer Branding Podcast is all about the strategies companies can implement to win the best talent. 

Each bite-sized episode focuses on a different business, like mini case studies. The episodes are brief but provide actionable insights, and if you’re looking for more, the podcast regularly produces topic-specific roundups, like this one on building an Employer Value Proposition. 

Episodes to start with: 

• Employer branding that resonates with younger talent, with Monica Kielawa of Wish

• When anti-racism is a core company value, with Stephanie Alofoje of Twilio

• How employer brand insights can help with retention, with Julie Wolf of T. Rowe Price

16. Punk Rock HR with Laurie Ruettimann 

Launched: 2017

Average episode length: 20-30 minutes

Topics: HR and recruiting, HR basics, workplace culture, and hiring practices 

What it’s about: Punk Rock HR is a weekly conversation podcast hosted by Laurie Ruettimann. The show brings on leadership coaches, CEOs, journalists, and academics to discuss current issues related to problematic workplace culture, and how to fix them. 

Why you should listen: As you might have guessed from the title, Laurie Ruettimann’s HR and recruiting podcast prides itself on its boldly candid approach to recruiting and HR topics. 

Her thesis: Work is broken, and the only way to fix it is by talking about what went wrong. Conversations generally revolve around people management and the workplace. 

More than any of the HR podcasts listed here, Punk Rock HR occasionally ventures into more intimate, self-help territory. Regardless, there’s a lot of valuable information here for HR leaders, with the occasional digression to keep things fun. 

Episodes to start with:

• How change unlocks people’s potential with Carlos Escobar 

• How to ask for help with Deborah Grayson Riegel

• Holistic performance management with Doug Dennerline and Jamie Aitken

Honorable mentions

If nothing in our list strikes the right chord, try checking out these three other HR podcasts:

Stay on the cutting edge of recruiting trends with HR podcasts

Professional development doesn’t have to be a slog – HR and recruiting podcasts are a fun way to learn and stay up to date. 

The benefits of tuning into recruiting and HR podcasts include: 

So the next time you have laundry to fold, consider popping in your headphones and giving one of these top HR podcasts a listen.

And for more professional development hacks, head over to our blog, where you can put your newfound HR knowledge to the test. 

Source

1. “Podcast Statistics and Data [March 2023]”. (2023). Buzzsprout. Retrieved June 20, 2023. https://www.buzzsprout.com/blog/podcast-statistics