Top 15 podcasts about talent acquisition technology

The good folks at Evergreen Podcasts shared with me earlier today a pretty detailed list of the number of downloads the podcasts they host generated by year in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 and then by month in 2023. To say that I was surprised at some of the data would be an understatement.

In today’s digital era, podcasts have emerged as a powerful medium for storytelling, education, and entertainment. At their core, podcasts are episodic series of spoken word digital audio files that a user can download to a personal device for easy listening. Streaming applications and podcasting services provide a convenient and integrated way to manage a personal consumption queue across many podcast sources and playback devices.

Audio-Only Podcasts

Platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify are popular for audio-only podcasts. These are akin to radio shows, offering content ranging from news and education to entertainment and personal stories. The beauty of audio podcasts lies in their simplicity and accessibility; you can immerse yourself in a world of audio while driving, working out, or doing chores.

Video Podcasts

On the other hand, video podcasts are gaining traction on platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube. These podcasts offer a visual element, enhancing the storytelling experience. Viewers can see the hosts’ and guests’ expressions and body language, making the content more engaging and personal. I’m the Cohost of two of these: the High Volume Hiring Podcast with Jeanette Leeds of AMS and the Inside Job Boards and Recruitment Marketplaces Podcast with Peter M. Zollman of AIM Group.

Download vs. Listen: The Podcast Metrics

Regarding audio-only podcasts, two crucial metrics are downloads and listens.

• Downloads: This metric indicates the number of times a podcast episode is downloaded onto a device. However, a download doesn’t necessarily mean the episode was listened to. It’s a measure of potential reach. Many people download podcasts to their phones or other devices but never listen to it. Or they may listen to some but not episodes of a show that publishes new episodes daily, weekly, monthly, or some other schedule. Why do people download podcasts if they’re not going to listen to them? The answer is that many podcast apps, including the Spotify app that I use, default to automatically download the latest episodes of podcasts the user subscribes to, and subscriptions are typically free. So, when you subscribe to a podcast, your device is going to download every episode, whether you listen to any of them or not. This brings us to the second, crucial metric.
• Listens: This is a more accurate measure of engagement. It tracks if the downloaded content is actually played. According to Podcastle.ai, about 13 percent of downloaded podcasts are never listened to. So, if a podcast tells you that it gets 5,000 downloads a month, that doesn’t tell you how many downloads there are to each episode nor does that tell you how many people listen a month or per episode. That may sound like I’m splitting hairs, but I’m not. A podcast that publishes new episodes three times a week and so roughly 13 or 14 a month could have more downloads and more listens than a podcast that publishes once or twice a month, but the downloads and listens to the latter podcast might be significantly greater per episode than the former episode. More downloads and listens per episode are neither good nor bad, but if you’re trying to judge which podcast is the most popular, you need to consider whether you’re talking about unique users, total listens, total downloads, or something else.

The Significance of Download Numbers

Podcastle.ai provides interesting insights into the podcasting world with its statistics. Podcasters, and those who listen to podcasts, often don’t know how many downloads are required for the podcast to have a “lot” of viewers. As of November, a podcast episode can be ranked in terms of popularity based on these number of downloads that occur within a week of the episode being published:

• Top 50%: More than 32 downloads (approximately 28 listens, after deducting the 13 percent)
• Top 25%: More than 122 downloads (approximately 106 listens)
• Top 10%: More than 484 downloads (approximately 421 listens)
• Top 5%: More than 1,153 downloads (approximately 1,003 listens)
• Top 1%: More than 5,277 downloads (approximately 4,380 listens)

Top 15 Podcasts on Talent Acquisition Technology

Now, let’s shift gears to a niche yet crucial domain: talent acquisition technology. Below are what I feel are the top 12 podcasts, listed alphabetically, each of which offers insights, trends, and discussions on the latest in recruitment technology. I’ve also added some details about listenership for those hosted by Evergreen.

• Breakthrough Hiring Show
• Chad and Cheese Podcast — publishes several times a week with about 325,000 downloads annually, so roughly 269,750 listens per year or 1,729 per episode.
• CXR Podcast Show
• Growing Your Business With People
• HCM Technology Report — publishes a couple of times a week with about 400,000 downloads annually, so roughly 332,000 listens per year or 2,128 per episode.
• High Volume Hiring Podcast — publishes every other week to LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook so all downloads are viewed. We’re getting around 7,800 views annually as most episodes are viewed 200-400 times with the average being around 300 per episode.
• Inclusive AF— publishes a couple of times a month with about 6,800 downloads annually, so roughly 5,644 listens per year or 235 per episode.
• Inside Job Boards and Recruitment Marketplaces Podcast — publishes every other week to LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook so all downloads are viewed. We’re getting around 15,000 views annually as most episodes are viewed 400-600 times with the average being around 500 per episode. We also publish a special episode, often about a breaking news item, roughly every other month. Viewership is therefore about 1,250 per month.
• Jess Get Hired Podcast
• Recruiting Brainfood
• Recruiting Future with Matt Alder— publishes a few times a week with about 450,000 downloads annually, so roughly 373,500 listens per year or 3,591 per episode.
• Recruitment Flex— publishes weekly with about 28,000 downloads annually, so roughly 23,240 listens per year or 447 per episode.
• Recruitment Hackers Podcast
• Talent Acquisition Trends and Strategy Podcast
• Tapod

All of these podcasts offer a wealth of knowledge and are a must-listen (or watch) for professionals interested in the intersection of technology and talent acquisition. Whether you’re a recruiter, HR professional, or tech enthusiast, these podcasts provide valuable insights into the evolving world of recruitment technology.