As coronavirus cases continue to rise, so have the amount of businesses asking their employees to work from home. In fact, 46% of American Businesses have implemented remote work since Mid-February due to health concerns. This new normal of working can be challenging to effectively manage employees and keep business communication consistent and engaging.

A podcast is a powerful medium to connect with remote employees due to its security, accessibility, transparency and more. Private podcasts allow employees to get important information at whatever time and place is convenient for them, a particularly important consideration as remote workers are juggling between work and family responsibilities amidst the lockdown. They also provide more security than other popular teleconferencing platforms - ensuring that your enterprise content remains safe and confidential.

Fortunately, starting a podcast has never been easier. It is just as simple for leaders to produce podcast content remotely as it is in an office studio.

Check out these resources that include helpful tips on how to successfully podcast from home: 

• https://ustudio.com/blog/podcasting/how-to-corporate-podcast-from-home/
• https://ustudio.com/blog/podcasting/record-podcasts-with-zoom-skype-and-more/
• https://www.npr.org/2020/03/25/819229185/how-to-keep-making-your-podcast-even-if-youre-stuck-at-home
• https://ustudio.com/resources/how-to-corporate-podcast-from-home/ 
• https://resonaterecordings.com/2018/11/remote-recording/

Our Enterprise clients agree and have been able to continue their private podcast production, in spite of their distance from HQ.

“We have continued to podcast! I asked my producer – who does his own podcast outside of Pega – what mic he uses and immediately ordered one off Amazon to my parents’ house, where I am quarantining! He helped me get it set up – it sounds great – and the only tips I have is to make sure that you know all the weird sounds your house makes so you can get to a point where you’ll reduce as much of the noise as possible. I didn’t know how much I appreciated a sound-proof room (like we have at our Pega HQ) until my brother decided it was a perfect time to do his laundry while I was recording an episode… (we retaped my questions later).  But still going strong and really enjoying that we could easily move this medium to a virtual recording!” - Lauren Shanley, Pegasystems

Is your transition to remote working harder than you expected? Members of the uStudio team shared their tips for staying productive while working from home:

“I try to write down my priorities for the day so even if my workday feels scattered, I know what to go back to and focus on. I also have set up a dedicated work space in my dining room. This is a great practice for podcasting remotely as well - set up a space specifically for recording! Do a few tests and see what area sounds best.” - Zoe Bell

“Make sure you set up a dedicated space with all the things you need. Get up and do the very same things you would do as if you are going into work - get up, shower, do hair/makeup, walk the dog, eat breakfast, etc. And most important - set a start/stop time so that it feels like a workday and not an invasion of your "home time".  Just because work is there doesn't mean it's a 24/7 operation.” - Wanda Brodeur

“Set up a separate space that is your office. It doesn’t have to be an actual separate room, but it needs “guard rails” - so you know the boundaries for work vs. home.

Also, maintain enough structure, so it is clear where work begins, and ends, and where your “regular” life is. This has helped me really focus when I am “at work”, and gives me the break and separation needed to stay sane. For example, at the end of a day, I close up shop. I close my laptop, turn off all sounds (don’t want to hear dings) and the lights in the working space. I even joke with my husband, who is also working from home, saying at the end of the day, while walking into the rest of the house - 'I’m heading home now - see you soon!'

Video calls have also saved me. With colleagues and clients. Seeing others faces has greatly helped me not feel so isolated. Another bonus is the need to shower/dress and put on makeup for those calls has kept me a little same too - some semblance of what my routine used to me” - Kelly Gray

“My wife and I both work and have three kids, ages 3, 7, and 13, at the house now full time. We need to keep the kids busy enough to ensure they don't scream at each other all day, and leave us alone long enough to get our jobs done. The new FAMILY SCHEDULE and RULES have been extremely helpful!” - Walker

“Get up, shower (shave) and get dressed like always. Set your calendar and schedule and shut down at a certain time. Give yourself permission to unplug, just as if you were at the office.” - Neil Garrett

“We had the foresight to buy a house with a basement. Kids have basement. Dad has first floor. Mom has top floor. Genius.” - Michael Nels

Has your business communication suffered as a result of working from home? Private podcasting provides the transparency and intimacy needed in order to securely connect your teams. Contact us today and learn how uStudio can work for your business.