Chapters:

0:00:24 — The Vision of Connected Ecosystems

0:04:46 — Agentic Workflows and Messaging Connectivity

0:06:26 — Case Study: Real-Time Behavioral Feedback

0:08:43 — The New Model of Partnerships and Pricing

0:12:27 — SAP’s Commitment: The Engineering "Fleet"

0:21:12 — Fixing the "Leaky Bucket" of Recruitment Marketing

0:25:46 — From "Jobs" to "Tasks-to-be-Done"

0:37:06 — Creativity Unleashed: The Future of Work

They kick things off with a wild ride through the future—from the engineering feat of cleaning toilets on the Artemis moon missions to the "side hustle seduction" of the AI training gold rush.

While platforms like Handshake and Mercor see revenues skyrocket, the big question remains: are experts actually mentoring AI, or just training their own replacements?

The cynicism stays high as the duo tackles the latest drama from Silicon Valley elites, including Molotov cocktails at Sam Altman’s house and Mark Zuckerberg’s creepy AI twin.

They dig into the "existential threat" AI poses to Gen Z, who are using the tech weekly but fear it’s gutting their wages and killing their creativity.

On the industry front, they break down Humanly’s acquisition of Anthill, questioning if this is a masterstroke in the frontline workforce game or just a high-speed fire sale.

Expect the usual blend of sharp analysis, 90s music nostalgia, and enough dad jokes to make you regret your career choices.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to the Podcast and Current Events

03:00 - Reflections on Space Exploration and Sports

05:58 - Oasis and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

09:55 - Candidate Fraud and AI Training Market

14:58 - The Future of AI and Human Involvement

21:47 - The Future of AI and Human Interaction

24:21 - Silicon Valley's Controversial Figures

27:43 - The Impact of AI on Jobs and Society

35:10 - Generational Perspectives on AI

41:14 - Humanly's Strategic Acquisitions and Market Positioning

In this episode, Allyn Bailey (SmartRecruiters) joins Chad Sowash to expose why traditional systems are becoming irrelevant. They dive into the shift from isolated tech to AI-driven, data-connected ecosystems where agents live directly within your daily workflows.

More importantly, they tackle the industry’s biggest taboo: Transparency. From real-time candidate scoring to the end of salary secrecy, learn why the redistribution of power is inevitable—and why companies clinging to the old ways of "control" will be the first to lose the war for talent.

Key Takeaways:

• Why integration with AI is a real breakthrough.

• The transition from static job descriptions to dynamic talent maps.

• How AI is replacing candidate silence with actionable feedback and roadmaps.

• The BLS Fairy Tale: The White House is hailing a "golden age" of job growth, but we’re pulling back the curtain on a report filled with striking workers returning to payrolls and construction crews finally seeing the sun.

• The Agentic Takeover: Paylocity acquires Grayscale as the industry pivots from simple SMS pings to full-blown AI orchestration. Is this a high-value play or just an "aqua-hire" to survive the tech-debt race?.

• Uncle Sam’s Playbook: Healthcare startup Clasp raises $20M by dusting off a 100-year-old military model to trade student loan debt for employee tenure.

• The Dorsey Doctrine: We dive into Jack Dorsey’s "heady" vision of a remote-first world where AI maintains a company’s "world model," effectively flattening the hierarchy and making middle management obsolete.

Is the economy actually booming, or is it just a "two-week" soundbite on loop?. Grab a whiskey (preferably Blanton's) and find out.

In this episode, the guys tackle why healthcare management is notoriously broken, the reality of imposter syndrome when you're handed the keys to the kingdom at 29, and the "stop sign revelation" in Indiana that sparked a six-year journey to prove that people actually matter in the workplace.

Forget the polished marketing fluff; this is a raw look at workforce leadership, Big Ten rivalries, and whether or not Josh was actually tapped on the shoulder by a ghost—or just a local in Muncie—to tell his story.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Josh Block and His Journey

03:04 - The Importance of Culture in the Workplace

05:56 - Challenges in Healthcare and the Role of AI

08:56 - Creating a Healthy Work Environment

12:05 - Navigating Growth and Change in Organizations

15:07 - The Impact of Remote Work on Company Culture

18:04 - Flexibility and Retention Strategies

20:51 - Addressing Politics in the Workplace

23:58 - Cultural Identity and Employee Engagement

26:58 - Retention and Employee Tenure Insights

Between Emi’s pivot from Sri Lanka to Brazil and a heated debate over whether they’d sell out their friends for a MrBeast-sized jackpot, the team dives into the heavy hitters: Oracle’s massive AI-driven layoffs and the fallout of the Mercor data breach.

The conversation turns sharp as they dissect the US Senate’s investigation into data brokers like Findem and LinkedIn’s latest power move to kill spontaneous live streaming in favor of monetization.

From Citi banker Jay Collins’ dire warnings about AI threatening the middle class to Melania Trump’s vision of humanoid robots in the classroom, no stone is left unturned. 

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Personal Updates

03:20 - Travel Tales and Experiences

06:21 - Shout Outs and Current Events

09:37 - Tech Layoffs and AI Concerns

11:16 - Entertainment and Reality Shows

15:47 - Beer and Events: A Lighthearted Start

17:10 - Upcoming Events and Networking Opportunities

19:06 - Traitify Acquisition Update

21:12 Mercor Data Breach: A Serious Concern

30:31 Senate Investigation into Data Brokers, Findem

39:04 The Value of Transparency in Data Handling

40:01 The Future of Live Streaming on LinkedIn

47:05 AI and the Threat to Capitalism

58:08 Education in the Age of AI

The heart of the episode tackles the "don’t know what’s real anymore" era of Artificial Intelligence. Joel and JT dissect the drama surrounding OpenAI’s Sora and a viral TikTok "roast" that turned out to be AI-generated marketing slop. They explore the booming AI-clip economy, where creators are using tools like Opus Pro to rake in six-figure incomes without ever stepping in front of a camera. However, the corporate side of AI presents a grimmer reality; according to the Randstad Workmonitor 2026, 76% of employers expect half of entry-level roles to vanish within five years due to automation—a looming crisis that many workers have yet to acknowledge.

The conversation gets real about the current white-collar job market, noting that 40% of job-switchers are taking massive pay cuts just to stay employed. They pull no punches on the rise of "reverse recruiting," labeling services that charge desperate job seekers thousands of dollars as potential scams. From rumors of massive layoffs at Talent.com to the surge in demand for "AI Trainers" and "agentic" skills, this episode is a must-listen for anyone trying to navigate a world where traditional career paths are breaking.

Whether it’s legal drama at Deel, LinkedIn virality in the NBA, or JT’s upcoming appearance at Harvard Business School, this episode blends snarky industry critiques with essential survival tips for the modern workforce.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Banter

03:09 - Streaming and Content Consumption Trends

05:52 - March Madness and Coaching Dynamics

08:55 - NIL and Financial Literacy for Athletes

12:00 - AI in Recruitment and Marketing

15:59 - The Evolution of Influencer Marketing

19:59 - Shout Outs and Unique Stories

21:57 - Sperm Donation Controversies

23:36 - Shout Out to Harvard Business School

27:11 - Upcoming Events and Networking

28:02 - Talent.com Layoffs and Domain Investments

31:49 - Salary Cuts for White Collar Workers

38:10 - AI's Impact on Entry-Level Jobs

40:43 - Generational Perspectives on Work

47:42 - Understanding Reverse Recruiting

47:52 - The Rise of Reverse Recruiting

52:10 - AI Integration in Corporate Structures

55:48 - The Future of Executive Decision-Making with AI

58:38 - Opportunities in the AI Job Market

01:00:10 - Industry News and Trends

The conversation takes a futuristic turn as Price describes how his AI began socially engineering Jack and Jill's own AI voice agents, even attempting to pose as a TechCrunch journalist to extract exclusive funding details. Price warns that we have reached a dangerous "inflection point" where attackers use AI to clone voices with just ten seconds of audio to deceive employees and recruiters. With deepfakes already being used by international hackers to ace job interviews and infiltrate corporate systems, this episode serves as a sobering wake-up call for the industry to build its own AI defense armies.

Is Indeed getting desperate? The trio dissects rumors of a bold (and highly suspicious) "spend-matching" pilot program—think a direct "Pepsi Challenge" aimed at poaching market share from LinkedIn. As Chad highlights, this incentive play comes loaded with major strings attached, raising questions about long-term sustainability and whether it's a genuine innovation or a frantic defensive move in a shrinking ad-spend pie.

Meanwhile, LinkedIn isn't playing defense. They're rolling out AI-powered initial interview screening (now in early testing for Hiring Pro users), where an AI interviewer handles audio/video screens for up to 40 candidates per role.

The system generates questions based on the job description, suggests ideal answers for recruiters to tweak, and scores responses on alignment—potentially streamlining the funnel but sparking debate on whether it truly improves quality or just adds more automation noise.

The conversation gets spicy with "banana in the tailpipe" tactics (classic sabotage vibes), the real cost of Indeed’s incentives, and whether LinkedIn's automated screens will actually fix the hiring funnel—or create new bottlenecks.

They also touch on emerging trends like the rise of "vibe-coding" (AI-assisted low/no-code hacks) making ATS integrations faster and easier than ever, plus Travis Kalanick's big reveal: his long-stealth company Atoms launching fleets of specialized industrial robots for food, mining, transport, and beyond—wheeled "gainfully employed" bots, not sci-fi humanoids.

If you're in HR, recruiting, or just love watching tech titans slug it out, this episode is pure chaos and insight. Tune in for the unfiltered takes on who's winning the war for talent acquisition dollars in 2026.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Light Banter

02:48 - Chad's New Car Adventure

04:44 - European Perspectives on American Politics

07:24 - Midterm Elections and Political Climate

08:44 - Shout Outs and Industry Insights

12:34 - The Future of ATS Integrations and AI

15:11 - The Challenge of Change in HR Tools

15:59 - Vibe Coding: Revolutionizing Prototyping

17:05 - Travis Kalanick's New Venture: Industrial Robots

18:35 - The Future of Work: Robots as Employees

19:42 - The Impact of Automation on Jobs

22:45 - Upcoming RLX Retreat: AI and Hiring Discussion

23:17 - Rumors of Acquisition: Paradox's Tradify

24:32 - Indeed vs. LinkedIn: The Battle for Recruitment

30:51 - The Future of AI in Recruitment

32:56 - LinkedIn's Slow but Steady Progress

35:59 - The Rise of AI Agents and Automation

42:58 - The Future of Employment in an AI-Driven World

46:13 - Government Regulations and AI: A Double-Edged Sword

53:05 - Cybersecurity Challenges in the Age of AI

This isn’t “optimize your ATS” talk—this is burn it down and rebuild with AI agents running the show. SmartRecruiters went from “just another platform” to SAP’s shiny new weapon, and Rebecca’s here to explain how betting big on AI turned a commodity into a category killer.

We dig into:

• Why ATS platforms are living on borrowed time

• How AI agents will replace interfaces with conversations

• The real reason candidates don’t trust hiring tech (hint: black box BS)

• Why most companies are stuck in Frankenstein tech stacks they’re too scared to leave

• And how SAP is using SmartRecruiters as a test lab for the future of work

Rebecca also pulls back the curtain on leadership—making hard calls, killing distractions, and why playing it safe is the fastest way to get left behind.

Bottom line: if your hiring strategy still looks like 2015… you’re already screwed.

Is the resume finally dead, or is it just being fitted for a digital tuxedo? The team squares off on whether AI "slop" has officially broken the application process, leading to a fiery debate on why your personal brand might be the only life raft left in an unstable sea. From the rise of video-first branding to the "human-in-the-loop" reality of Anthropic’s latest AI study, the hosts dissect who is actually at risk of being replaced and who is just being handed better tools.

The episode also serves up a masterclass in modern marketing, dissecting a viral $80M funding round that proves "knowledge creators" might be the new kings of recruiting—though Joel isn’t sold on the hype just yet. Between legacy tech acquisitions that feel a little too "desperate" and a sobering look at the "broken rung" still stalling women in leadership, this episode balances cynicism with a blueprint for survival. Whether you’re worried about flying cars or just trying to survive the next wave of AI-driven layoffs, this is the snark-filled reality check you need.

Ready to hear why your LinkedIn engagement is tanking and why a Big Mac video might be the future of executive branding? Hit play and join the conversation.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Light Banter

01:20 - Current Events and Global Concerns

05:33 - Shifting Perspectives on War and Politics

08:30 - Innovations in Transportation: The Rise of EV Talls

10:51 - The Importance of Executive Branding

18:09 - The Death of the Resume: A New Era in Hiring

33:06 - AI's Impact on the Job Market

34:24 - Craftsmanship in the Age of AI

35:20 - The Importance of AI Literacy

36:49 - The Digital Renaissance and Career Opportunities

41:29 - Navigating Job Market Changes

56:23 - Women in the Workplace: Challenges and Opportunities

Joined by industry heavy-hitters Jillian O’Malior and JT O’Donnell, we dive into the brutal reality of the "ghosting" epidemic, where qualified candidates are trapped in months-long interview loops that lead to nowhere.

We explore why your old-school connections aren't enough anymore and why building a visible personal brand is the only way to stay relevant. From the "executive squeeze"—where high-level roles are being swapped for lower titles with double the workload—to the rise of the augmented workforce, we’re delivering the snark and the strategies you need to survive.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Jillian O'Malior and her expertise

01:00 - Jillian's background in employer branding and talent marketing

02:20 - The realities of job searching in 2024: experiences and frustrations

05:12 - The long, arduous process of applying and interviewing

08:51 - The impact of economic restructuring and AI on hiring

10:46 - Changing hiring practices: from who you know to who knows you

12:11 - Wage suppression and the role of AI in job market dynamics

14:08 - The unrealistic expectations of AI making everyone a unicorn

15:05 - The pitfalls of lazy apply and AI-driven applications

18:11 - The significance of instant rejection and applicant experience

22:38 - The importance of transparency and candidate communication

27:25 - The emotional toll of unemployment and job search desperation

30:49 - Addressing the stigma and shame around layoffs

33:26 - The role of social media in job search and personal branding

37:54 - The holistic approach: showing your true self online

40:15 - Building a personal brand through honesty and content creation

45:17 - The importance of authenticity and transparency in professional branding

45:58 - Final thoughts and connecting with Jillian O'Malior

Of course, it wouldn’t be Chad & Cheese without a few sharp left turns. A certain fast-food giant’s awkward attempt at relatability gets the roast treatment, sparking a conversation about authenticity in the age of executive social media. That dovetails nicely into a broader debate about AI-generated marketing campaigns—especially when “people companies” experiment with removing actual people from the picture. Bold move? Lazy shortcut? Marketing genius? The gang weighs in.

On the industry side, several heavy hitters are making moves. One longtime ATS player is rolling out a fresh brand and a shiny AI layer meant to unify its platform—raising questions about whether this is a true product evolution or a well-timed narrative shift. Another HR tech roll-up with a portfolio of recognizable recruiting brands has a new CEO at the helm, bringing big AI and SaaS credentials to what some see as a complex integration puzzle. Meanwhile, a job board giant finally makes a major technical leadership hire after years of operating without one—prompting debate about product vision, innovation debt, and what it really takes to modernize at scale.

Add in contrasting approaches to AI-driven workforce strategy from major financial and retail employers, a glimmer of revenue optimism from a familiar job platform, a dad joke that absolutely no one asked for, and the usual sponsor shoutouts—and you’ve got classic Chad & Cheese: equal parts insight, irreverence, and “did they really just say that?”

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Current Events

02:57 - Impact of War on Travel and Daily Life

05:59 - Fast Food and Cultural Reflections

08:48 - Advertising Trends and AI in Marketing

11:59 - Privacy Concerns and Societal Reflections

14:57 - Shoutouts and Personal Reflections

16:28 - Introduction to Traders and Travel Plans

18:32 - Industry Changes and iSIMS' New Brand Identity

28:41 - The Importance of Execution in Branding

32:05 - Leadership Changes at Employee and Future Prospects

36:58 - The Future of ATS and Customer Retention

39:41 - Challenges Facing Legacy ATS Providers

44:52 - Leadership Changes at Indeed

47:18 - AI's Impact on Employment

55:43 - ZipRecruiter's Recent Growth and Strategy

They’re diving deep into the messy reality of gender dynamics, from the "recognition gap" that leaves women’s best ideas stranded in the boardroom to the strategic masterminding required to navigate a lopsided workforce.

Misty breaks down how women are effectively refining the economy—even when they’re working twice as hard for half the credit—and offers a no-BS roadmap for self-advocacy, networking, and why your personal story is the most lethal tool in your professional arsenal.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Misty Heggeness's Background

02:02 - Family Lore and Early Life in Fargo

04:07 - Career at the US Census Bureau and Academic Role

05:35 - Inspiration Behind 'Swift Dynamics' and Taylor Swift

08:02 - Taylor Swift’s Impact on Women and Business Strategies

10:59 - Economic Impact of Taylor Swift’s Tours and Business Tactics

13:08 - Early Career and Nashville Country Music Scene

15:01 - Women’s Progress in the Workforce and Cultural Shifts

18:05 - Gender Dynamics in Economics and Leadership Styles

21:07 - Women Making Their Own Pyramids and Future Outlook

24:02 - Women’s Earnings, Education, and Top Leadership Barriers

28:04 - Taylor Swift’s Employee Bonuses and Local Economic Impact

31:59 - Pay Equity, Economic Growth, and Corporate Responsibility

36:03 - Where to Find the Book and Connect with Misty

Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Swiftynomics-Women-Mastermind-Redefine-Economy/dp/0520403118

• StepStone celebrates record applications… during record job desperation. Spin level: Olympic gold.
• AI agent harassment enters the chat.
• IBM’s COBOL cash cow meets AI with a chainsaw.
• Google’s “CareerDreamer” Copy prompt → paste → profit?
• Kombo vs. Humand at 2 am
• Tech layoffs are giving Hunger Games energy.
• CEOs call unemployment “momentum.” Workers call it “rent’s due.”
• AI in hiring: helpful assistant or reputation wrecking hallucination machine?

Stay tuned.

Fresh off the release of his new book, Becoming Choosable, Ellis dives deep into why most companies fail by prioritizing aesthetics over substance. From a scathing critique of superficial Super Bowl ads to a masterclass on the NFL’s global expansion strategy, the conversation bridges the gap between high-level marketing and the gritty reality of talent acquisition.

Whether you're a mid-sized firm or a global powerhouse, tune in to learn how to define your company’s unique core identity and build a talent strategy that actually drives business growth.

Ready to find out if your brand is actually "choosable" or just wearing a fresh coat of paint? Give the episode a listen on the Chad and Cheese Podcast official site or your favorite streaming platform.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Employer Branding and the Podcast

02:17 - Super Bowl Insights and Branding Implications

05:18 - The Catalyst for Writing 'Becoming Choosable'

09:28 - Understanding Employer Branding and Business Growth

13:23 - The Future of Talent Acquisition and Branding Challenges

15:00 - The Importance of Brand in Recruitment

18:53 - Navigating the ATS Landscape

22:00 - The Role of Social Media in Employer Branding

29:58 - Targeting and Brand Messaging in a Holistic World

This week, the boys dive into LinkedIn’s sudden quest for a personality, questioning if the platform can actually pull off being "funny" and what that cultural shift means for your professional feed.

The conversation heats up as they dissect Google's latest moves to monetize Google for Jobs, a play that could fundamentally disrupt the recruitment landscape and how employers reach talent.

Finally, things get sobering as they issue a blunt wake-up call to white-collar workers: evolve your skillset now or prepare for obsolescence in an AI-driven market. It’s a high-stakes mix of big tech power plays and career survival tactics that you won't want to miss.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Banter

06:46 - Shout Outs and Industry Insights

10:24 - Travel Plans and Events

16:42 - Acquisition of BeApplied by Phenom

24:19 - Market Pressures and Company Valuations

27:51 - LinkedIn's Marketing Strategy Shift

34:18 - Google's Monetization of Job Searches

42:07 - The Future of White Collar Jobs

51:01 - Indeed's Smart Screening Updates

Filed in early 2026, the suit alleges that the platform creates secret "consumer reports" on job seekers—scoring everything from personality to performance potential without the applicant’s knowledge or consent.

From the personal struggles of barred candidates to the legal muscle of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), we explore why there is no "AI exemption" for transparency and how this case could fundamentally redefine worker rights in the age of algorithmic recruitment.

Think you know why you didn't get that last job? The truth might be hidden in a data profile you never authorized.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Rachel Dempsey and Towards Justice

02:59 - Understanding the Eightfold Case and AI Hiring Practices

06:10 - The Fair Credit Reporting Act Explained

08:58 - The Implications of AI in Hiring and Data Privacy

11:59 - Class Action Lawsuit Dynamics and Its Importance

16:03 - Legal Precedents and Future Implications

20:04 - Employer Responsibilities and Risks in AI Hiring

24:01 - The Role of LinkedIn and Other Platforms in Hiring

27:54 - Conclusion and How to Reach Towards Justice

While the market panic over AI monetization sends SaaS stocks tumbling, the hosts dissect whether we’re seeing a true tech revolution or just a "knee-jerk" reaction to the high costs of artificial intelligence.

The conversation shifts to the "digital battlefield" of job searching, where Indeed’s new ChatGPT integration is met with heavy skepticism—framed less as a game-changer and more as a "lazy" attempt to capture upstream traffic.

Beyond the apps, a legal storm is brewing as Eightfold AI and Workday face high-stakes lawsuits over "black-box" screening tools, with plaintiffs arguing these algorithms should be regulated like credit scores.

From France's aggressive move to ditch US tech like Zoom and Teams in favor of digital sovereignty to a sobering look at how wealth disparity and narrative manipulation keep the masses distracted, this episode is a raw, unfiltered deep dive into the crumbling status quo of HR and global tech.

Chapters

00:00 - Super Bowl Celebrations and Personal Reflections

03:00 - Cultural Impact of Halftime Shows

06:02 - Market Reactions and Speculation in Tech

09:03 - Advertising Trends and Consumer Perception

12:01 - Protests and Social Responsibility

15:02 - Workday's Leadership Changes and Market Challenges

30:40 - Employee Power and Corporate Accountability

33:02 - The State of Major Tech Companies

33:56 - Indeed's AI Integration and Job Market Dynamics

37:53 - The Future of Job Search with AI

42:54 - Legal Challenges in AI Hiring Practices

54:57 - Global Shifts in Tech and Workforce Dynamics

Between the inevitable age jokes and college football analogies, Quincy doubles down on her "2026 Reckoning" prediction—a warning that AI isn’t actually fixing Talent Acquisition, but rather acting as a high-speed spotlight on the fractured silos and organizational dysfunction we've ignored for decades.

While the C-suite chases "pretty dashboards" and faster metrics, the trio explores why accelerating a bad process only leads to mediocre results at record speeds. From the danger of "disposable talent" to the looming leadership shortages of the late 2020s, this episode serves as a sharp wake-up call for any leader hiding behind a tech stack.

It’s time to find out if your talent strategy is a cohesive ecosystem or just a collection of expensive pilots—before the 2026 deadline forces the issue.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Quincy Valencia

02:10 - The Big Reckoning: Predictions for 2026

05:35 - AI's Impact on Organizational Structure

10:00 - The Challenge of Talent Management

12:59 - The Future of Talent Acquisition and AI

18:15 - Building a Talent Ecosystem

19:31 - The State of Talent Acquisition in Enterprises

24:36 - Challenges in Implementing Skills-Based Organizations

27:58 - The Role of Automation in Recruitment

31:44 - Balancing Technology and Human Interaction in Hiring

36:40 - The Big Reckoning in Talent Management

The duo dives deep into Rippling’s bold Super Bowl debut featuring Tim Robinson, debating whether the "evil genius" move is a brilliant recruitment play or a calculated nod to Wall Street.

While Microsoft celebrates a massive LinkedIn revenue milestone—proving the platform has officially pivoted from a resume database to a short-form video powerhouse—the hosts shift gears to the grittier side of the job hunt.

From the rise of "Resume Botox" and ageism to the "resume slop" currently clogging AI-driven hiring funnels, the gloves come off.

Plus, don't miss the heated critique of ZipRecruiter’s new "Be Seen First" feature, which Emi and Joel argue might be doing more harm than good for the modern candidate.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Super Bowl Excitement

05:04 - The Beckham Family Drama

08:58 - Valentine's Day Fast Food Promotions

14:09 - Rippling's Super Bowl Ad

22:01 - LinkedIn's Revenue Growth and Strategy

27:57 - The Rise of Resume Botox and Ageism in Job Market

30:58 - The Age Discrimination Dilemma

35:59 - AI's Impact on Hiring Practices

45:00 - The Clumsy Evolution of Recruitment

56:04 - ZipRecruiter's Controversial New Feature

Between the typical banter and sharp European insights, the group explores why the current "pay-for-activity" model is fundamentally broken and whether the platforms we rely on are actually solving problems or just monetizing chaos.

The conversation takes a hard look at the shift from raw volume to meaningful curation, questioning if the "job board" as we know it is evolving into something unrecognizable—or simply becoming an invisible data pipe for AI agents.

From the death of the "click" to the rise of specialized niche players, this episode is a wake-up call for anyone betting on the status quo. If you're ready to stop selling the wrong product and start understanding where the talent marketplace is actually headed, grab Lou’s audio book and executive summary below.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to the Podcast and Guests

03:49 - The Research Behind Job Boards

11:03 - The Role of ATS in Recruitment

22:29 - Activity vs. Outcomes in Job Boards

26:08 - The Quiet Hiring Phenomenon

33:38 - Convincing Arguments for Job Boards' Relevance

Job Board Revolution Audio Book
Full version (2:38h): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lvphp0qchdefwvjc4zfhd/ElevenLabs_Job_Board_Revolution_Full_report_v6_amends_highlighted_docx.mp3?rlkey=gz0bvrfe6ufjuy2xsn7o1jnhc&st=yl4fbfpo&dl=0

Blinkist style (9 min): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xe0ggzala2prtm7pmy50m/ElevenLabs_Blinkist_Job_Board_Revolution.mp3?rlkey=gudo0tzmgoxwhmpe1ee0ogukv&st=6omm6p11&dl=0

Eightfold gets dragged into the legal spotlight over secret AI scores, mystery data enrichment, and a definition of “responsible AI” that seems to change depending on which slide deck you’re watching.

Meanwhile, Randstad says everything’s awesome while 40% of workers quietly grab a second job to keep the lights on. Cool cool cool. Totally normal economy.

Then it’s off to Davos, where billionaire AI CEOs confidently explain why white-collar jobs are disappearing, physical labor is the future, and—don’t worry—the government will totally figure it out. The pie will grow. Your slice? TBD.

Layer in Amazon and UPS layoffs, CEOs detachment from reality, and enough coded language to power a dystopian bingo card—and you’ve got an episode that asks the real question:

If AI is so smart… why is everything getting dumber?

🎙️ Equal parts HR reckoning, tech side-eye, and group therapy.
You’re gonna want a drink for this one.

Far from the easy narrative blaming AI for vanishing jobs, Kelly reveals how sky-high Federal Reserve interest rates are choking company hiring, why aggressive deportation policies are quietly shrinking the labor force in key industries, and how a stubbornly low quit rate masks a job market that feels frozen for millions.

Despite an unemployment rate hovering just above 4%, white-collar workers in tech and finance are stuck sending hundreds of applications into the void—while a massive skills mismatch leaves hot sectors desperate for talent.

If you’re frustrated with today’s job hunt or wondering when the market will thaw, this no-holds-barred conversation cuts through the noise and delivers the economic truths everyone needs to hear.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to the Podcast and Guest

02:06 - Allie Kelly's Background and Expertise

03:58 - The Current Job Market Landscape

08:20 - Impact of Immigration on Labor Supply

10:12 - Understanding the Sluggish Job Market

12:46 - The Workforce Imbalance and Its Implications

15:41 - The Role of AI in Job Market Dynamics

19:40 - The Cycle of Hiring and Layoffs

20:31 - The Influence of Tariffs on Employment

24:30 - The Fragility of the Economy

27:56 - Navigating the Current Economic Landscape

30:03 - Future Predictions and Economic Recovery

35:22 - The Role of Baby Boomers in the Economy

On this episode, they mix up a spicy cocktail of underdog victories and light geopolitical roasting, questioning if "nostalgia" is a strategy or just a slow death. Between celebrating Delta Air Lines and their massive commitment to people-first models and analyzing a "rupture" in the global order, the hosts explore why being at the table is the only way to avoid being on the menu.

The global tech giants are sneezing and it makes us wonder if HR tech players will catch a cold as a result. From OpenAI’s potential pivot toward ads and "Head of Preparedness" roles to the quiet death of Meta’s Horizon Workrooms, no one is safe from the roast.

They dive deep into whether Phenom’s acquisition of Included AI is a stroke of "agentic" genius or a "spaghetti at the wall" tuck-in, while casting a skeptical eye on Jeff Taylor’s latest venture, BoomBand. Whether it's the future of ChatGPT's job search ambitions or industry legends attempting to recapture lightning in a bottle, this episode is a masterclass in why you can’t look away from the train wreck of innovation.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Personal Updates

02:57 - College Football and Indiana's Success

06:00 - OpenAI's New Developments and Challenges

18:56 - Geopolitical Commentary and Industry Predictions

26:41 - Acquisition Insights: Phenom and Included

34:01 - Delta Airlines: Profit Sharing and Economic Concerns

40:26 - The Metaverse: Meta's Retreat from Virtual Reality

50:00 - Boom Band: Jeff Taylor's New Venture

In this special live conversation, Jeff sits down with Joel Cheesman to walk through the real Monster story: the early rejections, the $4M sale that could’ve been billions, the Super Bowl gamble everyone said was a mistake, the LinkedIn deal that never was, and why résumés and job postings are fundamentally failing today.

From DJ booths to dot-com booms, from getting humbled by Facebook to getting rebuilt at Bridgewater, Jeff explains why he’s back and why BoomBand might be his most ambitious swing yet.

Big ideas. Bigger regrets. Zero nostalgia. And one founder who’s still swinging for the fences.

The trio explores why today’s entry-level talent might be fundamentally "broken" by recent history and how a new wave of high-tech sabotage—involving hidden AI commands—is forcing platforms like Indeed to overhaul their defenses. Between roasts of industry giants and a deep dive into "agentic" automation, the panel questions if the traditional act of "applying" for a job is officially dead.

The chaos doesn't stop at the office door, as the conversation swerves into the bizarre intersection of professional networking and romantic snooping. From high-level CEO shuffles at Oyster and Textio to a major university scandal involving a fake Einstein quote, this episode exposes the growing pains of an AI-saturated world.

Whether it’s a "desperate" new ad campaign from ZipRecruiter or the strange rise of job hunting on dating apps, the crew connects the dots between global trends and absolute industry absurdity. Tune in to find out who’s winning the HR tech wars and why 2026 is already off the rails.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and French Fry Debate

02:59 - Impact of COVID on Entry-Level Jobs

05:57 - The Role of AI in Job Applications

09:08 - Leadership Changes in the Industry

11:44 - Indeed's Response to Resume Manipulation

14:55 - The Future of Job Recruitment

17:57 - Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts

28:32 - Leveraging Opportunities in Job Searching

29:57 - The Impact of Quiet Hiring on Job Market

31:29 - Navigating ATS and Job Applications

32:53 - The Evolution of Recruitment Technology

34:41 - LinkedIn's Response to AI and Competition

36:56 - The Future of Agentic Recruiting

39:56 - AI in Job Applications: A New Era

42:56 - The Intersection of Dating and Job Seeking

56:05 - Creative Approaches to Networking and Recruitment

The boys are back with Jim Kukral, recovering politician, cancer survivor, proud Clevelander, and Admiral of the Cleveland Floaters — to torch the algorithmic apocalypse. From Coca-Cola’s AI holiday ads to the coming “Chipotle Effect” (when robots make your burrito so perfect it finally creeps you out), Jim says humanity’s last unfair advantage is… being human.

So he quit his job and started throwing wild, screen-free boat parties on Lake Erie to prove it.

Meanwhile, Chad asks the uncomfortable question:
Are we really ready to fight back — or are we already too comfy with our AI girlfriends and digital cages?

Laughter, existential dread, sweaty dance floors, and zero filters.
This one hits different.

We recap 2025 - what we and our friends got right and wrong - and get our crystal ball out for 2026. This year, friends of the show, Jason Putnam, Quincy Valencia, Emi Beredugu and J.T. O'Donnell join the boys - including Lieven - in guessing what's in store for the world of work in the year to come.

The usual suspects, like ZipRecruiter, Indeed, iCIMS and others are highlighted, as well as big trends like automation, A.I. and more are discussed. So what are you waiting for? Get a jump on '26 and hit the ground running.

Kim dishes on reigniting that pandemic-era passion, pivoting from IT buyers to everyday users, embedding groundbreaking AI into workflows, expanding beyond meetings (hello, contact centers, events, and the fresh Bright Hire acquisition for recruiting), and fighting the short-term "coin-operated" mindset with real long-term brand building.

She talks partnering with the C-suite for true ROI, the rise of "human-in-the-loop" over AI slop, empowering employees as brand evangelists, and why trust and customer-centric stories trump CEO monologues every time.

Raw, strategic, and packed with insights for anyone in HR tech or marketing—this episode is a masterclass in keeping an iconic brand human in an AI world.

This year-in-review isn’t about press releases and keynote fluff. It’s about what really went down when the doors were closed: job boards locking down your hiring data like it’s nuclear codes, HR tech rivals apparently confusing “competition” with espionage, private equity strip-mining legacy platforms,and founders playing 4D chess while employees got stuck paying the entry fee.

From Indeed trying to own the entire hiring pipeline, to the Rippling vs. Deel spy thriller nobody asked for, to Monster France shutting its doors while exec bonuses stayed warm, to Job.com’s bankruptcy unfolding like reality TV — none of this is theoretical. It all happened.

Add AI agents ghosting resumes, Slack messages turning into courtroom exhibits, LinkedIn becoming a credibility minefield, and recruiters caught in the blast radius wondering how the hell this became their job.

Welcome to 2025's Wrap-Up Show. HR’s messiest season yet. 🍿

Is this intentional discrimination? Not quite—it's the insidious "proxy bias" at play.

Martyn breaks it down: LinkedIn's algorithm penalizes topics common among women. This creates a vicious cycle where established voices dominate, and emerging ones—often women's—get buried. LinkedIn denies using gender as a factor, but as Martyn argues, the real issue is between the lines.

From content visibility traps to calls for transparency, this discussion reveals how tech perpetuates inequality in professional networking. If you're in HR, tech, or just navigating LinkedIn, you won't want to miss these insights on building a fairer digital future.

We cracked open the vault and stitched together the smartest, loudest, and most brutally honest moments from this year’s conversations — because nothing says “holiday cheer” like calling BS on broken hiring.

This episode delivers a full snack tray of takes from leaders who actually run hiring at scale:

🍿 Fake applicants, AI fraud, and résumé chaos
🍿 Why job boards are quietly losing leverage
🍿 How companies are cutting spend and improving quality
🍿 The real role of AI
🍿 Why owning your candidate data actually matters
🍿 Human vs chatbot: where the line really is
🍿 What happens when recruiters stop playing defense

From Marriott to Domino’s, SmartRecruiters to healthcare, retail, and enterprise — this is the unfiltered stuff people only say when the mics are hot.

Consider this your year-end mixtape of truth bombs, hot takes, and “wait… they actually said that?” moments.

🎄 Press play.
🎧 Eat the leftovers.
🔥 Start 2026 smarter than your competitors.

On the Nice List, the trio celebrates a small-business CEO’s grit against crushing tariffs, a major tech platform’s "Domino’s moment" of radical honesty that led to a massive acquisition, and groundbreaking data that finally shatters ageist myths in the workforce.

They also toast a legendary founder who caught lightning in a bottle twice and an enterprise giant that finally got serious about modernization through an aggressive string of strategic buys.

The festive mood shifts quickly as the team unwraps the Naughty List, beginning with a tech titan’s "inhumane" 3:00 AM layoff strategy and a major industry association’s staggering $11.5M legal defeat that exposed some shocking hypocrisy.

The drama intensifies with tales of corporate espionage involving a CEO fleeing to Dubai, a global staffing firm accused of stiffing its own people while taking government handouts, and the infamous "Coldplay-gate"—the viral jumbotron scandal that cost two executives their careers and defined the summer of 2025.

From industry-shifting pivots to the year’s most cringeworthy memes, you’ll have to listen to the full countdown to find out which brands and leaders earned a crown and who walked away with a lump of coal.

Hailing from California’s Bay Area, Alexis, a former school teacher with three young adult daughters (who occasionally crave Taco Bell over gourmet Italian), dished on her “done-for-you” marketing agency that crafts LinkedIn-centric content like videos, posts, and articles to help recruiters snag clients without breaking a sweat.

She’s all about keeping it real on LinkedIn, the recruiter’s digital watercooler, while side-eyeing TikTok as a brain-corrupting time vortex—sorry, no dance videos here!

Alexis tackled the AI hype, warning against tools that promise the moon but deliver digital lint, offering a five-point checklist to dodge the fluff: ensure the tool solves a real problem (not just shiny candy), fits your workflow without turning it into a circus, provides actual human support (not just a dusty FAQ), shows clear 30-day results (numbers, not warm fuzzies), and boosts human connection, because nobody wants to recruit via chatbot therapy.

With a nod to society’s WALL-E-esque obsession with instant gratification, she insisted humans still crave real connection—unless you’re in the U.S., where Uber Eats and Instacart are apparently our love language.

Catch Alexis on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-albright-meschi-8b10a2243/), where she’s serving up marketing wisdom with a side of wit, and skip the TikTok scroll to keep your brain uncorrupted.

Then the trio dissects Findem’s mysterious acquisition, wondering if it's a path to riches for job boards or a one-way ticket to obselescence for the agent phenomenon. Walmart sneaks in as the dark-horse employment hero, proving even the retail behemoth can out-innovate and outsmart the market while competitors are still trying to get their own employee engagement strategies from hallucinating.

Additional fireworks come when Chad, J.T. and Joel tackle AI-generated content—specifically OpenAI’s Sora. Joel wonders if we’re about to drown in perfectly polished, soulless videos, JT argues creators can finally clone themselves (hello, 48-hour workdays!), and Chad just wants to know who’s actually going to pay for all this sci-fi wizardry instead of, you know, real revenue.

And, naturally, it wouldn’t be Chad and Cheese without Chad recounting his house-selling saga like it’s a Greek tragedy and Joel dropping holiday nostalgia bombs that somehow make like worth living again. Too much?

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Podcast Overview

02:01 - The Impact of AI on Creativity and Content Creation

05:00 - Personal Updates and Life Changes

07:56 - Nostalgia and Tribute to John Candy

10:59 - Women in Corporate America: Challenges and Changes

14:01 - Engagement and Feedback in the Corporate World

16:06 - The Concept of 'Enshitification' in Platforms

21:07 - Recent Layoffs and Corporate Decisions

22:39 - The Impact of Layoffs and Economic Trends

24:26 - LinkedIn's Verification Program and Its Implications

29:01 - Findem's Acquisition of Getro and Job Market Dynamics

34:11 - Walmart's Transformation and Employee Investment

40:24 - NFL Talent Management and Corporate Parallels

To win, organizations must form a Minimally Viable Team (MVT) that includes HR and key strategic thinkers, focused on supporting top business objectives. Before any training, leaders must address employee fear and anxiety about job loss, creating a safe space to discuss concerns.

According to Li, speed is the new moat, meaning companies must move beyond pilots to adopt a rolling 18-month AI Roadmap, prioritizing clarity and continuously adapting their plans every quarter.

The goal is to cultivate integrated intelligence, using AI not just for productivity, but to enhance uniquely human traits like empathy and judgment, ultimately turning employees into "super humans."

Chapters
00:00 - Intro & Bio
02:00 - Book Origin
04:00 - 95% Pilot Fail
06:00 - MVT & Strategy
08:00 - Fluency Mandate
11:00 - Fear & Culture
14:00 - Speed Moat
16:00 - Superhumans
22:00 - Roadmap & Messy Middle
31:00 - Shadow AI Amnesty
34:00 - Teen Advice
39:00 - Wrap  

First up: VONQ drops its biggest launch in years, rolling out its shiny new “Echo” platform like they're gunning for an Apple keynote. Did they finally build something the industry actually needs? Did they actually stick the landing? And is this the opening move in a coming acquisition play? We’ve got thoughts… lots of them.

Then: Indeed pulls the ladder up — again. Anonymous job alerts? Gone. New walls? Higher. Data grabs? You bet your ass. We’re diving into why job seekers are about to get screwed and why employers should be panicking yesterday.

We’re also hitting Instagram’s five-day RTO mandate (spoiler: it’s not about “saving employees from depression”), Australia’s crackdown on under-16s on social media, and one of the most creative protest videos to hit Home Depot’s parking lot.

Plus: whiskey, fantasy football standings, union-staffing détente, and enough holiday chaos to make Santa call HR.

It’s spicy. It’s snarky. It’s peak Chad, JT, and Lieven. You’ve been warned.

Desiree breaks down I-9 fundamentals: a decades-old (1980s) federal mandate requiring employers to verify every new hire’s identity and work authorization via Form I-9, regardless of company size. Section 1 is completed by the employee on day one; Section 2 by the employer within three business days using original documents (List A, B, or C). Remote verification via video has been allowed since 2023, but errors—missing fields, wrong dates, or accepting invalid docs—can trigger fines from $281 to $2,789 per form, with knowingly hiring unauthorized workers costing up to $27,894 per violation.

The real alarm bell? A $170 billion ICE budget boost, including $30 million to hire 10,000 new agents focused on workplace audits and raids. Desiree notes 15,000 targeted I-9 inspections planned for 2026—more than double pre-COVID levels—shifting from Trump’s first-term focus on arrests to systematic compliance checks. Recent raids (e.g., Hyundai’s Georgia plant detaining ~500 South Korean contractors on wrong visas) highlight risks, while a Colorado case saw $8 million in fines for systemic errors and unauthorized hires. She warns employers to organize I-9s, centralize processes, and audit internally—many don’t even know where forms are stored.

The H-1B “genius visa” program takes a hit too: fees jumping from $2,000–$5,000 to $100,000 per sponsorship, pricing out mid-sized firms and favoring tech giants. Desiree and the hosts lament lost innovation, economic contributions ($100 billion in taxes from immigrants last year), and community diversity, especially in industries like healthcare (40%+ immigrant home health aides) and agriculture.

With OFCCP effectively defanged, C-suites must redirect compliance resources to ICE readiness. Desiree’s advice: map vulnerabilities, understand your workforce footprint, and treat I-9s like payroll—accurate, auditable, and non-negotiable. “ICE ICE baby could be coming for you" ... Employers ignoring this do so at their peril.

They kick things off by swapping heartwarming family traditions—like which uncle still thinks “pass the stuffing” is code for “pass the political hot takes”—before pivoting to the real national religion: soccer finally mattering in America now that Lionel Messi has descended from Mount Olympus to sprinkle GOAT dust on MLS fields.

From there, it’s straight into the AI Thunderdome, where the gang swing the banter hammer at every shiny new model like they’re judging a middle-school science fair on bath salts. They roast ZipRecruiter’s podcast so hard you’ll smell burnt Phil from here, expose the shameless corporate-welfare grift masquerading as “HR innovation,” and deliver a fantasy-football update that’s equal parts trash talk and emotional damage.

They also review Indeed’s latest product (spoiler: it’s a feature, not a miracle), reenact actual spy-vs-spy drama happening right now in HR tech like it’s a Jason Bourne movie but with worse expense reports, and wrap the whole glorious mess with a Thanksgiving dad joke so corny it should come with its own butter sculpture.

Grab a plate, loosen the belt, and hit play—you’ll laugh, you’ll cry (from laughter), and you’ll never look at cranberry sauce the same way again.

Chapters 00:00 - Thanksgiving Traditions and Family Gatherings 03:57 - The Rise of Football and Sports Culture 05:13 - AI Innovations and Competitive Landscape 08:40 - Fantasy Football Highlights and Insights 10:11 - Critique of ZipRecruiter's Podcast 13:02 - Jive Turkey Awards and Industry Commentary 14:25 - Introduction and Call to Action 14:50 - Dystopian CEO Behavior and AI Layoffs 15:47 - Corporate Welfare and Job Losses 17:58 - Indeed Connect: A New Product Review 21:57 - The Broken Indeed Model 22:57 - AI's Impact on Job Security 25:12 - Marketing in the Recruitment Space 27:53 - The Jive Turkey Award: A Spy Story 31:48 - C'mon, you know, Dad Joke time!

Julia, recently departed from AutoZone, shared her 25+ years of TA experience across diverse industries, including tech consulting, staffing (Robert Half), financial services (MetLife, Fiserv), and manufacturing (Comscope). She discussed navigating the complex HR tech landscape, emphasizing the importance of identifying specific organizational problems before selecting technology, rather than chasing trendy solutions at conferences like RECFEST.

Julia highlighted the challenge of distinguishing genuine AI innovations from rebranded legacy systems and shared her approach to vendor due diligence, leveraging networks and customer references. Transitioning to consulting, she noted a shift from corporate constraints to a more fulfilling role, though still receiving sales pitches as if she were at AutoZone.

Her book targets college students facing a tough job market, offering strategies like being a "connector" on LinkedIn, targeting company problems, and turning rejections into growth opportunities. Julia stressed the value of internships and alternative career paths in trades or growth-oriented companies like AutoZone, noting a 10-20% reduction in internship programs due to economic uncertainty.

Find out more at https://www.hi2hired.com/from-hi-to-hired.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to

02:20 Navigating the Talent Acquisition Landscape

05:21 Preparing for Conferences and Vendor Interactions

08:13 Insights from RecFest and Vendor Evaluation

11:12 Transitioning from Corporate to Consulting

14:09 The Importance of Internships for Students

17:05 Adapting to a Changing Job Market

20:05 Strategies for Students in Job Hunting

23:16 Understanding Rejection and Learning from It

Verizon is yeeting 15,000 people. We go deep on the real, uncomfortable reasons behind their biggest layoff ever. Workday is playing Hungry Hungry Hippos on a massive M&A spree. And finally, 22% of candidates are finding work by sliding into DMs on Tinder and Bumble!

Acquisitions, AI overlords, mass layoffs, and dating apps posing as job boards. Zero apologies, maximum truth bombs. Hit play!

Levy, author of the new book Team Intelligence, unpacks wild stories from his own life—from shredding for a RevAbs infomercial to using a massive 421-million-match Hinge study to prove that introverts never pair up.

You'll hear about the "Super Chicken Problem," learning what homicidal hens in the 1970s can teach you about corporate success and why rewarding individual superstars can destroy your team.

You'll also learn about the "Too Much Talent Problem," the surprising reason teams overloaded with stars often underperform, and how a "no-stats All-Star" helped his basketball team win.

Finally, get the truth about the "Airport Problem," why remote work can feel so lonely, and what managers—who have accidentally become "camp counselors"—can do to fix it. If you've ever wondered how to build a team that crushes the competition without crushing each other, this episode is a must-listen with a startling truth: Harvard MBAs might not be any different from anyone else when it comes to leadership.

Indeed's dropping its new Connect offering. Chad calls it a "shakedown with jazz hands." Joel warns there's something darker going on. 💸

What's more, Indeed has a new KPI! ARPJ - don't worry, you'll learn what it is - is up 15%, but maybe the magic trick is in the numbers, and the boys have the inside scoop on how Indeed is throttling the system. Wall Street claps, Main Street bleeds. 📈

Teen Vogue's HR chief gets ambushed on camera, and fast food is dying, along with the rest of everyone not in the 10% of the richest among us. It means more than just Joel mourning his Frosty, but maybe 50-year mortgages can save us. Not! Death, taxes, and Indeed screwing you over, same as it ever was. Enjoy!

David Weinstock is a modern Talent Acquisition leader who actually unlocks value by fixing how companies hire, not just adding more process.

As VP of Talent Acquisition at New Story, he leads talent strategy across 16 very different companies. Before that, he built and scaled TA at Hopebridge, one of the largest ABA providers in the country supporting 7,500 hires a year across 125 locations.

David’s specialty is taking messy, scattered recruiting operations and turning them into high-performing, data-powered machines. He’s led major ATS + CRM implementations, rebuilt TA org structures, refined recruitment marketing spend, and made analytics a core part of how decisions get made.

Outside of his day-to-day work, David advises multiple recruiting tech companies helping shape product and go-to-market direction from the point of view of an operator who’s lived it.

Watching business models shift where conversational AI becomes the UI… and the revenue engine.

Hold on. This one’s bumpy.

So we’re bringing in the people who actually lived it… not analyst fantasy land.

In this session — leaders from Rippling, Phantom, Foley and more break down the pain they actually felt, the bad solutions they tried first, and how they finally got ahead of the chaos.

You’ll hear exactly how the speakers have taken a native approach in catching fraud before it infects pipelines, shrink screening overhead, and put recruiter time back into outbound sourcing where it actually moves the needle — not “spreadsheet archaeology.”

Speakers include:

• Vijay Mani — Co-Founder & CEO, Covey

• Jay Patel — Sr Director Talent, Rippling (ex DoorDash)

• Laura Stapleton — VP People, Foley (ex Engine)

• Derrick Gellidon — Head of Talent, Phantom (ex Lyft, Instacart)

• And yes… Chad & Cheese stirring the bourbon into the chaos.

Mercor—those zygote founders roasted for bias-free matching—pivots to AI-model eval, grabs $350M Series C at $10B. 30K experts at $85/hr tell OpenAI why outputs rock or rot. Chad salutes the “picks-and-shovels” genius; Joel dubs it the mother of pivots. AuditBoard scoops FairNow for AI-governance; Chad smells PE acqui-hire for HG’s $180B empire, Joel’s skeptical—flat headcount, no terms, RecFest whispers “smoke.” Emi loves Mercor’s 500M ARR path, reserves FairNow judgment.

iCIMS wakes up: AI Sourcing Agent, turnkey I-9/E-Verify (backgrounds/assessments next), Apply Network adds LinkedIn/Veritone. Chad groans—5 yrs post-Opening.io, 3 post-Candidate.ID, rebranding old tech as “agents” in me-too panic. Joel sees ATS arms race: bundle sourcing/SEO or lose to SmartRecruiter clones. Emi hopes CTO Deepak Pandya saves the day; Chad/Joel want retention—“We’ve got agents too!”

H-1B mess: White House defends $100K fee vs. Chamber lawsuits over fraud/wage suppression. DeSantis bans H-1Bs at FL universities (13.6% biz faculty gone), citing Chinese nationals teaching U.S. policy. Chad recalls 2020 Chamber suit—immigrants power innovation/supply chains. BC runs Reagan ads during NHL, fast-tracks Trump-weary U.S. nurses: 1.4K+ apps, 113 registered, 100+ hired. Joel predicts Canada-wide poach; Emi: fee won’t spawn American nurses.

Bold (Monster/CB owners) drops 2007 cringe-video: wrinkled CEO, Trumpasaurus, resume subs, predatory paid services. Chad gags at “ick,” slams Jeff Taylor for cheering a flaming brand. Joel: ChatGPT could do better; Emi: euthanize the dead horse—trust gone. Trio signs off with Joel the Chicken & Agent Chad pitching iCIMS mascot gigs. Death, taxes, layoffs—baby. 

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
13:32- Layoffs
21:44 - AI News
30:29 - iCIMS
38:23 - H-1B
47:04 - Bold 

In this live RecFest session, the boys sit down with Shay Johnson, VP of Strategic HR Partnerships at Compass Group USA, who reveals how his team went from 2% conversion rates and duplicate job posts to building a hiring machine.

Shay drops real playbook tactics—SMS conversion tactics, re-engagement automation, database recycling, spend control, and high-volume hiring strategy that every enterprise TA leader should be stealing by Monday.

This one has it all the maths, modern TA strategy, automation wins, and a guy with better hair than Joel. Grab a bourbon and listen up.

Shay's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelshayjohnson/ Dalia candidate conversion - https://www.dalia.co
ENJOY!

0:00 – Meet Shay Johnson
1:20 – 2% conversion + dumpster fire
2:44 – 5 million candidates a year?
3:45 – Hiring managers go rogue.
9:56 – Stop buying new candidates—reuse the ones you already paid for
11:35 – Dalia + Paradox = Batman & Robin of hiring
16:17 – Hiring automation so good recruiters don’t know it exists
21:33 – Spending smarter > burning budget on sponsorship confetti
26:41 – In-house programmatic team = two nerds and a spreadsheet
29:23 – Change management that didn’t suck

The bullshit meter detonates. Facebook resurrects its job board after killing it in 2023—rumor has it Zuck’s prepping AR glasses where “Starbucks is hiring” beams directly into your latte-fueled daydreams. X quietly buries its LinkedIn-killer tab (Elon’s too busy monetizing outrage). Adzuna unveils a “revolutionary” search that’s basically ZipRecruiter’s Phil minus the creepy spokesperson—half-baked, no employer-side matching, and it begs for your email like a desperate Tinder bio. Metaview’s Chicago billboard (“Who says hiring has to be fair?”) gets flayed: four-second glance, logo smaller than a South Park punchline, and DEI messaging dumber than a rock. Fix? “Effective AI. Giant Logo. Metaview.com.” Done. Stop torching $35M on ego art.

Funding fireworks: Findem.ai pockets another $51M, hitting $105M total (Intello 2.0, now with agent spice—same data warehouse, new flavor packet). Deel raises $300M, pushing its war chest to $1.3B at a $17.3B valuation—enough to buy a mid-sized nation and still tip the barista. Armstrong grabs $12M for AI dish-washing robots (Taco Bell’s drive-thru is about to ghost human order-takers faster than you can say “Doritos Locos”). Jack & Jill scores $20M for conversational job alerts—talk to your laptop, get emailed Indeed links. Groundbreaking… if it’s 2001.

Economy’s a K-shaped tire fire: Hamburger Helper sales spike 14% (flashbacks to salty 70s trauma: “Dad tried to fix it with more salt—burned my mouth and my will to live”). Freight rates up 20%, subprime auto delinquencies worse than COVID, Great Recession, and dot-com bust combined. White Castle flips fully autonomous in Ohio—farewell, drive-thru jobs; hello, robot flipping your sliders while you doom-scroll in sweatpants.

Finale: OpenAI green-lights erotic ChatGPT for verified adults starting December (the internet was literally built on the promise of pixelated nipples—Sam Altman’s just cashing the OG check). Age-gating? Cute. Show me a 10-ft wall, I’ll show you an 11-ft ladder and a forged ID. They also launch ChatGPT Atlas, an AI browser with a sassy sidebar—because Chrome’s 2:38 median tab time and 11.4 open tabs (recruiters: double that, easy) needed a drunk-texting career coach. Google infused Gemini; OpenAI counters by making browsing feel like your browser just joined a group chat.Buckle up—2026 will be wilder than a Meta glasses app that undresses your LinkedIn connections in AR.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Recap of Reckfest
02:18 Reflections on MTV's Impact and Evolution
04:57 The Changing Landscape of Job Platforms
07:36 Layoffs and Industry Shifts
10:09 The Future of Recruiting Technology
13:08 Meta's Job Platform and Advertising Strategies
15:42 Critique of Adzuna's New Search Features
18:04 Closing Thoughts and Future Predictions
26:35 The Power of AI in Recruiting
30:44 Funding Frenzy in the Recruitment Tech Space
34:59 The Impact of Automation on Fast Food Jobs
42:49 Economic Indicators and Their Implications
48:06 The Intersection of AI, Browsers, and Adult Content

Wolfe critiques the "bullshit psychology industrial complex," comparing tools like Myers-Briggs and DISC to 19th-century phrenology, arguing they’re unscientific and fail to predict performance.

He blames executives’ desire for easy answers for their reliance on these flawed methods, even as AI risks amplifying the problem with recycled "gibberish." Instead, Wolfe’s Value-Centric Leadership model urges leaders to define business value through a “same page” document and replace appraisals with “success maps” focusing on measurable deliverables.

HR, he suggests, can lead by demanding clarity on 3-5 value-added results per role. The candid, humorous discussion, peppered with banter about a Napoleon-era jacket, targets HR pros and leaders, urging them to ditch platitudes for results. Wolfe plugs a free Chapter 3 at argoshr.com/book, and the hosts endorse the book as “anti-bullshit.”

Recording in front of a rowdy bunch of recruiting pros, the gang talks automation, employment branding, tech stacks, the future of recruiting and more. Grab a pour and enjoy. We're return to our regularly scheduled program next week.

Frank, an Ohio native, discusses his extensive experience in technology and consulting, highlighting Cognizant's growth from 10,000 to over 300,000 employees.

He traces AI's rise in business, noting its "slow, then sudden" impact since ChatGPT's 2022 debut. Frank critiques CEOs for layering AI onto outdated structures, leading to poor ROI, as shown in an MIT survey, and advocates for first-principles thinking to redesign processes.

He sees recruiting transforming with AI, cutting sourcing time (e.g., scanning 7.5 million profiles instantly) and improving cultural fit analysis, though human recruiters remain vital for emotional connection.

Frank warns of AI scaling biases faster than humans, necessitating strong governance to avoid issues like predatory lending seen in early AI experiments. He discusses Talent Genius’s “Agent Powered” platform, which helps workers leverage AI to amplify skills (e.g., becoming “5x” more effective), drawing parallels to historical job shifts like the iceman’s obsolescence.

The lively discussion, peppered with humor about Davos and Buckeyes, emphasizes AI’s potential to turbocharge talent management if thoughtfully integrated, urging listeners to visit talentgenius.io for more.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Malcolm Frank

01:56 - The Rise of AI and Its Impact

05:20 - Challenges in AI Implementation

09:02 - The Future of Recruiting with AI

12:53 - Investing in Employee Development

17:19 - The Role of AI in Talent Acquisition

21:16 - Big Tech vs. Niche Vendors in HR Tech

24:48 - The Evolution of ATS and Recruiting Tools

28:51 - Bias in AI and Its Implications

35:23 - AI's Impact on Blue Collar Jobs

37:39 - The Vision Behind Talent Genius

The bad news hits hard: the U.S. government shutdown, now in its eighth day, is costing $7-15 billion weekly, furloughing 1.9 million workers and delaying critical jobs data, with ADP and Moody’s signaling near-zero job growth in September, concentrated in healthcare and large firms. American farmers face bankruptcy risks as tariffs inflate prices and competitors like Argentina and Brazil snag deals with China. J.P. Morgan pegs recession odds at 40% by year-end, and tech stocks, puffed up by AI hype, teeter on the edge of a bust.

Chad rants about tariffs, ICE raids, and H1B visa hikes pushing talent away, calling the economy “cataclysmic,” while J.T. laments the understated jobs crisis, with six-figure earners jobless for months. Joel highlights the plight of farmers, noting the regressive impact of tariffs on the poor and the absurdity of subsidizing competitors like Argentina.

Switching to good news, the trio finds some hope: Upwork’s CEO Hayden Brown reports a 50%+ surge in demand for AI skills like prompt engineering, with Gen Z poised to benefit from freelance opportunities. A Yale study suggests ChatGPT hasn’t yet disrupted U.S. jobs significantly, and Workday’s expanded real estate footprint and Netflix’s $700,000 AI product manager role signal niche growth.

J.T. sees promise in fractional work for seasoned professionals, while Chad warns AI is quietly automating tasks (like scheduling at GM, cutting 100+ jobs) and questions the longevity of roles like prompt engineering.

Joel agrees, likening AI jobs to short-lived 90s webmaster roles, predicting they’ll train systems to replace themselves.The episode also covers LinkedIn’s lawsuit against Pro APIs for scraping millions of profiles with fake accounts, a growing headache as AI amplifies such schemes, and the launch of Filament, a $10.7M-funded, invite-only LinkedIn rival that Chad dismisses as redundant given existing group chats on WhatsApp and Slack.

Finally, they tackle Gen X’s financial woes, with only 25% holding retirement accounts and student debt crushing the rest. J.T. sees universal basic income (UBI) as a potential bridge for Gen X to pivot careers, but Joel balks at the idea, citing their fiercely independent ethos, while Chad ties the crisis to the shift from pensions to 401ks and broader systemic failures.

The episode closes with a heated debate on whether UBI or corporate reinvestment in communities could stem the tide, leaving listeners with a mix of grim realities and cautious optimism for a creative, freelance-driven future.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Fall Vibes

03:32 - Shout Outs and Remembrances

09:51 - Economic Concerns and Job Market Analysis

18:57 - AI and Job Market Dynamics

27:31 - LinkedIn Lawsuit and Professional Networking

47:44 - Gen X Financial Challenges and UBI Discussion

Rand calls BS on the tech bros, drags lazy journalists chasing clicks, and explains why Google, LinkedIn, and Elon’s “Xperiment” have turned the internet into a zero-click wasteland.

He even serves up career advice for young marketers — build something real, specialize later, and never let a platform own your ass.

It’s insight, irreverence, and a side of pasta. 🍝

The spotlight lands on JuiceBox, an AI-powered recruiting tool that snagged $36 million, including a $30 million Sequoia-led Series A. Chad’s jazzed, calling it the “Capri Sun of HR tech” for its catchy name and $10 million revenue rocket. He wonders if they’ll build a platform or get gobbled up in an acquisition faster than you can say “merger margarita.” Joel, the grumpy cat of the duo, sniffs history repeating, comparing JuiceBox to 2010s sourcing flops like Entelo. “Build fast, sell faster, or get squashed by LinkedIn,” he grumbles, predicting a big-tech beatdown.

Next, they geek out over AI agents revolutionizing recruitment. Chad raves about Hackajob’s agents that dig through applicant databases like treasure hunters, saving cash and recruiter sanity. Joel dreams of Chrome’s new free Gemini AI turning browsers into job-search genies, scaring HR tech vendors like a horror flick. Chad warns, “Free? You’re the product, kids!” as they lament job scams and hope AI security saves the day.

LinkedIn’s new Learning Career Hub gets a roasting—Chad calls it a “half-baked LinkedIn loaf” compared to slick competitors like Degreed. Joel likens it to Apple’s VR headset: a panicked hedge against being left behind. They also torch Reid Hoffman’s claim that work-life balance is a “red flag,” with Chad snapping, “Want me to work like a CEO? Pay me like one!” Joel laughs it off as Silicon Valley hot air, like a CEO dropping truth bombs after one too many kombuchas.

Ford’s CEO Jim Farley’s $5 million pledge to train 15,000 workers by 2026 gets a collective eye-roll. Chad calls it “couch cushion change,” comparing it to Apple and Tesla’s billion-dollar China training sprees. “Farley’s begging for government handouts like a kid at a candy store,” he scoffs. Joel agrees, noting it’s chump change next to a Super Bowl ad, and both warn U.S. companies are losing the EV race to China’s manufacturing muscle.

Finally, a Waymo self-driving car’s illegal U-turn leaves cops stumped—no driver, no ticket! Chad, fresh off a Spanish speeding ticket by camera, wonders why the U.S. can’t keep up with “Star Trek-level” tech. Joel predicts local governments will milk Google for fines to fund football fields. With automation on the rise, they’re all in—just don’t expect Robocop to sort it out anytime soon.

Chapters 
00:00 - Introduction 
02:21 - Reflections on Current Events and Military Leadership 
05:19 - Job Market Insights and Economic Concerns 
09:13 - Cultural Commentary and Sports Events 
16:11 - Tech Innovations in Recruitment 
22:56 - Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook 
25:06 - Evolving Market Strategies 
27:13 - The Role of Agents in Recruitment 
31:00 - Google's AI Integration and User Behavior 
40:10 - LinkedIn's Challenges and Opportunities 
46:32 - Ford's Workforce Development and EV Challenges 
52:26 - Accountability in Autonomous Vehicles

Tiffany shares her insights on the dynamics of affairs, the power structures at play, and the societal shifts in understanding relationships. The conversation also touches on the challenges of modern dating, the role of platforms like OnlyFans in addressing loneliness, and the need for companies to rethink their policies on workplace romances.

Tiffany emphasizes the importance of emotional connection and the evolving nature of relationships in today's world.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Tiffany Anton

02:22 - The Coldplay Affair: A Therapist's Perspective

05:31 - Understanding Affairs: Causes and Consequences

08:26 - Power Dynamics in Workplace Relationships

11:29 - The Impact of Affairs on Company Culture

14:23 - Navigating Modern Relationships: A Societal Shift

17:11 - Dating in the Digital Age: Challenges and Insights

20:13 - The Role of OnlyFans in Addressing Loneliness

23:00 - Rethinking Workplace Relationships

26:11 - Future of Relationships: Hope and Challenges

The crew then skewers Trump’s H1B visa fee hike to $100,000, a move that lets tech titans like Google and Meta flex their fat wallets while startups choke, sending America’s “brain gain” packing to Canada and Europe.

J.T. drops a truth bomb: job security’s a myth, so job seekers better channel their inner influencer and monetize their skills on social media, because full-time gigs are fading faster than a bad Tinder date.

Meanwhile, Indeed’s playing mafia boss, slashing agency commissions and strong-arming them into direct-apply schemes, prompting Chad to call it “agency castration by 10,000 paper cuts.”

IBM’s AI saga gets a laugh—8,000 HR folks got the boot for a chatbot, only for the company to rehire for creative roles when AI couldn’t handle the human touch, proving even robots can’t fake empathy.

Finally, they tackle LinkedIn job scams, with losses skyrocketing from $90 million to $501 million in four years, blaming desperate job seekers, apathetic employers, and a government too busy to care. Chad’s three-legged stool metaphor—job seekers, employers, government—falls flat when all three are slacking.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:33 - Trump's Controversial Remarks on Europe
01:58 - Chad's Return from Europe and Personal Reflections
04:18 - Emerging Content Creators and the Knowledge Economy
11:36 - Industry Ethics and Accountability
15:26 - Celebrating Milestones and Upcoming Events
19:36 - Industry Events and Networking Opportunities
23:13 - The Muse Acquisition Controversy
28:18 - The Impact of H1B Visa Changes
34:24 - The Future of Work and Job Security
37:11 - Indeed's Strategic Moves in Recruitment
40:13 - The Agency Dilemma
45:00 - The Evolution of Recruitment
48:10 - AI's Role in Workforce Changes
52:47 - Job Scams in a Tight Market

She emphasizes the importance of defining personal boundaries, understanding emotional drivers, and the need for effective communication in both professional and personal relationships.

The conversation explores the cultural differences in work-life balance, the impact of remote work on productivity, and the necessity for employers to foster a supportive work environment that encourages employees to disconnect and recharge.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Time Management and Flexibility

01:43 - The Genesis of Flexibility and Burnout

04:52 - The Emotional Side of Time Management

08:34 - Defining 'Enough' in Work-Life Balance

10:52 - The Role of Employers in Work-Life Balance

12:40 - Flexibility vs. Productivity in the Workplace

18:03 - Cultural Differences in Work-Life Balance

21:29 - Societal Pressures and Burnout

28:27 - Navigating Relationship Dynamics in Remote Work

This episode tackles the HR tech consolidation frenzy: Workday’s $1.1B Sana acquisition, paired with recent Paradox and Flowise buys, signals a bold AI-driven strategy to streamline everything from sourcing to onboarding with a slick, unified dashboard. It might be Workday’s “peanut butter and jelly” integration but execution’s the key.

Meanwhile, iCIMS grabs Apli (or is it Aptly? Nobody knows! Not sure it matters) for frontline hiring, but it may be a desperate “last girl at the bar” move to keep up in the conversational AI race.

The crew also mourns layoffs: Fiverr’s 250 job cuts and ZipRecruiter’s axing of 80 in Israel, with Chad slamming Zip’s post-IPO pivot to a dud chatbot, Phil, and Mo decrying Fiverr’s dystopian AI push that kneecaps freelancers.

Gen Z’s “revenge quitting” and “great lock-in” trends spark debate—Mo and Chad urge caution, while Joel’s all “life’s tough, kids!”

Starbucks’ dress code drama (no Crocs, tattoos, or piercings!) ignites a fiery clash: Mo and Chad call it discriminatory nonsense, while Joel insists baristas can just take their hustle to Arby’s.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview
08:10 Job Market Challenges for Older Workers
11:15 Technology and the Future of Work
18:46 Sneak Preview of Chicken Cock Whiskey HQ
24:11 Acquisitions in the HR Software Sector
29:44 Workday's Strategic Moves and Market Positioning
35:00 The Future of Work and AI's Impact
41:00 Industry Layoffs and AI Transformation
51:25 Gen Z's Workplace Challenges and Trends
59:18 Starbucks Dress Code Controversy

In this episode, Charney calls BS on:

• Vendors selling “AI” that’s really just 2003 automation in a new hoodie

• HR’s obsession with “a seat at the table” (spoiler: the table’s cold, and nobody saved you a chair)

• Why being “first to market” with AI is usually just a great way to bleed out on the cutting edge

• And the hilarious reality of candidates getting rejection emails before they’ve even finished hitting submit

👉 Grab your bourbon, hold on to your recs, and hit play.

They kick off with a riff on empathy—or lack thereof—in today’s rage-fueled world, joking that community resilience is basically folks bonding over Wi-Fi outages.

Corporate layoffs get a roasting, with job security shakier than a Jenga tower at a frat party, and fractional employment pitched as the future for those who love working three jobs to afford one coffee.

OpenAI’s shiny new job platform sparks eye-rolls, as they dunk on job boards so outdated they might as well be faxing resumes. AI’s role in job matching gets a nod, though they quip it’s less “perfect match” and more “swipe left on bad fits.”

Labor market woes are dissected, with job seekers facing hurdles higher than a toddler’s tantrum, and generational gripes about work sound like Boomers and Zoomers arguing over who gets the last slice of avocado toast. Economic data? They trust it about as much as a used car salesman’s handshake.

Indeed and LinkedIn’s AI tools get a playful cage match comparison, while Shaker and Radancy’s acquisition drama is served with a side of corporate soap opera. They wrap up cackling about autonomous vehicles, wondering if truck drivers will soon be replaced by robots who honk worse than your uncle at a tailgate. 

Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Current Events 02:25 The State of Empathy and Rage 05:19 Shout Outs and Community Resilience 08:33 Corporate Layoffs and Job Security 11:22 The Future of Work and Fractional Employment 14:22 OpenAI's New Job Platform 17:06 Cynicism Towards Job Boards 20:11 OpenAI's Impact on Job Searching 27:16 AI in Job Matching and Job Seeker Education 29:06 Labor Market Insights and Economic Realities 30:50 Demographics of Job Seekers and Their Challenges 33:04 Generational Perspectives on Employment 35:19 Trust in Economic Data and Its Implications 36:29 AI Tools in Recruitment: Indeed vs. LinkedIn 46:52 Acquisitions in Recruitment Tech: Shaker vs. Radancy 53:57 The Future of Autonomous Vehicles and Job Displacement

Inside this episode:

• Why most HR tech still runs on vaporware and broken promises

• The Sackett philosophy: If you suck at recruiting, AI just helps you suck faster

• “Scale Your Suck” – his accidental book title that SHRM will never publish

• Why recruiters might have 18 months before AI eats their lunch (and their jobs)

• How execs keep saying “do more strategic work” when nobody knows WTF that actually means

• The coming extinction-level event for recruiters who think “tallest dwarf” = top talent

This isn’t a kumbaya “AI will save us all” chat. It’s Sackett unplugged—equal parts brutal honesty, dad jokes, and career counseling for recruiters about to be replaced by bots that actually give candidates feedback.

Grab a stiff drink. Season 3 is here, and it’s coming for your job description.

00:00 Introduction and Overview of the Episode

03:52 Corporate Drama: CEO Dismissals and Scandals

06:10 A Tribute to Greg Louganis: Olympic Legacy and Challenges

08:53 The Fading Glory of Olympians

09:32 International Students and the Impact of Policy Changes

13:15 Upcoming Events and Networking Opportunities

15:34 Fantasy Football Draft Recap

19:14 Closing Thoughts and Future Topics

19:58 Google's Search Monopoly and Market Dynamics

22:42 The Impact of Workforce Imbalance

26:04 The Future of Google Search and Diversification

28:50 Recruitics Acquires Change State: A Strategic Move?

34:31 Meta's Leadership Shakeup and AI Focus

48:22 AI in Fast Food: Taco Bell's Experimentation

Joel and Chad dig into:

• Why “feature bloat” is killing platforms faster than a buffet kills willpower

• The rise of AI agents that make every TA leader feel “special” (just like their mom told them)

• How SmartRecruiters is “releasing the Kraken” on AI adoption—while trying not to terrify every compliance officer on Earth

• Why Kenya and Eastern Europe are quietly kicking everyone else’s ass on AI innovation

• And yes… the most celebrated use case for AI in recruiting is still… scheduling.

It’s part therapy session, part roast, part masterclass in how to burn down old TA processes without getting fired.

Strap in. Season 3 of The AI Sessions is here.

Expect:
-Trump cosplaying as a mob boss at Intel and Cracker Barrel
-Kelce + Swift rumors getting the “wink-wink” treatment
-Fantasy football team names that would make your grandma blush
-Workday dragging Paradox into the modern era
-Employ Inc.’s CEO carousel—because why settle for one clown when you can have the whole circus?
-Dayforce’s $12.3B private equity soap opera
-Meta’s AI drama (aka “Zuck being Zuck”)

It’s business, it’s football, it’s chaos—and it’s all drenched in the unfiltered sarcasm you love.

1500 episodes later, the boys are still slinging takes hotter than a Browns fan’s rage.

Chapters:

00:00Celebrating 1500 Episodes

01:24Reflections on Current Events

05:53The Future of Restaurants

06:31AI in Business: The Human Factor

09:38Travis Kelsey and Celebrity Culture

11:14Fantasy Football Team Names

18:08Workday Acquires Paradox: A Game Changer

22:18The Rise and Fall of Jobbing

26:05Workday's Strategic Moves in AI

30:18The Future of Recruitment Tech

32:41Leadership Changes in Employee Tech

40:24Dayforce's Private Equity Acquisition

45:25Meta's AI Controversies and Hiring Pause

Grab your popcorn and a sense of humor—this episode’s a wild ride! Subscribe and checkout the eye candy at YouTube.com/@chadcheese and visit www.chadcheese.com today.

Expect:

• Ritz-Carlton ghosting Joel harder than his prom date.

• Why Marriott’s HR is basically 9,000 mom-and-pop shops in a trench coat.

• The shocking discovery that AI doesn’t make great recruiters greater—it just stops the bad ones from lighting themselves on fire.

• CFO ROI math so sketchy it belongs in a late-night infomercial.

• And the big AI fix for fake résumés and deepfakes? Drag ‘em into the lobby for an old-fashioned, in-person interview.

This is hospitality meets HR Tech chaos—and Tyler’s got the room service order. 🍸

Listen :)

Joel’s out dropping Cole at college, so Chad is joined by Belgium’s royal pain Lieven and Scotland’s deep-fried-pizza poet Stephen McGrath. Loud Americans, entitled tourists, and the four-day work week—this one’s got more punch than a Glasgow nightclub at 2 a.m.

👉 Press play. Europe’s never been so dangerously entertaining.

Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Welcome

04:15 Shout Outs and Celebrations

11:11 Upwork's Strategic Acquisitions

22:52 The Future of Staffing and Technology

38:29 Denmark's Deepfake Legislation

44:24 The Four-Day Work Week Discussion

• AI hiring lawsuits pile up faster than unread LinkedIn DMs

• Upwork tries on staffing’s Blockbuster costume

• Deel debuts creepy digital clones (no, not the cool Star Wars kind)

• And Joel cries in Bloomington while Chad rants about Tim Apple

It’s HR tech, corporate drama, and just enough bad jokes to make you question humanity.

Chapters

• 00:00 - Intro: Chad and Cheese, the HR comedy duo you didn’t know you needed.
• 02:23 - College Drop-Off Diaries: Tears, tuition, and existential dread.
• 05:23 - AI in Hiring: When algorithms discriminate worse than your uncle at Thanksgiving.
• 17:15 - AI Recruitment: Is it saving HR or just ghosting candidates with flair?
• 23:14 - AI Hiring Outlook: Crystal balls and code, what’s next?
• 24:30 - AI Marketplaces: New risks, same old corporate facepalm.
• 26:20 - AI Governance: Trying to tame the tech beast in talent acquisition.
• 29:30 - Upwork’s Lifted: Enterprise staffing with a side of swagger.
• 36:17 - Deel and SiriusXM/iCIMS: AI innovations meet legal oopsies.
• 43:33 - Government Funds Shipbuilding: Because who doesn’t want to sail into 1850?
• 49:41 - Humans + AI: Recruitment’s new rom-com, minus the happy ending.

Grab your popcorn and a sense of humor—this episode’s a wild ride! Subscribe and checkout the eye candy at YouTube.com/@chadcheese and visit www.chadcheese.com today.

From killing off Kenexa (RIP, nobody misses you) to jumping into bed with SmartRecruiters, Domino’s is betting big on speed, automation, and a sprinkle of chatbot charm. Matt spills on:

• Why hiring at Domino’s must be as fast as ordering a pepperoni with extra cheese.

• How chatbots went from clunky decision trees to almost-human assistants (minus the dad jokes).

• What happens when franchisees get in a room with vendors.

• The eternal struggle between human touch and “just let the damn bot send the background check reminder.”

• And yes—we even asked about the Noid. Because if Domino’s doesn’t bring him back as a recruiting chatbot, what are we even doing here?

It’s tech, pizza, and questionable morals—just another day on The Chad & Cheese Podcast: AI Sessions.

This episode, your hosts sling snarky banter like baristas tossing espresso shots, breezing through early chit-chat about travel woes, Coldplay’s drama-fest, LinkedIn’s questionable career tips, sports shout-outs, Walmart’s employee discount PR stunt, free swag, and fantasy football.

But the real meat hits after the 15-minute mark, where they dive into the chaos facing recent grads—think degrees collecting dust while the job market laughs. The future of work gets a roasting, with the creator economy shining as the cool kid at the career fair, while AI and economic shenanigans threaten to swipe jobs faster than you can say “pivot.”

Teaching’s future? It’s AI’s new playground. Silicon Valley’s traded ping-pong tables for “purpose,” but don’t get too cozy—tech employment’s a rollercoaster, and global competition’s got everyone sweating.

Job boards like ZipRecruiter are wheezing in the dust, outrun by AI, and in a plot twist nobody saw coming, the hosts ponder if newspaper job ads might stage a retro comeback. It’s a wild, witty ride through the workforce’s new reality—adapt or get left behind, and maybe grab a newspaper just in case.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Banter

00:29 - Travel and Cultural Observations

02:26 - Coldplay Drama and LinkedIn Insights

04:12 - Shout Outs and Celebrating Progress in Sports

09:20 - Walmart's Employee Discount Initiative

11:00 - Free Stuff and Promotions

12:10 - Travel Plans and Upcoming Events

13:14 - Fantasy Football and Sports Culture

14:26 - Challenges for Recent Graduates

18:30 - The Future of Work and the Creator Economy

21:04 - The Impact of AI and Economic Factors on Employment

22:53 - The Future of Teaching and AI

24:49 - Silicon Valley's Shift: From Perks to Purpose

27:16 - The Changing Landscape of Tech Employment

30:21 - Global Competition and the Tech Industry

32:03 - The Decline of Job Boards and the Rise of AI

39:34 - Reviving Newspaper Job Ads: A Retro Solution?

48:27 - Closing Thoughts and Dad Jokes

AI automation shrinks HR teams, incivility spikes with employee backlash, and return-to-office mandates spark resentment over commutes and fairness. ICE raids and immigration fears—amped by Trump’s “big beautiful bill”—disrupt workplaces, with HR crafting response plans.

Political uncertainty, like tariffs pausing hires, and H-1B visa exits to Canada/Europe strain talent pools. Interest in HR jobs is waning on Indeed, hinting at future shortages. Yet, many HR pros see this as a “calling” to shine via support and outplacement.

They start by painting a gloomy economic picture, complete with workforce imbalances that feel like a bad Tinder match, plus a heartfelt nod to breastfeeding support at work (because who doesn't love a good "pumping up the team" pun?).

Things get real with layoff laments, treating employees like yesterday's LinkedIn spam. Shout-outs go personal with fantasy football eulogies (RIP to those dream teams) and event plugs, alongside travel tips for jet-setting talent hunters—pro tip: pack extra patience for airport security feels.

The meaty bits?

SAP snapping up SmartRecruiters like it's Black Friday shopping for ATS upgrades, pondering if AI recruiting will finally make hiring less of a dumpster fire, and how it'll mesh (or clash) with SuccessFactors.

Earnings chit-chat skewers Indeed and LinkedIn's numbers, roasting Indeed's Branded Boost as a "blast from the past" that's more regression than revolution. Wrapping up, they dissect the Workday lawsuit's AI bias bombshell—because nothing says "fun" like robots playing favorites—and the eerie rise of virtual hotel check-ins, where your front desk clerk might be outsourcing from halfway around the world.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Mood Setting

02:27 - Economic Concerns and Workforce Imbalances

05:23 - Breastfeeding Support in the Workplace

08:15 - Employee Treatment and Layoffs

11:13 - Fantasy Football and Personal Tributes

14:00 - Upcoming Events and Travel Info

16:59 - SmartRecruiters Acquisition by SAP

18:26 - Future of ATS and AI in Recruitment

24:16 - The Future of Success Factors and Smart Recruiters

28:51 - Earnings Season Insights: Indeed and LinkedIn

36:23 - Indeed's New Branded Boost: A Step Backward?

42:03 - Legal Implications of AI in Hiring: The Workday Case

46:33 - The Rise of Virtual Check-Ins in Hospitality

They sliced and diced a juicy report comparing AI’s quirks to good ol’ human prejudice, serving up some spicy legal takes on what happens when robots play HR.

The trio threw shade at sloppy AI systems, stressing that vendors and employers better team up like superheroes to keep things fair and square—or risk a legal smackdown.

They also peeked into the crystal ball for AI’s hiring glow-up, while side-eyeing the political circus messing with AI rules and preaching the gospel of audits that go beyond just checking boxes for sex and race. 

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to AI in Talent Acquisition

02:34 - Understanding AI Bias in Recruitment

05:29 - Comparing AI and Human Bias

08:28 - Legal Implications of AI in Hiring

11:24 - Vendor Responsibility and Compliance - Mobley v. Workday

14:17 - The Future of AI in Talent Acquisition

17:09 - Political Influences on AI Regulations

20:19 - Diversity and Inclusion in AI Audits

23:13 - Predictions for AI and Bias in the Workplace

• 🔌 Bold yanks the plug on Monster’s Euro-zone job boards faster than you can say “thoughtful transition.” Spoiler: if you had job credits, they’re as good as Monopoly money now.

• 🤡 Jamie & Doug send a painfully boring email instead of showing their faces. JT’s advice? Ditch the letter, pick up a camera, and maybe lose the flannel.

• 🔥 Job.com update – Turns out “we’re a tech company” means screwing over employees.

• 💰 Anthropic’s valuation hits $170B by cozying up to Gulf sovereign funds. Nothing says ethical AI like cash from authoritarian regimes!

• 🧓 ServiceNow’s CEO transforms into Uncle Baby Billy, declaring robots better than humans because they don’t need lunch. Late-stage capitalism, y’all.

• 🫢 Astronomer pulls a Coldplay Kiss Cam scandal and somehow turns it into a Gwyneth Paltrow-powered PR win.

👉 Listen now before all your favorite jobs get replaced by agents who don’t need to piss in garbage cans.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

06:05 Celebrating the Lionesses' Victory

08:09 Workforce Landscape

14:51 Bold and Job Market Dynamics

25:45 The Challenges of Job.com and Employee Rights

32:26 The Rise of AI

46:41 Lessons from Astronomer

Inside this episode:

• 🤖 The rise (and limits) of chatbots

• 🔍 Why some candidates still prefer search over automation

• 📉 The slow death of job boards—and what comes next

• 🌎 How politics and immigration are reshaping DEI

• 🏃‍♀️ Speed vs. fit: are we hiring fast or hiring right?

Meghan brings 15 years of Marriott transformation to the table—tech, transparency, and a big ol’ dose of reality.

From authentic brand engagement to building a global, inclusive talent pool, this one’s packed with frontline insights HR pros and tech nerds alike will want to hear.

🎧 Tune in or risk clinging to your outdated ATS and broken career page like it’s 2015.

00:00 - In this Episode 0:27 - Meghan's Elevator Pitch 2:50 - Tech Transformation at Marriott 4:00 - What Has Changed in 15 Year Period in HR 5:55 - What Learnings Meghan Has Got in the Last 5 Years in Terms of Technology 8:56 - Chatbot vs. Search: Understanding User Preferences 10:46 - Difference Between the Application Process 12:10 - Rethinking Spend: The Decline of Job Boards 19:03 - What Marriott Does Organically to Drive Traffic and Brand Awareness 20:30 - Importance of Transparency 25:12 - What Some Political Topics Impact Marriott 27:08 - Future of Recruiting 30:57 - Speed vs. Fit in Hiring 33:08 - Products Meghan Wish Existed Today

They dissect HelloWork's lawsuit against Indeed for yanking ATS feeds—Chad calls it a data domination plot, Joel bets on French PR patriotism trumping legal odds.

"Buy or Sell" gets savage: MetaView's €30M note-taker? Chad and Lieven sell (no moat, just meh), Joel buys for human touch. Traxlo's €1.6M gig app? Joel and Lieven buy for retail grunt work, Chad sells (automation apocalypse incoming). Ordio's €12M deskless payroll? Joel and Lieven buy, Chad sells (pricing poultry—er, paltry).

EQT X snags Adevinta's Spanish ops, InfoJobs included? PE panic—Chad and Joel scream "abandon ship!" And Paris-based Teleperformance gobbles up Agents Only, a Vancouver-based staffing company specializing in online workers for AI data annotation and customer service, which is a fancy way of saying "workers who check expiration dates on milk."

Joel highlights ZipRececruiter's most recent marketing strategy: Embracing old school linear TV by sponsoring a new show on Fox. Chad rants about the new $250 "integrity fee" for US tourist visas—because nothing says "welcome" like a cash grab that could tank tourism before the 2026 World Cup.

Ashby news brings the fire, snagging a whopping $50M Series D, doubling customers (now 2,700+ like OpenAI and Shopify), boosting revenue 135%, and barely dipping into last year's Series C. Why more cash?

To evolve "at the speed of AI," building all-in-one recruiting magic—sourcing, scheduling, analytics—that users call "beautiful software." No more tool sprawl; it's the startup darling dethroning clunky vets like Greenhouse. Chad's verdict: Finally, an ATS nobody bitches about—refreshing in a moan-fest industry!

Then, drama alert: Bold snatches Monster and CareerBuilder assets for $28.4M in a bankruptcy auction (up from a start of $7M). Great domains, SEO juice ... but Bold's predatory paywalls (mandatory sign-ups, fees for full job deets) scream "job seeker trap." Chad's not thrilled—hopes they don't prey harder with that Monster muscle.

Randstad? Total villains. They boast $5.8B revenue and 3% EBITDA margins, but screw Monster employees worldwide. Days before mass layoffs, they gutted severance: From 1.5 weeks/year (up to 16) to a flat two weeks. Imagine losing $28K if you're a 20-year vet! In France, it's worse—brutal shutdowns, no support, leaving taxpayers footing unemployment bills. Vendors? Stiffed millions after Monster ran up tabs they knew were doomed. Chad's furious: "Corporate welfare at its finest." Until CEOs like don orange jumpsuits, the little guys get proper f***ed.

AI corner: Perplexity's CEO says says recruiter jobs are soon to be a thing of the past, and Salesforce's Mark Benioff probably agrees, as his company is doing up to 50% or more with less. Moe's skeptical: "Hype to sell shares!" Chad sees task automation (bye, scheduling drudgery) but demands AI taxes and UBI pronto. Jobs evolve, but painful contractions ahead? We'll be watching.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Welcome Back

02:21 - Maureen's Disney Cruise Experience

04:04 - Tribute to Matt Lavery

07:09 - Coldplay Gate: The Viral Incident

08:52 - Integrity Fees for Tourists

10:19 - Ashby: A Positive ATS Experience

12:41 - Bold's Acquisition and Job Seeker Concerns

15:59 - Ronstadt's Treatment of Employees

18:29 - The Impact on Vendors and Corporate Accountability

23:23 - Future of Recruitment and AI Integration

32:14 - Closing Thoughts and Dad Jokes

🧠 From AI-fueled chaos to tech stack therapy sessions, we’re diving headfirst into:

• 🤖 Resume spam and deepfake candidates

• 💸 Scaling dreams on skeleton budgets

• 🧱 Platform vs. integration: who ya got?

• 📊 Real data, real decisions—no BS dashboards

Steve even spills the story behind how he got the Gem.com domain (spoiler: startup fairy tales aren't real).

We’re talking transparency that actually builds trust, AI that actually works, and tech stacks that actually don’t blow up your budget.

If you're tired of hype and want honest recruiting talk from people who live it—this episode's your antidote.

🎧 Press play or keep clinging to that broken job description.

00:00 - In this Episode 0:49 - How Steve Got Gem.com 4:05 - Alla's & Steve's Elevator Pitch 5:24 - Steve's Sense on the Conference 8:51 - Balancing Limited Resources Amid Growing Demands 14:30 - Rethinking Job Descriptions 16:10 - Deepfakes, Resume Spam, and the Hiring Hype: What's Real? 19:29 - Bringing Transparency to the Hiring Timeline 24:04 - Tariff Talk and Client Reaction 28:39 - Platforms vs. Integrations in the AI Era 31:22 - Reassessing the Stack: When and Why? 35:07 - Leveraging Data for Change in Talent Acquisition 38:17 - What the Future Looks Like

But don’t get too comfortable, there’s plenty of industry drama to dig into. Job.com filed for bankruptcy (shocking no one), Indeed is back on its layoff tour, and Paradox is dealing with a data breach. Chris Foreman resurfaces at TotalJobs, and the big question looming over the industry: Will JobGet get the Monster (and the Builder too)? Stay tuned.

Takeaways:

• Matt Lavery was a cherished friend and mentor.
• The podcast community has lost a valuable member.
• Job.com’s bankruptcy raises concerns for the industry.
• Indeed's layoffs reflect ongoing challenges in the job market.
• Data breaches are a serious issue for tech companies.
• Chris Foreman's move to TotalJobs is surprising given his previous plans.
• JobGet's acquisition of Monster signifies a drastic change in the job board landscape.
• The importance of valuing relationships and time with loved ones.

They dive into the gig economy’s role as a financial lifeboat for laid-off workers, tossing around ideas like Uber drivers dodging debt faster than a bad Tinder date.

The crew chews over how gig work reshapes the workforce, with HR folks scrambling to keep up like over-caffeinated squirrels. They also poke at the headaches gig platforms face—think regulatory red tape and automation like Tesla’s robotaxis stealing the wheel.

Plus, they riff on Uncle Sam’s snooping into gig earnings, what Gen Z expects from this hustle-heavy world, and whether the gig economy’s future is a shiny utopia or a dystopian dumpster fire. It’s a wild ride through jobs, bots, and government plots!

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to the Gig Economy and Its Implications

02:22 - Understanding the Gig Economy as a Buffer

05:04 - The Impact of Gig Work on the Workforce

09:29 - Government Tracking of Gig Work

12:21 - Challenges Faced by Gig Platforms

14:40 - Temporary Solutions vs. Long-Term Viability

17:22 - Expectations of the Next Generation

20:44 - The Role of Regulation in Gig Work

25:11 - Healthcare and Long-Term Costs

28:49 - Future Outlook on the Gig Economy

💀 Job.com hits Chapter 11 – because apparently lighting $50-100 million on fire isn't a sustainable business strategy. Who knew?

🔁 Who's buying Job.com? Apparently Job.com!

🧠 CTO is owed $300K

🧃 Business model of doom. Imagine Fyre Festival for jobs

🔮 PE firms, VC money, zero logic – If you ever wanted a masterclass in financial acrobatics and corporate vanishing acts, this episode is your front row seat.

It’s The Chad & Cheese Podcast – where bankruptcies come with a twist and a smirk.

The trio dives headfirst into the wild jungle of talent management, where CEOs and HR are apparently playing a bad game of telephone. Marc dishes on why HR processes need a simplicity makeover—like swapping War and Peace-length forms for a Post-it note.

He spills the tea on why companies fumble employee development, the dire need to throw some cash at talent, and how generational quirks make managing folks feel like herding cats.

Plus, they riff on HR’s quest to actually get what the business wants and adapt to the workplace’s new normal, all while dodging corporate chaos.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Talent Management and Complexity

01:17 - The Value of Talent and CEO Perspectives

04:18 - The Purpose Behind Writing the Book

04:36 - The Complexity of HR and Its Implications

05:13 - Understanding the Business and Customer Needs

06:37 - Investment in Employee Development

08:56 - Adapting to New Realities in the Workplace

09:24 - Generational Differences in Talent Management

The core discussion dives into Indeed’s aggressive moves to dominate hiring, forcing agencies to adopt APIs and share disposition data, reminiscent of old newspaper models, per Jim Durbin’s insights.

Chad critiques Recruit Holdings’ push for a unified “HR matching market,” warning it’s a dated cost-per-hire approach doomed to fail, like Monster’s struggles.

The rise of AI agents, like Jobright’s ($3.2M funding) and Wisq’s ($15M), sparks debate—Joel sees them revolutionizing job searches, while Chad fears “AI catfishing” inflating candidate profiles.

Tech layoffs hit hard, with 22,000 cuts in 2025 (e.g., Bumble, Intel), impacting HR’s talent strategies and exacerbating infinite workday risks. J.T. highlights job seekers’ demand for reverse recruiting. And Ford’s CEO raising wages to retain workers underscores HR’s need for competitive pay to curb gig work reliance.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

05:11 AI Innovations and App Development

08:02 Upcoming

09:02 Indeed's New Strategies and Market Positioning

15:53 The Future of Job Applications and AI Agents

24:35 Layoffs and Workforce Dynamics

30:29 Reflections on Pay and Employment Trends

The trio dives into Indeed’s shiny new job posting policies, the corporate game of telephone gone wrong inside the company, and how this hot mess is shaking up agencies and recruiters like a bad TikTok dance.

Jim drops some truth bombs about why quality candidates trump a flood of resumes, the nerdy allure of disposition data, and what these changes mean for the wild world of recruitment.

The episode wraps with some crystal ball gazing, predicting who’ll be popping champagne and who’ll be crying into their LinkedIn profiles as the industry scrambles to keep up.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to the Podcast and Guests

00:43 - Jim Durbin's Background and Expertise

01:45 - Indeed News and Changes in Recruitment Advertising05:08Impact of Changes on Agencies and TA Departments

09:52 - Understanding Indeed's Motives and Market Position

13:58 - The Role of Disposition Data in Recruitment

18:56 - The Future of Job Posting and Programmatic Solutions

20:19 - The Future of ATS and Data Management

22:29 - Challenges in ATS Integration and Data Quality

25:10 - Indeed's Strategy and Agency Dynamics

28:25 - The Impact of Quality Candidates on Recruitment

31:20 - Budgeting and the Future of Recruitment Advertising

The show tackles a grim industry shake-up: CareerBuilder and Monster’s job board business is being sold to JobGet amid Chapter 11 bankruptcy. JobGet’s gobbling distressed assets like Snagajob, but Chad questions the strategy, as these “misfit toys” boost revenue without growth.

Unsecured creditors, like Jobverse ($2.7M) and TextKernel ($2.2M), are owed $25.5M and may see little, while Apollo’s insulated. J.T. urges job boards to innovate or perish.

Dice’s layoffs (100+ in sales and engineering) reflect a revenue plunge (Q4 2024 down 14%, Q1 2025 down 18%). Chad blames Dice’s failure to evolve, stuck in an innovator’s dilemma like Monster.

Automation shines (kinda): Tesla’s Austin robotaxi launch ($4.20/ride) had hiccups, while Walmart’s robots unload trucks at 580 boxes/hour, easing grueling jobs. Yet, displaced workers face risks, and new remote roles could fuel infinite workday burnout.

A YouTuber’s In-N-Out lawsuit underscores brand risks, emphasizing HR’s need to adapt with quality-focused, streamlined talent management in a turbulent market.

Then, the lads pivot to Taco Bell’s grand invasion of Ireland—because nothing says “Irish culture” like a Crunchwrap Supreme at 2 a.m.Next, they dive into the recruitment jungle (see what I did there?) to dissect Welcome to the Jungle, France’s slick job platform trying to muscle into the U.S. market. Spoiler: it’s like a croissant trying to compete with a double cheeseburger.

The hosts break down whether this Euro import can hack it in the land of LinkedIn and Monster, all while preaching the gospel of “know thy market” like it’s a recruitment sermon.

The convo then zooms into the AI startup Thunderdome, pitting Sintra against Jet HR in a cage match of funding flexes and business models. Who’s got the bigger war chest? Who’s got the better buzzwords?

It’s like watching two tech bros arm-wrestle over venture capital. Things get spicy when they tackle AI and automation, with Amazon playing the role of job-market Godzilla, stomping through Europe’s workforce like it’s a bad kaiju flick.

And because no podcast is complete without a moral panic, the hosts cap it off by wagging their fingers at social media’s evil grip on today’s youth. They’re out here advocating for regulations to save kids from the horrors of endless TikTok scrolls—like digital knights in shining armor.

Will Welcome to the Jungle conquer America? Will AI eat all our jobs? Will teens survive Instagram? Gotta watch to find out.

They wrangle topics like the “Great Stay” snoozefest, where workers cling to jobs like life rafts, and the economic data that’s got everyone scratching their heads. Watt drops gold nuggets on crafting resumes that dodge AI gatekeepers, urging quality over spamming applications like a bot gone rogue.

She also tackles AI’s takeover, ghosting recruiters who vanish faster than a magician’s rabbit, and the gig economy’s rise that’s got job seekers hustling like Uber drivers on a Friday night.

With networking as the secret sauce and upskilling as the new black, Watt’s tips are your ticket to standing out in a job market more crowded than a Black Friday sale. Get ready for laughs and wisdom in this no-BS job hunt showdown.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Catherine Watt and Her Background

02:56 - Understanding the Job Market Disconnect06:14The Reality of Job Searching Today

08:51 - The Impact of Economic Data on Job Seekers11:46The Perfect Storm in the Labor Market15:05The Great Stay and Its Implications

18:06 - Optimizing Resumes for the Modern Job Market

18:54 - Navigating Job Applications in the AI Era

24:47 - Generational Perspectives on Job Seeking

30:11 - The Shift to Gig Economy and Side Hustles

36:32 - Upskilling and Employee Development

39:43 - Strategies for Job Seekers in a Competitive Market

Altman, smirking on his brother’s podcast, scoffed, “Meta’s not exactly an innovation powerhouse,” betting OpenAI’s culture will outshine cash as they chase superintelligence—AI that’ll make humans look like dial-up modems. Chad quips, “Zuck’s throwing cash like confetti, but Altman’s holding the AGI trump card.”

Next, the hosts tackle Trump’s immigration whiplash. Last week, he hit pause on ICE raids targeting farms and hotels—where 42% of crop workers and 7.6% of hospitality staff are undocumented—after farmers cried foul. But days later, he flipped, doubling down on mass deportations, especially in blue states, risking $315 billion in economic fallout.

Tech gets weirder with Amazon’s Andy Jassy predicting AI will shrink corporate jobs, leaning on generative AI and Zoox’s 10,000 robotaxis to replace drivers. Meanwhile, Zoom’s Eric Yuan shrugs off work-life balance, saying leaders live for work and family, but sees AI pushing Gen Z toward three-day workweeks. Klarna’s CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, not to be outdone, launches an AI hotline starring a digital him. Surely, AI Sebastian will be running interviews at Klarna soon, right? Tune in for insight.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Summer Vibes
• 01:49 Current Events: Juneteenth and Global Chaos
• 03:21 TikTok’s Staying Power
• 05:10 Browser Dating: Privacy or Romance?
• 08:08 Indeed’s New Market Squeeze
• 08:25 Meta vs. OpenAI: The Poaching Wars
• 24:32 Trump’s Economic Tightrope
• 29:35 Immigration vs. Market Needs
• 35:26 AI’s Job Displacement Threat
• 45:33 Culture and Burnout
• 50:23 The Infinite Workday

Free stuff at http://www.chadcheese.com/free

The discussion delves into McGee’s book, which explores Apple’s transformative relationship with China, its massive investments, and the unintended consequences for global tech and geopolitics.

The interview covers McGee’s research process, Apple’s control over its narrative, the scale of its investments in China, and the broader implications for manufacturing, workforce development and U.S.-China relations.

Timeline

Just give me the main bullet points, without the Key Points and Key Points

• McGee’s Background (00:29–02:08): McGee’s Financial Times reporting in Hong Kong, Germany, and on Apple shaped Apple in China, focusing on China’s authoritarianism, supply chains, and Apple’s operations.
• Research Process (02:08–05:00): Over 200 interviews and 1,000+ pages of unreported Apple documents reveal novel insights into manufacturing, bypassing Apple’s product-focused narrative.
• Apple’s Narrative Control (05:00–08:31): Apple steers media toward product features, obscuring key figures like Isabel Gamahi and critical China operations.
• Apple’s Investment (2013–2016) (08:31–15:16): Beijing’s 2013 media attacks led to a $55 billion annual investment by 2015, with Cook’s $275 billion pledge in 2016, likened to double the Marshall Plan.
• China’s Workforce (Pre-2016) (15:16–17:08): Apple trained 28 million workers, enabling competitors like Huawei, with China realizing this impact in 2016.
• Apple vs. Other Tech (Pre-2016) (17:08–20:11): As a hardware company, Apple followed other electronics firms to China, unlike content-focused Google, Amazon, and Facebook.
• U.S. Oversight (2016–Present) (20:11–24:32): U.S. was unaware of Apple’s investments; Apple’s training model could inspire U.S. vocational revival.
• Automation Challenges (Present) (24:32–30:06): China’s dominance in materials and robotics makes U.S. onshoring unlikely; tariffs disrupt without solutions.
• Vocational Training (Present) (30:06–33:58): Apple’s China training, akin to Germany’s system, empowered Chinese firms; U.S. could adopt similar models.
• Geopolitical Outlook (Present–2025) (33:58–39:02): India’s role is limited; China’s manufacturing dominance persists, with Apple’s AI lag adding risk.
• EVs and China’s Lead (2019–Present) (39:02–42:46): Tesla’s 2019 operations boosted China’s EV dominance; West struggles with battery supply chain control.
• Book Promotion (42:46–43:37): Apple in China available on Amazon, Bookshop.org, Apple Books; appleinchina.com offers more details.

Chad laments their lack of vision, while Joel predicts three fates: a ZipRecruiter roll-up, a Recruit Holdings acquisition, or an international player snagging a cheap U.S. foothold. J.T. scoffs, saying job seekers hate these brands and job boards are dinosaurs.

The trio then roasts Indeed’s late-to-the-party conversational AI tools, with Chad calling them five years behind and Joel comparing Indeed’s struggles to Apple’s innovation slump. J.T. notes Indeed’s trust issues, with scam texts spiking 500%.

Meanwhile, SmartRecruiters’ bold AI platform, Winston, earns praise for its forward-thinking pivot, unlike Workday’s Josh Bersin propaganda machine and iCIMS’ press-release snooze.

They wrap with a dive into the creator economy, where user-generated content is outpacing traditional media. J.T. cheers the shift to monetizing knowledge, urging everyone to jump in, while Chad stresses the need for a business model to cash in. Oh, and Joel sneaks in a Beach Boys tribute, Father’s Day shout-outs, and a NSFW OnlyFans anecdote, because why not?

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Personal Updates

02:58 - Reflections on the Beach Boys and Father's Day

06:04 - AI's Impact on Human Interaction

08:55 - CareerBuilder and Monster's Decline

18:07 - The Future of Job Boards and Market Dynamics

25:23 - The Future of Job Boards

28:29 - Indeed's Challenges and Innovations

35:02 - Workday and SmartRecruiters "Innovate"?

39:27 - The Rise of User-Generated Content

48:20 - The Shift in Media Consumption

🦄 Parloa’s riding high while Builder.ai’s IPO dreams crash-land like dad jokes at a startup open mic.
🚁 Ukrainian drone startups schooling old-guard giants in DIY warfare.
🇪🇺 Tesla’s getting ghosted harder than your last online date.
🥂 Emi toasts bottomless brunches; Lieven mourns EV glory days. Harmony achieved.
🦘 RecruitRoo bounces across Europe like a kangaroo on espresso.
🥐 And yes—Americans swapping MAGA hats for croissants, universal healthcare, and slightly saner politics.

Plus: Red wine splashes, tipping etiquette atrocities, and a Putin punchline that'll make you think (and chuckle).

Chaos never sounded so charming—hit play.

It’s The Chad & Cheese Podcast: Global Edition.

Chapters

00:00 Ukrainian Innovation: A Game Changer

05:08 Elon Musk and the European EV Market Shift

09:28 Tipping Culture in Europe vs. the US

14:57 The Rise and Fall of Builder.ai

20:41 Accountability in the Startup World

23:32 Emergence of AI Unicorns in Europe

25:09 The Impact of Conversational AI on Jobs

27:57 AI in HR: Enhancing Candidate Engagement

32:15 Recruit Roo's Ambitious Expansion in Europe

40:12 The American Dream: Seeking Stability in Europe

Armed with his industrial-organizational psychology and behavioral science superpowers, Jordan dishes on why HR is stuck in a Dilbert cartoon, flailing under outdated structures. He’s calling for an HR glow-up, splitting it into specialized squads to actually support employees instead of drowning them in paperwork.

The trio dives into AI’s takeover of HR—think less “Terminator,” more “clippy on steroids”—and how it’s shaking up everything from hiring to watercooler chats. They also tackle generational workplace vibes (Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z, oh my!) and why agility is the secret sauce for HR that doesn’t suck.

With Jordan’s vision, it’s all about crafting workplaces that don’t make you want to rage-quit on Monday. Expect sharp insights, belly laughs, and a few “HR-rible” puns as Joel and Chad grill Jordan on building a happier, less soul-crushing office life.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Jordan Birnbaum

05:06 The Glinda Group and Its Mission

06:55 Exploring HR's Ineffectiveness

09:23 Reimagining HR's Structure

13:53 The Role of AI in HR Transformation

18:51 Generational Perspectives on HR

24:45 Future of Work and AI's Impact

👉 Indeed jacks up prices and slaps on a euphemism: Healthy Budget. Translation? Pay more, get less, and smile through it.
👉 Hyams gets the boot—my bad, gracefully exits stage left—after steering Indeed into a horse-and-buggy pricing model.
👉 Workday faces a class-action lawsuit over algorithmic discrimination. Cue the AI ethics panic.
👉 Rippling and Deel continue their Spy vs. Spy meltdown with more lawsuits than Bravo has Real Housewives.
👉 And yeah, AI might end your job, your industry, and your peace of mind. So Mo’s pricing bunkers and praying for universal basic income while Chad’s drinking port like it’s Y2K.

From laugh-out-loud corporate chaos to serious HR wake-up calls, it’s a bender of an episode. BYOBunker

Jeremy drops truth bombs about why HR compliance is the unsung hero of keeping companies out of hot water, all while juggling the chaos of ever-shifting regulations like a circus clown. They dive into the thrilling world of data collection—because who doesn’t love a good spreadsheet?

The trio also tackles the nail-biting drama of poster compliance (yes, those break room posters are a big deal), the affirmative action planning glow-up, and hot-button issues like immigration and I-9 forms that make HR folks sweat.

Peering into their crystal ball, they riff on the future of DEI in hiring and how AI and hybrid workspaces are shaking up HR like a bad office karaoke night. 

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to OutSolve and HR Compliance

02:51 - Navigating the Changing Landscape of Compliance

07:32 - The Importance of Data Collection in HR

10:39 - Understanding Poster Compliance and Its Challenges

13:40 - The Shift in AAP Providers and Compliance Strategies

15:57 - Emerging Topics in HR: Immigration and I-9 Compliance

19:15 - The Future of DEI and Its Impact on Hiring

21:15 - Looking Ahead: AI and Hybrid Workspaces

BUT—before we disappear into the SPF and piña coladas, we’ve got a little birthday gift for you. It’s a brand spankin’ new episode of Talent Chasing—the podcast where Moneyball meets Office Space... yeah, let that marinate. What does it mean? Hell if I know, but you’ll figure it out.

This week, Brian, Jasper, and Chad dive into the NFL draft disaster that was Shedeur Sanders' slide to the fifth round. Was it race? Was it reputation? Was it just good ol’ football fear of a confident quarterback with a very famous dad? Yep. All that and a side of bullshit.

So unwrap your present, hit play, and enjoy the chaos.

Happy Birthday to us—Sowash out!

More Talent Chasing at TalentChasing.com

Key Points:

1. Background and Motivation: Dr. Luthra’s interest in DEI stems from her PhD research and personal experiences with social inequities as a woman of color. Her work focuses on creating fairer organizational environments.
2. DEI Backlash: She observes a global backlash against DEI, particularly amplified in the U.S., with ripple effects in Europe. Companies face pressure to remove DEI training and terminology, especially those with U.S. federal contracts.
3. Fear as a Core Issue: Dr. Luthra identifies fear as the root of resistance to DEI, manifesting in five forms: fear of change, fear of getting it wrong, fear of personal consequences, discomfort with bias, and fear of ineffective actions. These fears affect all groups, not just dominant ones.
4. Zero-Sum Misconception: The backlash is fueled by a zero-sum view where advancing marginalized groups is seen as diminishing others’ advantages. Dr. Luthra critiques the focus on quotas over systemic and cultural change, which perpetuates this mindset.
5. Diversity Paradox: Diversity alone doesn’t guarantee positive outcomes like retention or morale without equity and inclusion. Resistance to DEI can increase job dissatisfaction and insecurity, particularly for marginalized groups.
6. Meritocracy Myth: Dr. Luthra challenges the notion of meritocracy, noting that perceptions of merit are biased by social conditioning around gender, race, and other factors. True meritocratic systems require dismantling these biases.
7. Corporate Responses: While some companies abandon DEI, others, like Costco, maintain commitments, aligning with customer and employee values. Share price drops for companies retracting DEI efforts suggest market consequences.
8. Allyship: Dr. Luthra emphasizes allyship through introspection, curiosity, humble acknowledgment of privilege, empathetic engagement, vulnerable interactions, and courageous responsibility. Her book aims to guide everyone in overcoming fears to engage with DEI effectively.
9. Book Promotion: Can I Say That? is a workplace-focused guide for bridging divides and addressing DEI fears, aimed at both supporters and skeptics. It releases in May 2025 (June/July in the U.S.) and will be available on Amazon and other platforms.

The episode blends humor, critical analysis, and practical insights, urging listeners to rethink DEI approaches and commit to systemic change despite resistance.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Dr. Poornima Luthra

02:31 - The Personal Journey into DEI

04:01 - Global Perspectives on DEI Backlash

05:27 - Understanding Fear in DEI Resistance

11:21 - The Zero-Sum Game of DEI

17:49 - The Impact of Resistance on Workplace Dynamics

21:10 - Meritocracy vs. DEI: A Flawed Concept

24:56 - Corporate Responses to DEI Challenges

27:37 - The Role of Allyship in DEI

31:57 - Promoting the New Book: Can I Say That?

Klarna’s AI avatar-led earnings report screams IPO hype, but its predatory micro-loan model gets roasted, with J.T. warning job seekers to master video authentication as AI interviews become universal. Speaking of AI, job seekers are slamming glitchy, soulless AI interviews, with J.T. urging strategic job hunting in a market tougher than 2008, while Chad pitches quirky Max Headroom-style AI to ease the weirdness.

Utah’s AwardCo snags $165M and a $1B valuation for its employee recognition platform, but the hosts call it a shiny fix for lousy leadership, doomed to breed dissatisfaction.

Trump’s tariff tantrum at Walmart, demanding they “eat” costs, is labeled chaotic misdirection by Chad, with J.T. seeing it as Trump’s chaos-and-save tactic. The Senate’s No Tax on Tips Act, offering a $25,000 deduction, is slammed as a distraction from living wages—only 2.5% of workers rely on tips, and Joel mourns the sidestep of real wage reform.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Weather Banter

03:00 - The Decline of Skype and Video Calling Trends

05:57 - Shout Outs and Legal Drama

09:08 - Corporate Espionage in HR Tech

16:58 - AI in Business Presentations and Job Seeking

24:02 - The Future of AI and Authenticity in Video25:50The Impact of AI on Employment27:58Automation in Job Interviews

33:58 - The Future of Job Applications

38:02 - The Rise of Recognition Platforms

52:02 - The No Tax on Tips Act

56:05 - The Economics of Tipping and Wages

Inside the episode:

• DEI isn’t dead, it’s just in hiding—like your CEO when reporters come calling.

• JP Morgan swaps “DEI” for “DOI” like it’s a secret menu item. Smooth move, Jamie.

• Dr. Brown breaks down why equity matters—using fire drills, because apparently metaphors are the only language execs understand.

• McKinsey stats say diversity = profits. But sure, let’s keep pretending this is just “woke nonsense.”

• Chad wonders if white guys are scared of 2045. Dr. Brown says: yep, and it’s called replacement theory with a side of panic.

• Performative DEI? Pride flags in June and silence the rest of the year? We see you.

💼 Dr. Brown drops truth: DEI isn’t a feel-good HR hobby—it’s a business strategy, people. One that’s way more valuable than another foosball table or AI tool that filters out anyone with a “funny name.”

Listen now—before your company replaces “DEI” with “cultural cohesion vertical” and declares mission accomplished.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Joel A. Davis

02:09 Current State of DEI

04:34 Understanding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

08:10 The Rebranding of DEI: A Pendulum Effect?

11:30 The Role of Leadership

17:58 The Business Case for DEI: Profitability and Community Engagement

22:30 Integrating DEI into Business Operations

28:10 Generational Perspectives on DEI

32:33 Fear and Change: The 2045 Shift

37:14 Voting with Your Dollars: Supporting DEI

41:11 Connecting with Dr. Joel A. Davis Brown

Duolingo, meanwhile, thought AI could teach languages better than people, but TikTok’s Gen Z army clapped back, rage-quitting the app and calling it “disgusting.” Ouch, that’s gotta sting.Then there’s IBM’s bigwig, Arvind Krishna, tossing shade at HR by saying AI freed up cash for “essential” jobs like sales.

Emi’s not having it, firing back that HR’s the backbone of fairness and inclusion, not just fluffy admin work. She’s all about adapting to AI without yeeting humans into oblivion.

LinkedIn’s new AI job search gets a nod for letting you type “I wanna save the world in sweatpants” and matching you with dream gigs, aiming to hook passive job seekers while sparing recruiters from resume spam.

Wrapping up, they tackle the EU’s 2026 Pay Transparency Directive, a game-changer forcing companies to spill salary tea upfront to shrink gender pay gaps and stop wasting everyone’s time. But, plot twist: firms better get their org charts in order or face a discrimination lawsuit mess. And they serve it all with wit juicier and tastier than a McDonald’s chicken strip!

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Personal Updates

05:54 - Shout Outs and Industry News

10:02 - Layoffs and Job Market Challenges

19:01 - AI in the Workplace: Klarna and Duolingo

23:59 - The Human Element in Automation

26:56 - The Automation Dilemma

30:15 - The Role of HR in an Automated World

36:40 - Earnings Insights: Recruit Holdings vs. ZipRecruiter

40:22 - LinkedIn's AI Job Search Innovations

46:16 - EU Pay Transparency Directive: A Game Changer

This week on The Chad & Cheese Podcast, we unpack the myth that money = motivation. Spoiler: it doesn’t. Turns out people want to grow, belong, and not dread Mondays. Who knew?

Dr. Linderbaum schools us on why leaders are often the last to know when morale is circling the drain, how Gen Z wants feedback like it’s an IV drip, and why career development beats a 3% raise every time.

Oh, and we talk about AI—not the scary kind, but the kind that might actually help humans feel more human at work. Imagine that.

💡 Money might buy silence, but it won’t buy love. Or retention.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Beth Linderbaum

03:02 The Importance of Employee Engagement

06:00 Understanding the Engagement Illusion

08:50 Generational Perspectives on Work

12:05 The Shift in Employee Loyalty

14:58 The Role of Leadership in Employee Satisfaction

18:00 The Work from Home Debate

20:50 The Impact of Technology on Leadership

24:08 Job Seekers and the Importance of Fit

26:48 Conclusion and Future Research Directions

From automating soul-crushing high-volume gigs to spotting skill gaps in employees who still think “Excel” is a workout move, Baker’s got big plans—capped with a future where AI’s so slick, it might just write your performance review and roast you at the same time.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Terry Baker and Daxtra

02:53 - The Evolution of Daxtra's Technology

05:53 - Engagement and Humanization in Recruitment

09:14 - AI's Role in Recruitment and Performance Reviews

11:54 - Validation and Verification in Hiring Processes

15:08 - Navigating DEI and Meritocracy in Hiring

17:51 - The Future of AI in Recruitment

20:59 - Closing Thoughts and Future Directions

They dive into the job market's wild rollercoaster, where small businesses are clinging on for dear life, while cheering Wrexham’s sports glow-up like it’s the underdog story of the century.

The aging workforce gets a sympathetic nod as they dodge AI overlords and corporate curveballs, and the hosts toss in some cheeky political jabs about Canada-U.S. relations—because why not?

Meanwhile, the tech world’s a hot mess: companies rise and fall faster than a bad TikTok trend, return-to-office mandates have everyone grumbling, and UPS layoffs are waving red flags like an economic doomsday prophet.

Gen Z and X'ers alike are sweating in this AI-driven, stagflation-looming job market, and the Deel-Rippling corporate soap opera keeps the drama juicier than a reality TV reunion.

Grab your popcorn!

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Overview of Current Events

03:01 - Economic Trends and Job Market Insights

05:59 - Impact on Small Businesses and Consumer Confidence

09:03 - Wrexham's Masterclass

17:44 - Corporate Drama: Deal vs. Rippling Lawsuit

22:59 - Reflections on Past Business Failures and Lessons Learned

23:49 - The Rise and Fall of Tech Giants

27:05 - Big brands go Return to Office

30:09 - The Impact of Layoffs on Workforce Dynamics

34:39 - The Future of Remote Work

38:46 - UPS: Canary in the Coal Mine or Something Else?

46:19 - Aspen Tech and Linkup Market Data

They cackle over the diplomatic dumpster fire sparked by recent political stunts, then pivot to Spain’s Job&Talent, the staffing hotshot that’s raking in cash like it’s a piñata party. The platform’s plotting a global takeover with AI so smart it could probably match you with your dream job and your soulmate.

The crew geeks out over how Job&Talent’s pampering workers with benefits while turbocharging operations with tech wizardry, making old-school staffing agencies look like they’re using carrier pigeons.

They riff on the recruitment tech revolution, where AI’s turning job boards into something out of a sci-fi flick, and toss around hot takes on HR tech startups—some are destined for glory, others for the startup graveyard. It's a game of Buy or Sell, featuring Vizzy, PeopleForce and Klara.

Oh, and Spain’s immigration policies? They’re basically rolling out the red carpet for immigrants, fueling the economy like a sangria-soaked rocket. Will the rest of Europe follow their lead? Gotta listen to find out.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Tourism Trends

12:39 - Job&Talent's Funding and Expansion

17:00 - AI Integration in Staffing Solutions

17:44 - Investment Insights in AI and Recruitment

20:37 - The Future of Job Boards and Recruitment Platforms

21:17 - Buy or Sell: Evaluating Startups in HR Tech -

27:47 - The Role of Immigration in Spain's Economic Growth

39:02 - Spain's Approach to Labor Migration and Economic Strategy

Now offering eight interchangeable products, the company faces a crisis due to new U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, with $158,000 of inventory stuck in China and tariffs soaring to $230,000—far exceeding the anticipated $30,000 for a 20-30% rate. Manufacturing in the U.S. isn’t viable due to the lack of raw silicone material, high minimum order requirements, and costly equipment (e.g., $4.5 million for one product line).

Benike highlights the ripple effect on small businesses, like trucking firms and port workers, as imports stall and shelves risk going empty, potentially disrupting holiday sales since 80% of U.S. toys come from China. She plans to pivot to selling in Europe, Canada, and Australia, despite unfamiliar markets, as tariffs make U.S. sales unsustainable.

The discussion also touches on unfair tariff exemptions for large companies like Lenovo, leaving small businesses like Busy Baby struggling, and the broader economic threat to jobs and consumer spending. Benike remains determined to protect her team and find solutions, urging listeners to visit busybaby.com.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Busy Baby and Beth Benike

01:28 - The Journey of a Veteran Entrepreneur

03:24 - Manufacturing Decisions: The China Dilemma

06:02 - Tariffs and Their Impact on Small Businesses

10:01 - The Future of Retail: Empty Shelves Ahead

12:07 - The Ripple Effect of Manufacturing Challenges

17:38 - Exploring Alternatives: Europe and Beyond

21:17 - Intellectual Property and Relationships in China

25:05 - The Disparity Between Small and Large Businesses

28:05 - The Human Element: Team and Community Impact

32:11 - Conclusion: The Bigger Picture for Small Businesses

The hosts dive into Recruit Holdings snatching up ZipRecruiter like it’s the last taco at a buffet, hinting at a job board consolidation that’s juicier than office gossip. Big Tech’s antitrust troubles get a roasting—turns out, the government’s got more shade to throw than a TikTok troll. Layoffs are hitting harder than a Monday morning hangover, with entry-level jobs for grads vanishing faster than free pizza at a college fair. The trio stresses that communication skills are the new black for jobless newbies.

Things get wilder as they unpack the creator economy’s rise, where TikTok dancers and YouTube ranters are the new CEOs. AI’s flipping the job market like a pancake, but the hosts aren’t laughing about the military’s AI weapons race—yep, Skynet vibes are real, and they’re begging for some adult supervision. With snark, wit, and a side of “what the heck is happening,” this episode is a masterclass in navigating the chaotic world of work. Grab your earbuds and tune-in.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Summer Vibes

03:05 - NFL Draft Predictions and Team Dynamics

09:52 - J.T.'s Talent Agency Launch

11:58 - Chipotle's Expansion into Mexico

15:03 - Indeed vs. ZipRecruiter Legal Drama

22:06 - Google and Facebook Antitrust Challenges

25:17 - The Impact of Layoffs on the Workforce

33:06 - The Rise of the Creator Economy

40:14 - AI and the Future of Work

42:57 - The Military and AI Weapons Race

The trio dives into the chaos: hiring’s been dropping faster than a bad Tinder date for two years, automation and programmatic advertising are the cool kids Enterprises can’t stop swiping right on, and AI in recruitment is basically the robot overlord we all saw coming. LinkedIn’s flexing as the job board prom king, while Google for Jobs lurks like that quiet kid who might just steal the crown.

Smaller job boards? They’re scrambling to jazz up their tech, services, and content—or risk fading into obscurity like a MySpace page. Fourlis spills the tea on how these sites have been their own worst enemies (think clunky UX and “please wait” vibes), and why smart employers need to mix up their ad game like a DJ at a wedding.

Veritone’s here to play hiring fairy godmother with analytics fairy dust, and the chat—covering job ad maturity models to AI’s job-search takeover—serves up laughs and wisdom. It ends with Fourlis tossing out his LinkedIn like a mic drop, daring listeners to slide into his DMs.

Topics are spicy with the soap opera at Deel, where legal drama’s juicier than a reality TV reunion. Plus, they geek out over Indeed’s search boxes making a comeback and some fancy new premium service—because job hunting needed more flair.

Switching gears, they clown on Indeed’s latest job-seeker gadgets, throw shade at LinkedIn’s “innovations,” and size up Adzuna’s AI job search bot like it’s a contender in a tech cage match.

They also muse about the future of U.S. manufacturing jobs and raise eyebrows at the cash flow in the adult entertainment biz, courtesy of OnlyFans’ economic glow-up. It’s a wild ride of laughs, hot takes, and enough wit to make your commute feel like a comedy special.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Paintball Tournament Idea

05:58 - Education System Discussion

12:16 - LGBTQ+ Education and Political Challenges

18:00 - Unleash Event and Networking Opportunities

20:00 - Deel CEO Drama and Corporate Governance

22:53 - Indeed's Search Box Return and Premium Service

27:23 - Job Seekers and Employer Signals

30:03 - Indeed's New Features and Their Implications

34:58 - LinkedIn's Recent Developments

41:36 - Adzuna's AI Job Search Agent

45:42 - The Future of Manufacturing Jobs

53:00 - Economic Indicators from OnlyFans

He takes us on a nostalgia trip through Monster’s heyday, chuckling at how Indeed swooped in like a job-posting ninja and the LinkedIn deal hit like a plot twist in a bad rom-com—spoiler: LinkedIn won. Taylor’s saga is a hoot: from birthing Monster, to getting a decade-long MBA beatdown from Ray Dalio at Bridgewater (think Wall Street with extra yelling), to now pimping his new gig, BoomBand, which promises to rescue resumes and job postings from the stone age—because who needs parchment scrolls in 2025?

He cracks up over flops like Eons—“Facebook handed me my lunch”—and slings zingers like “Jeff Taylor is back, bitches,” while preaching that job seekers are the real MVPs, job boards are deader than disco, and keeping market share is like wrestling a greased pig. With a gleam in his eye, he’s hell-bent on jazzing up resumes to strut past, present, and future vibes, proving that thriving in this HR tech madhouse means diving headfirst into the crazy—and maybe dodging a few industry punches along the way.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Jeff Taylor

02:02 - Jeff's Entrepreneurial Journey

03:34 - The Evolution of Job Boards

06:37 - The Challenges of Job Market Dynamics

08:29 - The Impact of Aggregators on Job Boards

10:54 - The LinkedIn Deal and Its Consequences

12:36 - Reflections on Monster's Legacy

19:37 - Lessons from Eons and Future Aspirations

29:05 - The Evolution of Monster and Ad Agencies

34:00 - Transitioning to Bridgewater and Learning from Ray Dalio

39:30 - The Journey to BoomBand: Challenges and Insights

46:46 - Reinventing Recruitment: The Future of Resumes and Job Postings

But wait, there's more:

China and Dave Chappelle’s next-level tariff trolling

North Korean IT infiltrations at Fortune 500 companies? That’s right — the hackers are already inside the house.

💥 And in the middle of it all? A 23 years-old CEO named Jasper Carmichael Jack, an AI startup called Artisan, and a Shopify world where your job has to beat the bots to survive.

If you're in HR, tech, or just love a good spy thriller with a side of corporate chaos — this one’s for you. Get ready to rethink remote hiring, laugh nervously, and maybe double-check your VPN.

🔊 Listen now. Before your office gets Pyong-yanged.

In business news, the U.K.-based job platform Adzuna saw a 33% revenue drop in 2024, partly blamed on economic struggles and the Russia-Ukraine war, though Chad attributes it to losing U.S. government contracts. Barcelona’s HR startup Factorial secured $120 million in funding, expanding to 13,000 clients while steering clear of Deel and Rippling’s espionage lawsuit. Meanwhile, Adecco and Salesforce’s new partnership aims to merge human and digital workforces, but Chad doubts Salesforce’s commitment, suspecting they’ll use Adecco’s data before cutting ties.

The hosts highlight Europe’s growing shift toward local self-sufficiency, with China’s BYD surpassing Tesla as European trust in U.S. firms wanes. Belgium’s strikes reflect concerns over pension cuts and reduced African aid. On a lighter note, Lieven gives a shoutout to his 14-year-old son, Jan-Julius, for developing an AI chatbot to improve job matching at House of HR, while Chad cheers for Portugal and Spain in the UEFA Nations League. As Europe adapts to economic and geopolitical changes, the trio sees deglobalization accelerating, reinforcing local investment and industry while distancing from American influence.

Then, things get spicy with a corporate espionage scandal straight out of a bad spy movie. Former Rippling employee Keith O’Brien went full double agent for Deel CEO Alex Bouaziz, leaking company secrets in exchange for crypto payments. Rippling caught on, set a trap with a fake Slack channel, and watched O’Brien panic so hard he literally took an axe to his phone. The hosts mock Bouaziz' bumbling attempt at corporate espionage, calling him “Bozo” and predicting a not-so-relaxing vacation in prison.

The economy isn’t looking much better—278,711 layoffs in Q1, a 25 percent drop in European tourism, and Canadian border crossings plummeting by 45 percent. Chad calls it an economic disaster, Mo wonders if voters are feeling the regret yet, and Joel insists it’s all part of a grand geopolitical chess match—though Chad thinks it’s more like a checkers game gone wrong.

In tech news, Elon Musk pulls a Musk move by having X AI buy X for $33 billion, a deal that smells like self-dealing to everyone but Musk. Meanwhile, TikTok is days away from a ban unless it finds a new sugar daddy, with Amazon and even someone connected to OnlyFans in the running. The hosts agree TikTok’s algorithm is the real prize and speculate Trump might push the deadline—because what’s social media drama without a little political plot twist?

Shout-outs go to TalkPush for a prank, Corporate Bro for a spy drama skit (which, ironically, is more believable than Deel’s real-life spy drama), and Wendy’s for crushing it on Snapchat. Meanwhile, a listener flags CareerBuilder’s traffic tanking faster than a bad startup pitch, proving the job market is as unpredictable as ever.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Hosts' Banter

02:36 RIP Val Kilmer

09:41 Gavin Newsom's Strategic Conversations

10:53 April Fool's Day Pranks and Corporate Humor

20:07 Corporate Espionage: The Rippling and Deal Connection

21:39 The Espionage Chronicles Begin

27:50 The Downfall of O'Brien

29:18 Reflections on Corporate Stupidity

33:31 Trust and Reputation at Stake

37:07 Political Landscape and Economic Implications

48:32 Geopolitical Tensions and Military Strategy

51:00 Economic Implications of Defense Policies

52:56 America's Isolationist Approach

55:54 The Future of Manufacturing in America

56:27 The X and X AI Deal

01:02:40 TikTok's Algorithm and User Base Dynamics

Dr. Kriegel’s swinging the “adapt or flop” hammer, dubbing RTO a dusty VHS tape in a streaming world. The gang cackles over how Gen Z’s “work-from-bed” energy is giving Boomer bosses heartburn, while leading via Zoom feels like herding cats on a dial-up connection. RTO’s sneaky sucker punch to diversity and inclusion gets a guffaw too—turns out mandating face time might mean fewer faces that don’t look like the CEO’s golf buddies.

Dr. Kriegel lays it on thick: COVID flipped the script on everyone, and companies still doing the pre-pandemic tango are basically dancing with a mop. She paints a hilarious picture of the C-suite vs. HR showdown—CEOs chasing shareholder high-fives like it’s a pie-eating contest, while HR’s stuck mopping up a mental health meltdown with a paper towel and a prayer. Tech’s the unsung hero keeping remote work from being a total farce, but those corporate silos?

They’re like cubicle Berlin Walls—good luck getting a memo over ‘em. And don’t get her started on the “me first” corporate vibe—it’s less “teamwork makes the dream work” and more “every suit for himself.” The talent market’s a dumpster fire, unions are either flexing or fumbling like a bad stand-up act, and upskilling’s your only shot at not being the punchline when the layoffs hit. Takeaways? Trust your slackers have a pulse, morph your culture before it fossilizes, and don’t bank on CEOs sticking around—turnover’s so high they’re practically on a conveyor belt to the exits.

Chapters

01:32 - The Return to Office Debate

08:17 - Cultural Adaptation in the Workplace

12:44 - Leadership Challenges in Remote Work

18:10 - The Impact of RTO on Diversity and Inclusion

19:51 - Solutions for Equity and Employee Engagement

22:20 - The Pressure of Shareholder Value

23:48 -The Disconnect Between HR and C-Suite

25:56 - Technology's Role in Remote Work

28:43 - Breaking Down Silos in Organizations

32:16 - The Future of Unions and Worker Power

35:25 - Navigating the Talent Market Crisis

38:19 - The Role of Upskilling in Job Security

History lesson alert! The duo traces job search evolution from simple boards to AI-driven tools, spotlighting generative AI’s potential to revolutionize applications despite hurdles like registration barriers.

Then it's a spirited battle of Who'd Ya' Rather? pitting Jolly against Lumber for who's the sexier option when it's 2 a.m. at the local watering hole. The boys actually disagree on this one, so be sure to check it out.

They debate Florida’s controversial child labor law changes, allowing 14-year-olds to work overnight to offset labor shortages worsened by immigration crackdowns, and lament the growing burden of emotional labor in workplaces.

Industry reflections include George Foreman’s legacy and the people-centric nature of recruiting, peppered with personal Chicago anecdotes. The episode wraps with a chuckle over custom coffins, like a Snickers-themed sendoff, highlighting humor in death.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Show Highlights

11:00 - Industry Insights and Trends

12:45 - Indeed's Traffic Decline and Market Focus

21:00 - The Evolution of Job Search Platforms

22:29 - Generative AI and Job Search Innovations

23:51 - The Future of Job Listings and Corporate Partnerships

25:36 - Comparing Workforce Solutions: Jolly vs. Lumber

29:05 - Florida's Controversial Child Labor Laws

36:00 - The Impact of Immigration Policies on Labor

36:48 - The Burden of Emotional Labor in the Workplace

43:57 - Who Wants a Snickers Custom Coffins?

He also shares how a strong personal brand can transform employees into powerful company ambassadors, boosting recruitment and client attraction.

Catch this episode for smart strategies in today’s job market—listen now!

ZipRecruiter’s in the spotlight—named a Fast Company innovator, dropping a not-so-novel scheduling tool. Their Job Seeker Confidence Index is tanking, with 41% of seekers gloomy about jobs. Joel adds their podcast’s still a dud—and Zip’s stock’s is down around 20 percent this month. Klarna’s IPO filing steals some thunder, boasting $2.8B revenue and $21M profit for 2024, but their AI-driven headcount slash (down to 3,422 from 5,527) raises eyebrows.

Finally, Nvidia’s GTC conference dazzles with GM’s self-driving deal, Yum Brands’ AI drive-thrus for 500 eateries, and a GR00T N1 humanoid robot. Is Nvidia still the gold standard? All signs point to Yes. From corporate espionage to AI tacos, it’s a wild ride this week on Chad & Chees.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

03:00 - Vegas Highlights

06:00 - Randy Rainbow and Political Satire

08:05 - Canada's Nuclear Option

13:49 - Espionage Story: Deal vs. Rippling

24:45 - The Deceit in HR Tech: Unraveling the Scandal

27:47 - The Russia Connection: Investigating Allegations

30:51 - Public Perception: The Impact of Shady Practices

32:00 - ZipRecruiter News: Innovation or Repackaging?

39:02 - Klarna's IPO: A Desperate Move?

44:58 - Nvidia's AI Revolution: Transforming Fast Food Ordering

They kick things off with a chuckle-fest intro—because who doesn’t love a podcast that roasts itself?—before Chad regales us with tales of cultural clashes, fresh from his Champions League pilgrimage (think soccer, not superheroes). The trio then pivots faster than a Google algorithm to dissect JobIndex’s legal tango with the tech giant, sparking a spicy debate: is Europe’s innovation getting crushed under regulation’s heavy boot?

Chad, ever the optimist, defends rules like GDPR with a railroad metaphor—because nothing screams “cutting-edge” like 19th-century trains—while Lieven and Joel wrestle with privacy and the Sisyphean task of global data harmony. Next up, they poke at Randstad, the staffing behemoth caught in a midlife crisis: cling to its clipboard-and-handshake roots or swipe right on a tech makeover?

The hosts unpack Randstad’s tech-phobia, its snoozing innovation fund, and the Job.com flop that looms like a ghost story at a campfire. Meanwhile, plucky startups Alfa and Avery crash the party, shaking up recruitment as Europe’s stocks flex harder than the S&P 500—AI flexing its robot muscles all the while.

Takeaways? Randstad’s scared of the future, global partnerships are the hot new dance, and “follow the money” is the mantra as Europe woos investors. They cap it with a wink to AI’s takeover and a cliffhanger: will Randstad’s dusty legacy save it, or is it time for a glow-up?

She offers practical tips on using video, written content, and audio to amplify diverse voices and build a sense of belonging. The conversation also delves into the growing scrutiny of DE&I commitments, strategic partnerships with organizations like Out & Equal and Women in Tech, and the importance of pay transparency and open dialogue in recruitment.

Tune in for insights on creating a workplace where values and culture shine through every action!

Next, they tackle Deel’s latest move—acquiring Safeguard Global’s payroll division, its 11th buyout, bolstering its $12 billion valuation with a focus on global payroll expertise alongside prior grabs like PayGroup, PaySpace, and Atlantic Money; the gang muses if it’s strategic stacking or overkill, hinting at a potential Workday mega-deal given their deepened partnership. The crew then shifts to iCIMS’ winter release, featuring a GenAI chatbot, enhanced Indeed and LinkedIn integrations, and SMS upgrades, though layoff rumors cloud the vibe—Joel notes the company’s fresh leadership under Eric Connors and Jason Edelboim might finally be finding its footing after a long period of competition from players like Paradox.

Amazon’s AI push grabs the headlines, with a new AWS group driving agentic AI to boost consumer apps and enterprise automation, prompting some to spotlight Alexa+’s evolution and wonder if “McHire” is making a comeback in this tech arms race against Microsoft and Salesforce.

They also dissect the hype around Manus, Butterfly Effect’s “agentic” AI with 138,000+ Discord fans, questioning if it’s the future of job search or just noise—especially as Google’s search relevance dips among Gen Z per a Vox Media survey. Wrapping up, J.T. takes on “career catfishing,” a Gen Z trend of accepting jobs then ghosting due to confrontation fears, with CV Genius’ 2025 Future of Work Survey showing one in three Gen Zers admitting to it; she urges employers to adapt rather than stereotype, suggesting a simple email could replace awkward calls.

Chapters

00:00 - Celebrating Eight Years of Podcasting

02:56 - Reflections on the Podcast Journey

05:50 - Insights from Congressional Hearings

09:12 - The Impact of Social Media on Job Loss

12:01 - Sponsorships and Promotions

14:57 - Industry News and Acquisitions

18:14 - Competitors and Market Dynamics

22:51 - The Evolution of Remote Work

27:53 - Challenges Facing Legacy Platforms

30:45 - Amazon's AI Investment and Future Prospects

35:10 - The Rise of Agentic AI

43:27 - Career Catfishing Among Gen Z

They kick things off with the U.S., where the immigration system’s stuck in a time warp—deportations are up, sure, but it’s the same old song and dance despite politicians flapping their gums like over-caffeinated auctioneers. Globally, tech talent’s hotter than a jalapeño in a microwave, yet countries like Canada are tiptoeing back from their “come one, come all” tech party—blame the housing crisis that’s got folks sleeping in igloos made of unpaid bills. The gang hails immigrants as the unsung heroes plugging labor gaps and stuffing tax coffers, while torching the tired “immigrants = crime” myth with a flamethrower of facts—sorry, vigilante wannabes, the data’s not on your side.

The U.S. and Canada get a rib-tickling roast for their immigration laws, which are so tangled they’d make a plate of spaghetti jealous—federal honchos and local yokels can’t agree on whether to roll out the welcome mat or a bear trap. Canada’s tweaking its rules to dodge a housing meltdown, while the U.S. is drowning in red tape thicker than a bureaucrat’s rulebook, leaving skilled workers to sneak around in a talent black market like it’s Prohibition all over again.

The crew cackles over the economic chaos of kicking out immigrant labor—outsourcing’s no magic fix, unless you think “Ctrl+Alt+Delete” grows crops or fixes your plumbing. VanHack’s out there playing matchmaker for software geeks, but the real punchline? Everyone agrees we need reform faster than you can say “fix the system, change the laws,” yet the gears grind slower than a sloth on a treadmill.

Cultural vibes and employer pleas get a nod, with a wink to future policies dodging political curveballs—because nothing screams comedy like desperately needing Haitians to keep the wheels turning while lawmakers bicker over who gets the last donut.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Immigration Perspectives

02:01 - Current State of Immigration in the US

08:33 - Global Immigration Trends and Tech Talent

12:10 - Economic Impact of Immigration on Local Communities

19:04 - Debunking Myths About Immigrants and Crime

22:06 - The Fallacy of Immigration Laws

24:30 - Canada's Immigration Challenges and Reforms

28:10 - Future of Immigration in Canada and the US

30:15 - The Disconnect Between Federal and Local Perspectives

35:32 - The Economic Impact of Immigration

37:41 - Cultural Perspectives on Immigration in Canada

What’s Inside:

✅ The real deal on why authenticity beats overproduced videos in today's branding world.

✅ How effective branding needs cross-department collaboration and creative design systems.

✅ Surprising insights into global recruitment strategies (Hint: LinkedIn isn’t always the answer!).

✅ How a genuine DEI approach can broaden talent pools and drive innovation.

If you’re looking to craft a brand that speaks to diverse audiences and embraces transparency, this episode is a must-listen!

🎧 Tune in now and dive deeper at www.HeyAshten.com!

In a rollercoaster of a month, U.S. companies slammed the brakes on hiring, with ADP’s February private payrolls report showing a measly 77,000 jobs added—half of what the eggheads predicted and a steep drop from January’s beefy 186,000. Meanwhile, Employ snatched up Pillar, an interview intelligence tool, probably hoping to outsmart the hiring slump.

Over at ZipRecruiter, Q4 was a bloodbath—revenue tanked 18% to $111 million, with 2024’s full-year haul down 26.6% to $474 million, flipping a $49.1 million profit into a $12.9 million loss; the stock hit rock bottom, leaving only Severance fans to pick up the pieces—cue the sad trombone. Commenters on X are cackling that the Four Horsemen (Google, LinkedIn, automation, AI, and freelancing) are galloping in, with one suggesting ZipRecruiter go private or sell out, while another whispers Paradox might be the real job-board slayer.

On the AI front, HeyMilo ($2.2M) and Alta ($7M) scored seed funding to flex their virtual agent muscles—HeyMilo’s screening candidates like a nosy aunt, while Alta’s chasing global sales domination; Mo’s probably picking Alta because, duh, bigger bucks. LinkedIn’s still the envy swamp, with Vice noting Gen Z’s drowning in “Director of Ego” vibes—users are bailing to escape the cringe, though employers keep them chained to it like a corporate ball-and-chain.

Finally, HiBob’s survey dropped a buzzkill: only one in three women feel empowered at work, less than 10% have mentors, and men are hogging raises and promotions—34% to 22% and 46% to 32%, respectively. Commenters mutter about crab bucket mentality, wondering if women hold back to avoid the claw-back from their own squad. Mo’s take? “Trump’ll fix it, maybe.” Sure, lady, and I’ll hire a crab as my next intern.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and First Impressions

03:07 - Mental Health and Current Events

06:00 - Oscars and Entertainment Trends

08:53 - Corporate Responsibility and Consumer Choices

11:58 - Meta's Internal Issues and Whistleblowers

14:55 - Mark Zuckerberg's Transformation

17:59 - Charitable Contributions and Corporate Image

20:02 - Job Market Trends and ZipRecruiter's Struggles

26:18 - The Future of Job Boards

27:46 - Who'd You Rather: AI Startups Showdown

29:00 - Concerns About AI in Recruitment

33:24 - LinkedIn Envy: The Professional Comparison Trap

42:26 - Women Empowerment in the Workplace

48:04 - The Crab Bucket Phenomenon: Women Supporting Women

Gina drops some knowledge bombs on why employer branding feels like it's stuck in the '90s compared to today's marketing, and she highlights the importance of Shaker's Vision Report. They also tackle the notion of investing in your brand during economic rollercoasters - because, why not, right?

The conversation veers into how tech and analytics could make recruitment as personalized as your grandma's knitting, the ever-evolving DEI scene (which is more complex than assembling IKEA furniture), and why sustainable innovation should be as integral to your business strategy as coffee is to your morning routine. The episode wraps up with a rallying cry for talent leaders to not just sit on their hands but to grab the steering wheel and drive some change, because as we all know, standing still in business is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Chapters

00:00 - Introducing Gina

02:52 - The Essence of Experiential Marketing

06:07 - Bridging the Gap in Employer Branding

09:04 - The Vision Report: Insights and Themes

11:56 - Investing in Brand: A New Perspective

15:09 - The Role of Technology in Recruitment

18:07 - Analytics and Measuring Success

21:01 - Navigating DEI in Today's Landscape

24:07 - Sustainable Innovation in Recruitment

DOGE is slashing like it’s Black Friday: 75,000 “voluntary” goodbyes, 1,000 at Veterans Affairs, 1,300 at Energy, 700 at the CDC—pundits say the total could top 100K, while Blue Origin (1,000) and Starbucks (1,100) join the layoff party, and Polywork’s a December corpse.

Buy or Sell: Mercor’s 21-year-old Thiel babies nabbed $100M, hit a $2B valuation ... Joel's screaming "SELL" ‘cause remote work’s deader than disco. Perfect’s $23M AI dream promises hires while you nap; J.T.’s all "BUY" for their 44-person squad surfing the consolidation wave. Loxo’s $115M talent tech flex? Joel’s like, "SELL—big hype, but the founder’s greener than a lime Slurpee."

Indeed yanked search fields from its homepage, forcing logins—Alex Chukovski’s jazzed, but Chad’s cackling, “Monster 2.0, meet your doom!” And Musk’s AI grading federal job essays? J.T.’s rolling her eyes—unions are raging, and it’s sketchier than a back-alley job board. Laugh, cry, and listen up!

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Uncertainty in the Job Market

01:00 The Rise of Deep Fakes and Their Implications

04:08 Job Seekers' Struggles in a Changing Economy

10:17 Corporate Accountability and Leadership Failures

18:41 The Impact of Layoffs on the Workforce

23:19 The Future of Employment in an Automated World

24:09 Economic Pressures and Education Choices

27:42 The Rise of AI in Recruitment

30:12 Challenges in AI Recruitment Tools

34:20 The Future of Job Platforms

38:16 Indeed's Strategic Shift

47:21 AI's Role in Employment Decisions

💰 The 2022 job market sequel—spoiler: execs are playing musical chairs, and salaries are getting wild.

🤖 AI panic in HR—why some CHROs are still clutching their pearls while others are stealing all the talent.

🎨 Recruiting as an art form—because if you’re not painting with AI yet, you’re about to get left in the dust.

🎭 Hollywood vs. The Machines—yes, AI can spit out a screenplay, but can it really write the next cult classic? (Looking at you, Beetlejuice 2.)

If you like bold opinions, job market chaos, and just the right amount of HR blasphemy, hit play now. Or don’t—just don’t cry when your competition outsmarts you. 🎧🔥

What else? How about AI in candidate matching and don't forget the white-label magic? They also tackle the competitive landscape, where Candidly is apparently David to the Goliath of existing ATS providers, all while navigating the treacherous waters of marketing and pricing like they're sailing through a storm in a teacup. The 'firing squad' segment? More like a gentle critique session where they probably realized their messaging might be about as clear as mud. Does Candidly survive the Firing Squad? Gotta listen to find out.

We kick off with JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, who’s getting caught saying the quiet part out loud. Leaked audio catches him roasting work-from-home setups - the squad weighs in on issues, like why workers are back on-site and startups might be the last hope for remote dreams.

We unravel Klarna’s AI hype—CEO claims chatbots axed 700 jobs, but the facts say it’s a lot of smoke and mirrors for a 2026 IPO, with outsourcing and tech alternatives telling a better story. More corporate idiocy, Chad’s got thoughts on startup and Y Combinator company Firecrawl reaching for attention and clicks.

Toby Dayton, our favorite “Sasquatch of Statistics,” spooks us with his 2025 predictions—think stagflation, 5% unemployment, and no Fed relief—leaving Joel clutching his mic and reaching for the bottle of Ardbeg.

Finally, LinkedIn’s latest trainwreck: “storytelling expert” James Langridge’s boob-confidence rant flops hard and lands flat with over 3,000 furious comments and requests for cancelation. Warm-up your tea for Brit Emi’s hot take on this caveman’s misadventure.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Light Banter

03:07 - LinkedIn Connection Requests and Personal Branding

06:19 - Netflix's Entry into Podcasting

08:13 - Shout Outs and Cultural Commentary

11:01 - Industry News and Personal Reflections

18:54 - JobGet's Acquisition Rumors

19:38 - Jamie Dimon's Controversial Comments on Work Culture

26:03 - The Human Element in Management

30:13 - Navigating Remote Work Dynamics

34:36 - AI Hype and Corporate Reality

42:30 - Economic Predictions and Their Implications

49:15 -Sexism in Professional Spaces

This week, Chad & Cheese sit down with Stefan Youngblood, the founder of Black AI Think Tank and hireblack.com, to talk about the intersection of AI, job markets, and the Black community. From connecting 6,000+ people in the Black Metaverse to challenging AI's built-in biases (like turning "Black-owned chip company" into a potato chip brand 🍟🤨), Stefan is pushing boundaries in tech and social impact.

Oh, and did we mention he gave piano lessons to J.Cole? 🎹

🔥 The fear of becoming obsolete (FOBO) is real—will AI make or break your career?

🔥 How can recruiters leverage AI without falling into bias traps?

🔥 What’s the real future of co-pilots, agents, and the metaverse?

Get ready for wild stories, mind-blowing insights, and a dose of snark—only on HR’s most dangerous podcast.

🎧 Tune in now!

Chapters

00:00 – Podcast Intro – HR’s most dangerous podcast kicks off with Chad & Cheese.

01:14 – The Genesis of Black AI Think Tank

02:41 – From Clubhouse to LinkedIn

04:00 – A Life of Connection

07:12 – A Call from J.Cole?

10:40 – Black AI Think Tank: A Growing Ecosystem

13:19 – AI in Hiring & Recruiting

14:26 – FOBO: The Fear of Becoming Obsolete

20:40 – AI Bias in Action

23:11 – The Future of AI-Generated Content

30:08 – The Future of Entry-Level Jobs

32:41 – Prompt-Ganda & AI's Influence on Media

33:10 – Is the Metaverse Still a Thing?

35:57 – AI, Remote Work, and the Future of Learning

38:17 – AI is Scaling Fast

Switching gears, Phenom has gobbled up Edge, a talent mobility software provider, aiming to beef up its AI capabilities. It's like they're trying to create the ultimate job-hopping machine for Global Capability Centers. Meanwhile, ZipRecruiter is pulling the plug on its ZipSearch API, which might just be the nail in the coffin for Jobboard.io - but hey, their stocks are up, and BlackRock's investing, so maybe they'll pivot to something like a dating app for job seekers?

The Wall Street Journal dropped a bomb with a report saying tech unemployment has spiked to 5.7%, thanks to AI playing the role of the grim reaper in software development and white-collar jobs. But hey, if you can swing a hammer or fix a pipe, you're golden. ConverzAI, on the other hand, just raised $16 million to automate the heck out of hiring, because why talk to humans when you can chat with a bot?

In military news, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is riding high with a recruitment boom, all thanks to the "America First" vibe. But he's also ditching diversity programs, because apparently, unity comes from being the same, not from celebrating differences. And finally, in a twist that's both futuristic and slightly bizarre, Banx Management is diving into AI models for OnlyFans, proving once and for all that even the oldest profession is not immune to technological disruption. Who knew AI could be so... versatile?

Chapters

00:00 - Valentine's Day Banter

02:58 - Super Bowl Recap and Commercial Highlights

09:00 - Job Market Trends and Layoffs

15:00 - Phenom's Acquisition and Talent Management Insights

22:04 - Navigating Acquisitions and Market Dynamics

27:01 - Tech Sector Layoffs and Job Market Shifts

34:07 - AI in Recruitment: The Rise of Converse AI

39:00 - Military Recruitment Trends and Diversity Initiatives

44:59 - The Evolution of OnlyFans and AI Models

She dives into creative wins like Olympics-inspired campaigns and a reimagined career site strategy to boost candidate engagement. Plus, a sneak peek at what’s next: targeted recruitment tools, a brand advocacy culture, and finalizing EVP 2.0. Don’t miss out—connect with Celinda on LinkedIn and explore exciting job openings at Visa! 🌐

Paradox had a week so good, even Chipotle gave them a shout-out on Mad Money, which is like getting a high-five from your rich uncle at a family reunion. They also gobbled up Eqtble, a fancy people analytics company, because who doesn't want to know if their employees are secretly plotting to start a band during work hours?

Meanwhile, Deel's hitting the $800 million mark faster than you can say "IPO, where's my yacht?" They're eyeing 2026 for going public, making Rippling's founder Parker Conrad sweat more than a mime in a sauna.

LinkedIn's now diving into video like your grandma at a bingo night, with a 36% increase in uploads because apparently, watching someone talk about their job is the new Netflix. They're also trying to make job applications less of a "throw your resume into a black hole" experience.

And for the rom-com lovers, remote work is apparently the new dating app, with 86% of Americans finding love over Zoom. It's like 'The Office,' but instead of the break room, it's Slack gone wild. However, with 41% dating their supervisor, we're one lawsuit away from making "return to office" the new "I love you."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Context Setting

01:22 Chad Goes to Madrid

04:09 Super Bowl Predictions

06:31 Positive News: Jackie Clayton on Amazing Race

07:54 Nostalgia: The Return of the Shamrock Shake

14:01 Chipotle talks Paradox

20:14 Acquisition of Equitable and Market Strategy

26:13 Paradox's Strategic Acquisitions

30:48 Lessons from the Past: Company Acquisitions

32:23 Deel's Impressive Growth

36:28 LinkedIn's New Video Strategy

43:30 Romance in the Remote Workplace

He's got AI doing the heavy lifting, crafting job descriptions faster than you can say "synergy," and making roles so clear, even Chad might understand them. They chat about the wild west of HR tech challenges, why your company's employment brand might need a glow-up, and how AI can scale up recruitment without scaling up headaches.

Scott spills the beans on Propulsion AI's secret sauce for reducing the hiring hassle, from evolving job postings to the crystal ball gazing of job matching. The duo grills him on everything from marketing moves to who they're gunning for, compliance conundrums, and the big bucks of compensation.

But it's not all smooth sailing; Chad and Cheese challenge Scott on whether Propulsion AI is the hot new thing or just another HR tech flash in the pan. Buckle up for some sharp insights, a few laughs, and maybe even eternal peace and prosperity. OK, maybe not the last part.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Propulsion AI and Scott Morris

06:00 The Genesis of Propulsion AI

10:08 Challenges in the HR Tech Space

13:07 The Role of AI in Job Descriptions

15:50 Scalability and Employment Branding

16:50 Navigating Recruitment Challenges

19:27 The Evolution of Job Postings

24:26 Future of Job Matching

26:05 Marketing Strategies for PropulsionAI

30:19 Understanding the Target Market

31:58 Compliance and Compensation Insights

36:01 Facing the Firing Squad: Tough Questions

He shares how AAA is redefining its brand beyond its traditional association with roadside assistance, venturing into areas like AAA Smart Home and auto repair partnerships, while also reflecting on past initiatives. The conversation explores unexpected trends in 2024.

Looking ahead to 2025, Hill underscores AI’s potential to enhance hiring quality, going beyond just improving the candidate experience. He also discusses employee retention and development strategies, advocating for micro-learning and prioritizing candidates with growth potential over those with strictly relevant experience.

The conversation provides insights into the political climate and how it influences employment policies. They also share their travel plans, adding a personal touch to the discussion, while emphasizing opportunities for recruiters amidst a shifting job market due to layoffs.

The episode delves into the evolving job market, highlighting how AI, particularly DeepSeek's disruptive AI model, is reshaping employment and industry dynamics. They discuss the competitive tech environment between the U.S. and China, the rise of startups in response to economic changes, and industry news like OpenAI's advancements and Textio's struggles.

The episode concludes on a lighter note with a discussion on AI boyfriends, exploring the broader societal shifts in technology and human relationships. Emi Beredugo enlightens the boys on the finer points of dating and why apps like Tinder and Hinge suck so badly. Blame it all on dudes, as usual. Grab a bottle of Chicken Cock and enjoy.

They tackle the rise of authoritarianism - because who doesn't love a good dictator story? - and discuss how military spending might be the new diet plan for social services. The episode also turns the spotlight on the U.S.'s role in Ukraine, asking if it's more of a "hero" or "meddler" narrative.

For a lighter note, they explore the economic rollercoaster of trade policies and the recruitment industry's attempts to not fall off. The conversation shifts to the French job board Welcome to the Jungle, which seems to be having an existential crisis, and how European companies are aiming for America and the UK to keep up with market mood swings.

Next up, is the much anticipated "Who'd Ya' Rather?" game, where the boys put two startups, Maki and Talent Mapper, on the hot seat, dissecting their recruitment and engagement strategies like a couple of culinary critics at a food fight. And because every good podcast needs a health segment, they delve into the German love affair with sick leave - exploring if it's a cultural quirk or a silent protest against work.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Context of the Podcast

01:51 - European Perspectives on Trump and His Policies

05:01 - Geopolitical Implications of U.S. Actions

09:01 - Economic Challenges

12:09 - Trump's Foreign Policy and Global Priorities

15:10 - Layoffs and Market Focus in Recruitment

17:41 - Final Thoughts and Reflections on the Future

18:25 - Challenges in the European Job Market

23:46 - Emerging Trends in HR Tech

30:58 - Sick Leave Trends in Germany

38:39 - Closing Thoughts and Humor (C'mon, you know!)

Tune in for the hot takes, bad accents, and questionable beer-fueled analogies. Warning: Don’t listen at work unless you’re ready to explain why you’re cackling uncontrollably. We out!"

Chapters

00:00 JT and Mo are in the house!

06:46 Humor in the Job Market

10:01 Thought Leadership and Branding

13:36 Dismantling DEI Initiatives

22:00 Hiring Freeze and Return to Office Policies

24:09 Navigating Job Market Challenges

25:36 The Impact of Remote Work Policies

27:13 Understanding Workforce Dynamics

28:46 The Role of Immigrants in the Job Market

30:54 The TikTok Shutdown and Its Implications

32:55 Mr. Beast and the Future of TikTok

40:29 Pornhub vs YouTube - STEM Content

But wait, there's more! They tackle the elephant in the room, or should we say, the AI in the workplace? ChatGPT's on the scene, and it's not just for writing your grandma's birthday cards anymore. It's revolutionizing recruitment, turning headhunters into tech-hunters.

Then, it's a somber stroll through Germany's economic woes - because nothing says "comedy gold" like discussing inflation in the land of beer and pretzels. Nicht gut!

Prediction time! Lieven dons his prophetic hat to predict the staffing industry's future in 2025 from a European POV, where AI is the new HR MVP. Then they navigate the GDPR minefield on LinkedIn, where American tech giants are learning that in Europe, privacy is not just a suggestion ... especially in Ireland.

The episode rounds off with a look at the new kids on the recruitment block - startups that might either be the next big thing or just another flash in the pan, including CoachHub, Popp AI and Talentium. All this, served with a side of their signature snark and belly laughs

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Setting the Scene

03:01 - Cultural Observations and Travel Experiences

05:59 - Shout Outs and Humor in European Contexts

09:01 - Legislation and Rights for Sex Workers in Belgium

12:03 - Technological Innovations: ChatGPT and Scheduled Tasks

15:00 - Economic Challenges in Europe: Layoffs and Market Trends

22:00 - Predictions for 2025: The Future of Recruitment and AI

25:34 - Optimizing Job Applications with AI

30:00 - LinkedIn's GDPR Challenges and Implications

40:02 - Buy or Sell: Evaluating New Recruitment Startups

57:01 Closing Thoughts and Humor (So Much Humor)

Next up, they tackle the plight of Harvard MBA grads, who apparently can't even buy a job in this economy. One in four of these overachievers are sitting at home, probably wondering if their fancy degrees are just expensive wall decor.

The show then takes a detour into corporate shenanigans, spotlighting DHI Group's Dice and ClearanceJobs, which are cutting costs like they're prepping for a zombie apocalypse. Layoffs? More like "strategic headcount adjustments," am I right?

On the acquisition front, Shaker Recruitment Marketing gobbled up JobAdX, which might make Appcast lose sleep, assuming JobAdX goes on the offensive ... unlike Joe Shaker's beloved Chicago Bears this season.

The tech talk doesn't stop there; LinkedIn's new AI tools are supposedly going to make job hunting as easy as swiping right on Tinder, plus help small to medium-sized businesses use LinkedIn for hiring where they looked to ZipRecruiter or Indeed previously. And then there's TikTok, teetering on the edge of oblivion, potentially turning all those TikTok millionaires back into regular folks with regular jobs.

Lastly, they zero in on Mark Zuckerberg for some Big Meta Energy, whose recent decisions at Meta scream either "mid-life crisis" or "I've lost the plot" ... take your pick. They speculate on AI's future, with middle managers on high alert, fearing their cushy jobs might soon be as relevant as a fax machine. So, grab your popcorn (or your resume, for nostalgia), and tune in for a snarky, humorous breakdown of the job market's latest and greatest.

When it comes to advice, Gerry’s simple: master the basics, like understanding comp and benefits. If you’re not on top of that, you’re basically flying blind. Sure, recruiting’s a grind, but Gerry’s still loving it, crediting job shadowing (even some low-key undercover ops) for helping him truly get the lay of the land.

As for the whole "AI is coming for your job" panic, Gerry’s not worried. AI’s impact is more "enhancer" than "job destroyer," he says, and it’ll just make everything smoother by crunching numbers and improving the candidate experience. But he’s seriously annoyed that Talent Acquisition leaders aren’t jumping on the AI bandwagon fast enough. Get with the times, people!

He wraps up with a classic Gerry line: find a company that matches your values, take the initiative, and stay positive. He’s still in the game with CareerXroads, bringing optimism and action to the recruiting table—no room for negativity here!

They then throw the mic to some guests:

• Matt Lavery, Global Director of Sourcing, Recruiting & Onboarding at UPS 
• Emi Beredugo, Senior Manager, Recruiting Enablement 
• Lars Schmidt, Found, CEO at Amplify Talent
• Rebecca Volpano, VP of Product Marketing at Cielo 
• Sean “Teddy” Behr, CEO @ Fountain 
• Stephen McGrath, Product Experience Manager at Poetry AND our favorite Scot 3 years running
• Tim Meehan, Principal @ Talent River Consulting
• J.T. O’Donnel,  Founder / CEO at Work it Daily

Each bravely offers their crystal ball takes for 2025, proving that diversity in thought might just save us from another year of looking like fools. The chat veers into the ever-evolving world of recruitment, where automation and AI are the new cool kids on the block, turning the job hunt into something from a sci-fi flick.

They ponder the future of work, asking if resumes will go the way of the dodo, replaced by digital dossiers or perhaps just a well-timed TikTok dance. Among the 2025 predictions: a parade of IPOs, European startups becoming the new Silicon Valley, and programmatic ad spending shifting like sands in an hourglass.

In the end, it's all about adapting to tech that's moving faster than your grandpa at an all-you-can-eat buffet, and meeting the job seekers' expectations, which are now as high as Cheese's hair on a good day. Tune in for laughs, learning, and maybe a little life-changing tech talk.

00:00 - Welcome Back and Holiday Reflections

03:01 - 2024 Predictions Recap

05:56 - Guest Predictions for 2025

26:30 - Lars Schmidt

28:06 - The Future of Work: Automation and AI

29:52 - The Role of Technology in Hiring

36:06 - Automation in Recruitment: Perspectives from Industry Leaders

41:06 - Candidate Experience and the Evolution of Hiring Practices

44:00 - The Death of the Resume: A New Era in Job Applications

47:01 - Predictions for 2025: IPOs and Market Trends

51:56 - The Future of European Startups

54:55 - Programmatic Ad Spending: Trends and Predictions

We cover Appcast’s rise from "rail builder" to Stepstone acquisition (thanks, "Daddy Warbucks" Axel Springer) and the buzzworthy Bayard deal. Was it genius strategy or just IPO window dressing? Chris doesn’t hold back—and might admit to ruffling some agency feathers.

We also dive into why recruitment tech still struggles with basics like “Does this candidate meet the job requirements?” and whether industry leaders are the next Blockbuster in a Netflix world. Plus, Chris answers the big question: What even IS Appcast?

Packed with sharp insights, laughs, and maybe a cheese joke (Chris loves dairy farms), this episode is a must-listen for HR pros, tech geeks, and anyone curious about the chaos behind the scenes.

He spills the tea on HCA's branding game—giving their hospitals local names to charm their markets—and flexes their scale and healthcare cred like a boss. Oh, and remember the COVID hiring apocalypse? HCA brought on 200 new recruiters like it was nothing. Now that the chaos has died down, it all seems almost quaint.

Jason also calls out vendors for struggling to grasp the size of HCA’s operation (hint: it’s big) and says they need a crash course in "How HCA Rolls." He’s all about their talent transformation roadmap and teases some snazzy automation initiatives to make recruitment smoother and data capture less of a dumpster fire.

As for AI picking candidates? Nah, Jason’s not buying the hype. But he’s here for automation that makes life easier, proving that even skeptics can be pragmatic. It’s an insightful chat—if you’re into operational excellence, vendor rants, and the occasional AI side-eye."

In this special year-end recap, Chad and Cheese revisit the biggest moments and most talked-about episodes of 2024. Packed with insights, hot takes, and snarky commentary, this episode delivers a curated journey through the stories that defined the HR tech industry over the past year.

Featured Highlights:

1. "ZipRecruiter is Lost" (March 2024) 
2. "Workday Sucker Punches Eightfold and Beamery"  (March 2024) 
3. "Bullhorn Strikes Back at Indeed" (June 2024) 
4. "Monster & CareerBuilder Merger" (July 2024)
5. "Indeed Tomfukery" (August 2024) 

Chad and Cheese also hint at exciting plans for 2025, promising new voices, brash opinions, and more in-depth analysis. Whether you’re an industry insider or just love the drama, this episode is a must-listen wrap-up of a game-changing—and occasionally ridiculous—year in HR tech.

From AI’s inevitable robot overlord takeover of recruiting (will they finally fix the ATS? Don't hold your breath) to the thrilling return of the office (aka mandatory fun times!), we've got the scoop you need to maybe survive 2025. Or at least have something to complain about at the next holiday party.

Witness the assembled brain trust, including:

• Eileen Kovalsky from General Motors: Because even car companies need people to, you know, build cars.
• Adam Godson, CEO of Paradox: Hopefully, he'll explain what a paradox is without causing one.
• Jessica Rush, Chief Talent Officer: We're rushing to find the talent, people! Get it? (We'll see ourselves out).
• Patti Tabris, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at ResultsCX: Because someone has to deal with the results.
• Stefan Premdas, Director, People Experience at sweetgreen: Hopefully, they brought snacks.
• J.T. O'Donnell from Work It Daily: Because you're going to need to.
• Julie Sowash, Executive Director and Co-founder of Disability Solutions: Providing solutions to problems you didn't even know you had!
• John Graham, the VP of Employer Brand Strategy, Humanity & Culture at Shaker: Because branding is everything, even when it's not. (He appears twice! Clearly, he's got a lot to say...or we messed up the guest list).
• Emi Beredugo: We’re not entirely sure what Emi does, but they’re here!
• Lieven Van Nieuwenhuyze, Co-host from Europe: Bringing you takes from across the pond (probably involving better coffee).
• Matt Lavery, Global Director of Sourcing, Recruiting, & Onboarding: The man, the myth, the onboarding legend.
• Lord Wei, A Member of the Science and Tech Committee in the House of Lords: Adding a touch of British pomp and circumstance (and hopefully some actual wisdom).
• Rebecca Carr, CEO at SmartRecruiters: Because recruiting needs to be smart, obviously.
• Courtney Dempsey, the Head of Recruiting at Southern Rock Restaurants: Serving up talent as hot as their chicken.
• Chloé Rada, the Senior Director of Talent Attraction at ZoomInfo: Zooming into the future of talent (get it?).
• Dean Da Costa, Senior Staff Talent Acquisition at Lockheed Martin: Recruiting the best of the best to build…stuff.
• Mary Battle Broxton, Leading Employer Brand and Recruitment Marketing at Tractor Supply Company: Because even tractor companies need marketing.

🎧 Smash that subscribe button NOW!

Chapters

00:00 - A Special Holiday Message for YOU!

1:12 - Will AI Replace Recruiters?

7:47 - Sponsor: Shaker Recruitment https://shaker.com

8:41 - Importance of Employer Branding in Tech-Driven Recruitment

11:17 - The Uncertain Future of DEI

15:40 - Automation's Effect on Workforce Dynamics

18:22 - Return to Office Policy Comeback

24:29 - Sponsor: Paradox AI https://www.paradox.ai/

24:59 - Sponsor: Job Pixel https://www.jobpixel.com/

26:10 - Immigration and Workforce Challenges

30:17 - Shocking Layoffs of 2024

35:30 - Tech Trends of 2024 that Stand Out

38:33 - So in 2024, What Surprised You the Most?

41:51 - Sponsor: Harri https://harri.com/

42:53 - Advice for 2025

Oh, and guess what? Sackett's cooking up another book, creatively titled Talent Fix Volume 2—because one wasn’t enough. Expect fresh content, hot takes, and, presumably, a few digs at HR's favorite buzzwords.

Sackett didn't hold back on the AI hype train, either. Turns out, he's underwhelmed by the industry's cutting-edge "meh" when it comes to applying AI in TA. Meanwhile, corporate America is flailing with performance management as everyone adjusts to the post-pandemic reality of low unemployment. Spoiler: leaders are still allergic to honest performance conversations.

Fast forward to 2025, and Sackett has a bold prediction: recruiters won't just recruit anymore—they'll transform into talent advisors, focusing on team dynamics and playing corporate therapist. Vendors, take note: Sackett thinks it's your job to coach TA leaders through this glow-up. No pressure.

Holiday Coal Recipients:

1. The Master of Deception
2. The Corporate Grinch
3. The Kings of "Almost There"

Holiday Heroes:

1. The Billion-Dollar Badass
2. The Pop Powerhouse
3. The Viral Appetizer Wizard

Final Thought:

Whether you’re running from accountability or running the world, Chad & Joel see you. In a year filled with corporate antics, unlikely successes, and viral cheese pulls, they’ve made their holiday list — and checked it twice.

Chapters

00:00 - Holiday Cheer and Festivities

03:08 - Family Traditions and Celebrations

06:03 - Life in Portugal vs. the U.S.

08:58 - Fantasy Football Playoffs

12:00 - Naughty and Nice Lists

15:02 - Spotlight on Successful Entrepreneurs

16:51 - Taylor Swift: A Business Phenomenon

21:42 - The Impact of AI in Recruitment

28:34 - The Rise of the Influencer Economy

32:28 - Naughty and Nice: Corporate Accountability

40:02 - Closing Thoughts and Humor

She dishes on the art of getting your employees to share their stories without bribing them (much), making your company seem like a place where people want to work—not just survive. Audra also marvels at the endless buffet of fancy branding tools out there, hinting that maybe picking the right ones is better than throwing spaghetti at the wall.

Her secret sauce? Tailoring messages to different roles like a personal shopper for job seekers. Oh, and she’s not here for performative diversity—she’s all about the real deal. Because in employer branding, authenticity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the only thing standing between you and a talent drought.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Illoominus and Noelle London

03:36 Pitching Illuminus: The AI-Powered People Intelligence Platform

08:10 Funding and Growth: Navigating the Financial Landscape

12:35 Understanding the HR Tech Landscape and Leadership

14:31 Data Integration: The Key to Effective HR Solutions

17:02 Competition in the HR Tech Space

20:43 Sales and Marketing Strategies for Growth

24:11 Defining Quality of Hire: A Complex Challenge

26:30 Direct Sales vs. Partnerships: Future Strategies

28:59 Identifying Threats and Opportunities in the Market

31:32 Facing the Firing Squad: Final Thoughts and Insights

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Personal Anecdotes

03:07 - Drones and Warfare: A New Era

06:01 - Workplace Stress and Corporate Responses

09:04 - AI in Recruitment and Marketing

12:03 - Fantasy Football Update

14:47 - AI in Education: Khanmigo's Impact

20:49 - Historical Perspectives on Controversial Figures

22:00 - AI and Historical Narratives

22:42 - Job Market Innovations and Challenges

27:46 - Evaluating Soft Skills in Hiring

33:58 - The Future of Nuclear Energy

41:04 - The Uncertain Future of TikTok in America

Julie also spilled on how 2024’s economic rollercoaster crushed some dreams but made strategic DEI even more essential. Oh, and she managed to keep things heartfelt, even shouting out her co-host/husband, Chad — proving love can survive even that much sarcasm.

Here are the episode chapters:

0:00:00 - Podcast Intro

0:00:25 - Meet Julie Sowash

0:01:03 - Key Advice for TA Leaders

0:02:21 - DEI Commitments vs. Corporate Retreats

0:03:46 - Ethical AI in Recruiting

0:05:34 - 2024 Market Surprises

0:07:42 - Overcoming DEI Implementation Hurdles

0:09:04 - Looking Ahead to 2025

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Chris Foreman and AppCast

04:50 - The Evolution of AppCast and Its Market Position

10:35 - Go-to-Market Strategy and Timing for Success

14:25 - State of the Job Board Industry

22:11 -Insights on Indeed and StepStone

30:39 - Navigating Business Relationships and Ownership Dynamics

36:02 - Strategic Acquisitions and Market Positioning

40:17 - The State of Programmatic Job Advertising

54:39 - Future Directions and Leadership Transitions

Keywords

AppCast, Chris Forman, job boards, recruitment technology, market strategy, performance advertising, HR industry, job marketplace, hiring trends, business insights, business relationships, acquisitions, programmatic advertising, job market, leadership transitions, stepstone, Bayard advertising, indeed.com,

Hear how she uses LLMs like they’re her personal AI attack dogs, outsmarts bigger competitors with zero chill, and recruits AARP members because, frankly, Gen Z already got their fill of side hustles. If you’re not advertising your dishwashing gigs like prime-time Super Bowl spots, you’re doing it wrong.

So, grab your headphones and brace yourself. By the end, you’ll either want to revolutionize your hiring strategy or question all your life choices... possibly both. And remember, in this game, speed kills. But in HR? It also hires.

Warning: Side effects of listening include spontaneous outbursts of laughter, strategic epiphanies, and reconsidering your entire recruitment budget. Proceed with caution.



They also touch on LinkedIn's recent layoffs and speculate on the future of ERE and its SourceCon conference. In this conversation, Chad and Joel reflect on the evolution of the recruitment industry, particularly focusing on the ERE conference and its decline. They discuss the changing landscape of sourcing, the competitive dynamics between Rippling and Deel, and the implications of AI in healthcare. The conversation also touches on Walmart's recent shift in DEI policies and the booming success of OnlyFans as a content platform.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Weather Check

02:45 - Chipotle Experience and Paradox Implementation

04:19 - Spotify Year-End Wrap-Up and Podcast Growth

06:33 - Demographics and Audience Engagement

07:55 -Social Commerce and TikTok Shopping

10:04 - LinkedIn's Potential in Video Job Applications

15:50 - LinkedIn Layoffs and Future Outlook

18:01 - Gossip on ERE and SourceCon

18:34 - Nostalgia for ERE: The Rise and Fall

22:34 - The Evolution of Sourcing and SourceCon

30:29 - Rippling vs. Deel: The Competitive Landscape

33:14 - AI in Healthcare: The Future of Diagnosis

38:26 - Walmart's Shift in DEI Policies

45:32 - OnlyFans: The New Frontier of Content Creation

In this spicy episode, we cover:

• HR Meets Boot Camp: General Honoré schools us on why leading people isn’t about asking, “You’re good, right?” and walking off like a clueless middle manager.
• Robots Can’t Cook Gumbo: Automation might make life easier, but it’s not making you a killer bowl of Cajun deliciousness—or fixing that flat tire you’re whining about.
• Recruitment Woes: From the Army’s “12 teeth rule” (yes, you read that right) to recruiting Gen Z kids glued to their phones, the General doesn’t hold back on what needs fixing.
• Boomers vs. Gen Z: Growing up poor meant fixing TVs with tinfoil and watching The Lone Ranger without a picture. Now? Kids need a new flat screen if the remote has dust on it.
• Mental Health Wake-Up Call: Spoiler alert: If your employee mentions seeing floating elephants, maybe don’t just tell them to get back to work.

Sprinkled with Honoré’s signature wit, biting honesty, and a dose of “adapt-or-die” wisdom, this episode delivers laughs, snark, and some much-needed perspective on leadership in a rapidly changing world.

Strap in, folks—it’s time to break things (figuratively) and rebuild smarter.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro: HR’s Most Dangerous Podcast

01:21 - Leadership Lessons from the Army

02:25 - The Art of Listening to Troops

03:20 - Managing Half a Million Troops

08:33 - Automation’s Impact on Society

12:05 - The Changing Economy and Workforce

15:16 - Adapt or Die: Breaking What’s Not Broken

17:04 - Recruiting Challenges: Then vs. Now

20:36 - Addressing Mental Health in Leadership

22:12 - Closing Thoughts: People Over Profits

Graham’s big reveal: employer branding is less about forever and more about for now, pivoting to a launchpad for career development instead of a golden handshake into retirement. He also dove into AI, calling it both the hero and potential villain of recruitment. Sure, it’s reshaping strategies faster than you can say "algorithmic bias," but Graham threw some shade on humanity, pointing out that we’re not exactly bias-free either. His advice? Play nice with AI but keep an eye on it—like a toddler with scissors.

DEI got a spotlight too, but not without acknowledging the current rebrand it’s enduring thanks to political tug-of-wars and corporate-level ghosting. He tied it all up with a forecast for 2024 tech trends: automation, AI, and video storytelling are set to dominate, but the focus will still be on keeping things human-centered. (Spoiler: robots are cool, but people still like people.)

And if that wasn’t enough, Graham’s closer was basically a call-to-action to stalk—er, network with—Shaker online. Updated website, LinkedIn, the works. Because nothing says "modern employer branding" like a shameless plug.

The episode also features guest insights from Emi Beredugo, Lieven Van Nieuwenhuyze, and Maureen Clough aka Mo. So, grab a turkey leg, some stuffing, a beer, and get ready for fun, insights, and JIVE TURKEYS!

Who earned a Jive Turkey? You gotta listen to find out.

Chapters

00:00 - Thanksgiving Greetings and Context

03:02 - Jive Turkey Episode Introduction

07:00 - Defining Jive Turkey

11:05 - Jive Turkeys of 2024: Art Zeile

15:00 - Jive Turkeys of 2024: ZipRecruiter

20:55 - Guest Insights: Emmy Beredugo

22:25 - Introduction and Light Banter

25:00 - The Importance of Continuous Learning

25:59 - Critique of Corporate Diversity Efforts

34:04 -Economic Implications of Mass Deportation

40:56 -The Future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Chloé talks about her mission to snag top-tier engineering talent while rolling out international internship programs—because apparently ZoomInfo doesn’t have enough geniuses yet. She champions trial-and-error innovation, which is HR speak for “we might mess up, but hey, it’ll be memorable.”

From aligning employer branding with people ops to navigating the workplace vibes during global chaos, she’s got hot takes and strategies that actually work. Oh, and she’s planning to revamp the tech stack by 2025, proving that even in HR, you gotta stay one software update ahead of the competition.

Chloé also drops pro tips like leveraging employee advocacy, video storytelling, and LinkedIn (yes, LinkedIn—again) to network like a boss. If you’re ready to rethink talent attraction or just want to hear someone blend HR insights with a healthy dose of wit, this episode’s for you.

Takeaways

• The hosts share their contrasting experiences of weather and lifestyle.
• Current events are overwhelming, with a mix of serious and absurd news.
• Boxing has transformed into a scripted entertainment spectacle.
• The hosts reminisce about the authenticity of past boxing matches.
• Industry shout outs highlight the interconnectedness of recruitment platforms.
• Fantasy football updates reveal competitive dynamics among the hosts.
• Layoffs in the recruitment industry signal ongoing challenges.
• LinkUp's acquisition showcases the importance of real-time job data.
• Adzuna's acquisition aims to enhance social media recruitment capabilities.
• The conversation reflects on the future of recruitment advertising amidst automation. Adzuna should consider acquiring Flockety to enhance its influencer marketing capabilities.
• The job board industry is evolving, with a shift towards programmatic advertising and social media engagement.
• Companies must adapt to the changing landscape of job postings to remain competitive.
• JobGet's acquisition of Snagajob could revitalize the hourly worker market.
• Recruiter.com's acquisition of BountyJobs raises questions about the future of recruitment services.
• AI-driven digital employees are becoming essential in addressing the cybersecurity talent shortage.
• The proliferation of AI-generated influencers poses significant challenges for genuine content creators.
• Legislative action is needed to combat the rise of deep fake technology on social media.
• The recruitment industry is experiencing a wave of consolidation and strategic acquisitions.
• The conversation highlights the importance of adapting to technological advancements in recruitment and marketing.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Current Events

03:00 - Reflections on Boxing and Entertainment

06:03 - Shout Outs and Industry News

10:03 -Fantasy Football Update

12:01 -Layoffs and Industry Changes

15:58 -Acquisition Palooza: LinkUp and Adzuna

28:32 -The Rise of Influencer-Centric Platforms

29:52 -The Evolution of Job Boards and Programmatic Advertising

33:16 -Adzuna's Strategic Shift and Industry Challenges

34:01 -JobGet Acquires Snagajob: A New Era for Hourly Workers

42:09 -Recruiter.com Acquires BountyJobs: A Strategic Move?

47:04 - AI in Cybersecurity: The Future of Digital Employees

52:00 -The Impact of AI-Generated Influencers on Social Media

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

03:02 - The Impact of AI on Startups

06:00 - Social Media Regulations and Youth

09:03 - Innovations in Recruitment

14:51 - Layoffs and Economic Challenges

17:48 - Quarterly Earnings Reports and Market Trends

27:35 - The Power Dynamics of Job Platforms

29:08 - Innovations in Recruitment: The Rise of AI Tools

30:52 - The Struggles of ZipRecruiter

34:42 - The Future of Recruitment: Mergers and Acquisitions

36:44 - AI in the Workforce: Opportunities and Challenges

48:30 - Investment Trends in HR Tech

53:08 - Startups to Watch: Toothio vs. Social Crowd

Novonda doesn’t hold back, calling out the so-called “shortage of diverse candidates” and challenging recruiters to step up their game. She serves up practical advice on using social media to reach underrepresented talent, though she’s quick to throw a little shade at AI and its dicey role in hiring – because, let's be real, nobody wants a “smart” robot unintentionally screening out great people. And, if you're hoping for a warm fuzzy moment, sorry – Novonda’s here to make sure we all stay sharp and resilient. She dishes on the reality of adapting DEI strategies to market trends, and she’s already lined up LinkedIn requests from everyone who wants in on her best practices.

Prepare for an episode packed with humor, hard truths, and a few digs at outdated recruiting “innovations.” Novonda reminds us that if you’re not actively building an inclusive culture, you’re just setting yourself up for 2025 – and not in a good way.

The conversation delves into the app's features, the challenges of candidate matching, and the future of job searching in a decentralized world. The discussion covers client success stories, the competitive landscape, and the go-to-market strategy focusing on AI jobs. Sklut also addresses challenges and critiques from the hosts regarding the complexities of blockchain and the need for effective education in the HR space.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to My Standard and Josh Sklut

05:09 - Pitching My Standard: A New Approach to Job Searching

09:54 - The Problem with Traditional Job Platforms

15:11 - Data Verification and Candidate Matching

19:51 - Monetization and Business Model of My Standard

24:45 - Challenges and Future of My Standard

17:52 - Understanding the Use Cases and Client Success Stories

19:51 - Differentiating from Competitors and Market Positioning

22:03 - Go-to-Market Strategy and Initial Focus on AI Jobs

23:57 - Team Composition and Expertise Behind MyStandard

26:04 - Exit Strategies and Future Growth Opportunities

28:04 - Facing the Firing Squad: Challenges and Critiques

They discuss various topics including the results of a hybrid work experiment, the growth and innovations at LinkedIn, and Google's recent all-hands meeting where AI's impact on jobs was addressed. They explore the implications of hybrid work on productivity and employee satisfaction, LinkedIn's revenue growth and new features, and the concerns surrounding job security in the tech industry due to AI advancements.

Chapters

01:03.95 - Election Commentary and European Perspective  

01:13.19 - Chad in Nazaré, Portugal  

01:37.89 - Travel Plans and Europe Compared to the U.S.  

02:09.21 - Election Insights and Mental Health  

02:41.38 - Joel Reflects on American Elections and Republican Revolution  

04:21.03 - Reflections on Political Cycles and Voter Shifts  

05:53.67 - Wealthy Americans Planning to Leave the U.S.  

09:03.63 - Text Recruiting and Listener Shoutouts  

10:45.49 - Draftboard Business Pivot  

11:52.10 - Listener Art and Future Tattoo Ideas  

17:20.55 - Hybrid Work Study Discussion  

22:17.14 - Hybrid Work Future Predictions  

24:34.07 - Immigration Impact on American Workforce  

25:06.13 - LinkedIn Revenue and Global Market Growth  

27:17.62 - LinkedIn AI and Coaching Feature Expansion  

31:32.68 - Google's Velvet Hammer  

36:03.05 - Closing Remarks and Halloween Joke

The friction in job application processes is often counterproductive, deterring potential talent, while companies like Amazon, despite recognizing the costs of high attrition, struggle with implementing meaningful change. Misaligned branding further complicates expectations for both candidates and employees. However, technology offers a beacon of hope by potentially streamlining interactions and enhancing communication.

Parsons criticized the inefficiencies in the current job distribution model, marked by low trust in job postings, and introduced Flockity's innovative approach using influencer marketing to foster trust and improve the candidate experience. She pointed out the skewed dynamics where paid job promotions might not reflect genuine company endorsement, and content tends to emphasize skills over culture. Creators often avoid brand mentions to dodge backlash.

Then they discuss the implications of AI in recruitment, focusing on LinkedIn's new Hiring Assistant tool and its potential to streamline recruitment tasks. They explore the impact of AI on coding jobs, the evolving role of recruiters, and the challenges of integrating AI while maintaining human connection. The discussion also touches on hiring trends for 2025, emphasizing the importance of adapting to new technologies and the need for recruiters to upskill in a changing job market.

Emi and Joel discuss the evolving landscape of hiring practices, particularly the shift towards skills-based hiring. They explore the mindset of Gen Z, who prioritize mental health and work-life balance over traditional hustle culture. The discussion also highlights the alarming trend of prime-age men leaving the workforce, attributing it to economic shifts and societal pressures. Finally, they delve into the implications of influencer culture on society, questioning its long-term effects on individual identity and societal values.

Takeaways

• Halloween is a favorite holiday for many, with unique costumes and traditions.
• A humorous incident involving a naked neighbor showcases the unpredictability of life.
• The US elections are a topic of global interest, especially from a British viewpoint.
• Taylor Swift's concerts have a significant cultural impact, turning non-fans into fans.
• Innovative recruiting platforms like Poetry are changing the landscape of recruitment.
• The excitement and tension surrounding elections can be felt worldwide. LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant aims to automate recruitment tasks.
• AI is seen as a tool to enhance productivity, not replace humans.
• Recruiters add value through human interaction, not just administrative tasks.
• AI's role in coding is growing, but human oversight remains essential.
• The demand for upskilling in tech roles is increasing due to AI.
• Candidates prefer remote work and are resistant to returning to the office.
• Skills-based hiring is not widely adopted among employers.
• Recruiters are evolving to focus on workforce planning and employer branding.
• AI can help with communication but should not replace human touch.
• The future of recruitment will require adaptability to new technologies. Skills-based hiring is gaining traction as a necessary approach.
• Gen Z is reshaping workplace expectations with a focus on mental health.
• The job market is evolving, requiring creative hiring strategies.
• Young people today have unprecedented career options.
• The influencer culture is influencing career aspirations among youth.
• Disengagement among young men is a growing concern for society.
• Economic shifts are impacting traditional employment pathways.
• Companies must adapt to retain talent in a changing landscape.
• The stigma around non-college careers is detrimental to workforce participation.
• Understanding the motivations of young people is crucial for future employment strategies.

Chapters

00:00 - Halloween Festivities and Costumes

03:02 - Naked Neighbor Incident

06:01 - US Elections and Global Perspectives

10:04 - Taylor Swift's Impact and Concert Experience

12:05 - Shout Outs and Innovations in Recruiting

16:01 - Fantasy Football Update and Competition

17:30 - AI in Recruitment: LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant

26:01 - The Impact of AI on Coding and Employment

34:11 - Hiring Trends for 2025: Balancing AI and Human Connection

43:01 - Skills-Based Hiring: A New Paradigm

46:03 - The Mindset Shift of Gen Z

54:03 - The Decline of Prime Age Men in the Workforce

01:00:53 - The Impact of Influencer Culture on Society

Chapter Timecodes

1. 0:00 - Podcast Intro

2. 2:31 - Meet Quincy Valencia

3. 5:46 - AI in HR

4. 10:31 - Real-World AI Applications

5. 4:56 - Adapting in a Changing Market

6. 20:11 - Advice for Newcomers

7. 23:31 - Future of HR Tech

8. 27:16 - Quincy’s HR Tech Wishlist

9. 30:46 - Wrap-Up

Takeaways

• Snoop Dogg's decision reflects his brand awareness.
• Compliance companies can be surprisingly profitable.
• Travel can take a toll on health and well-being.
• Indeed faces legal challenges that could set precedents.
• Upwork's new AI features aim to enhance user experience.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Shoutouts

02:49 - Industry Insights and Market Trends

06:04 - The Power of Compliance and Legalities

09:12 - Travel Plans and Personal Updates

11:56 - Fantasy Football Roundup

15:00 - Indeed's Legal Challenges

18:05 - Upwork's New AI Features

20:53 - Snoop Dogg's $100 Million Decision

33:57 - Closing Thoughts and Dad Jokes

Keywords

Chad and Cheese Podcast, Snoop Dogg, Indeed, Upwork, Fantasy Football, Market Trends, Compliance, Legal Challenges, Industry Insights, Personal Updates

ENJOY!

The conversation also hits head-on the challenges faced by high-skilled immigrants and the implications of America's outdated immigration system. Prof Zeke discusses the multifaceted impact of immigration on the labor market, economy, culture, and job creation in the U.S.

Prof Zeke addresses the historical context of cultural assimilation and offers strategies for engaging in difficult conversations about immigration.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Zeke Hernandez

03:02 - The Truth About Immigration

06:10 - Understanding Legal vs. Illegal Immigration

09:11 - Investment Contributions of Immigrants

12:01 - The Need for High-Skilled Immigration

14:52 - America's Brain and Muscle Drain

17:49 - The Impact of Immigrants on Job Markets

20:56 - The Impact of Immigration on the Labor Market

24:53 - Economic Growth and Immigrant Contributions

26:48 - Challenges of the Current Immigration System

28:53 - Cultural Assimilation and Historical Perspectives

31:00 - Navigating Difficult Conversations on Immigration

34:43 - The Economic Consequences of Mass Deportation

Keywords

immigration, economy, legal immigration, illegal immigration, investment, job creation, high-skilled workers, brain drain, muscle drain, Zeke Hernandez, immigration, labor market, economic growth, cultural assimilation, immigration system, difficult conversations, mass deportation, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris

In this conversation, Chad and Joel discuss the competitive landscape of HR tech, focusing on ADP's strategic moves in response to emerging competitors. They analyze SEEK's acquisition strategy and its implications for the market. The discussion shifts to the ongoing debates around minimum wage, highlighting the economic impacts of wage increases.

They also explore Tulsa's innovative remote work initiative aimed at revitalizing the local economy. Finally, they address the critical issue of workplace safety and accountability in light of a tragic incident involving a factory worker.

Chapters

00:00- -Introduction to the Podcast and Current Events

02:56-Political Climate and Its Impact

05:55 - Sports Updates and Reactions

08:52 -Shout Outs and Promotions

11:56 -Layoffs in the Industry

15:03 - ADP's Acquisition of Workforce Software

19:40 - ADP's Competitive Landscape and Strategic Moves

22:22 - Seek's Acquisition Strategy and Market Focus

24:35 - The Buy, Build, or Partner Dilemma

27:19 -Minimum Wage Discussions and Economic Impacts

35:10 - Tulsa's Remote Work Initiative and Economic Revitalization

42:24 - Workplace Safety and Accountability in Tragic Incidents

Keywords

podcast, layoffs, acquisitions, political climate, sports updates, ADP, workforce software, job search, technology, automation, ADP, Seek, minimum wage, Tulsa Remote, workplace safety, HR tech, economic impact, acquisition strategy, competitive landscape, remote work

Rachel takes us on a wild ride from her days of wrestling with job boards (RIP SimplyHired) to the modern marvels of programmatic advertising and employer branding. Spoiler alert: AI is still the buzzword, and job seekers are still stuck in application limbo. Rachel drops some truth bombs.

And for you TikTok skeptics out there, prepare to clutch your pearls—yes, people are finding career advice and jobs on the same platform where they learn to dance badly in 15 seconds.

But the real meat of the episode? It’s all about gatekeeping! Want to get your shiny new HR tech in front of Shaker? Be prepared for some "American Idol" realness, where only the best get through.

Enjoy!

They also provide a fantasy football update and discuss recent layoffs at CareerBuilder and Monster following their merger. In this conversation, Chad and Joel discuss the implications of recent mergers and layoffs in the job market, particularly focusing on the acquisition of CareerBuilder and the potential future of job boards. They explore the acquisition of Nomadic Learning by Guild and its impact on talent development.

The discussion then shifts to MrBeast's entry into the employment space with his new hiring platform, Vouch, and the challenges he may face. The conversation concludes with some light-hearted Halloween humor.

Takeaways

• Indeed's lawsuit against ZipRecruiter highlights competitive tensions in the job market.
• Layoffs at CareerBuilder and Monster were anticipated due to their merger.
• The hosts emphasize the importance of clear communication in business.
• Podcasting is becoming a significant platform for political figures.
• Waymo's user experience is designed to be stress-free and enjoyable.
• Indeed's recent actions suggest they are feeling competitive pressure.
• Companies may push for resignations to avoid severance costs.
• Guild's acquisition of Nomadic Learning enhances their service offerings.
• Mr. Beast's entry into the job market could attract creators.
• Historical trends show celebrities struggle in the employment space.
• The job market is becoming increasingly competitive.
• TikTok's data collection strategies are evolving rapidly.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Overview

03:03 - Waymo Experience and Future of Transportation

05:55 - Podcasting's Rise and Cultural Impact

09:06 - Spirit Halloween's Business Model

11:59 - Fantasy Football Update

15:06 - Indeed vs. ZipRecruiter Lawsuit

18:05 - Layoffs at CareerBuilder and Monster

19:46 - The Impact of Mergers and Layoffs

24:31 - Acquisitions and Talent Development

36:13 - MrBeast Enters the Employment Space

41:04 - Halloween Humor and Closing Thoughts

Keywords

Waymo, podcasting, Spirit Halloween, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, layoffs, transportation, fantasy football, AI, business news, mergers, layoffs, acquisitions, talent development, MrBeast, employment, TikTok, Bytespider, AI, job market

Nicole also highlights how companies can enhance their candidate experience without spending a fortune, using examples from brands like Microsoft and Duolingo. She digs deep into the challenges talent acquisition professionals face, stressing the need to understand the business and make meaningful changes, rather than focusing solely on metrics like social media likes.

The discussion touches on important topics like employee advocacy, retaining talent, and the critical role of data in recruitment. Nicole shares practical advice on collaborating with other departments, automating processes without losing the human touch, and the importance of taking action, no matter how small. Finally, Nicole’s call to "work like a European" and embrace more holidays underscores her belief that breaks lead to better productivity and creativity.

ENJOY!

He also discusses the importance of maintaining a frugal mentality and the challenges of dilution. The episode concludes with a discussion on Willo's customer base, which has grown to 12,150 customers in 195 countries, and their global reach in interviewing candidates from every country in the world. Willo has experienced significant changes since their last conversation, including the shift to candidates being comfortable on camera and the move upstream to larger enterprise organizations.

They have developed a platform capable of interviewing and assessing candidates through video, audio, text, multiple choice, and assessments. The company has seen success in the US market, with 60% of their revenue coming from the US. They attribute their success to word-of-mouth referrals and delivering the best customer experience. Integrations have been important for SMBs, but not a major acquisition channel for larger organizations. The team has grown organically and is doubling in size over the next year. Willo is focused on automating the onboarding process and improving the efficiency of the next steps after assessment.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Firing Squad Reunion

07:59 - The Importance of a Frugal Mentality in Startup Success

09:44 - Navigating the Challenges of Dilution

15:05 - Global Reach: Interviewing Candidates from Every Country

17:35 - Moving Upstream to Enterprise Organizations

20:24 - Success in the US Market

23:28 -Importance of Integrations for SMBs

27:23 - Delivering on Time to Hire

29:18 - Balancing AI and Human Involvement

32:43 - Team Growth and Future Plans

Takeaways

• AI's impact on jobs is often overstated.
• Innovative job-seeking strategies can challenge traditional norms.
• The dock workers' strike highlights economic vulnerabilities.
• Amazon's new policies may lead to significant turnover.
• Condom usage is declining due to advancements in birth control.
• Job boards must adapt to survive in a changing market.
• Raising wages is essential for economic health.
• The future of work is increasingly influenced by technology.
• Networking events like HR Tech are crucial for industry connections.
• Understanding market dynamics is key for job boards.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to the Podcast and Themes

02:04 - Reflections on HR Tech and Networking

06:01 - Innovative Job Seeking Strategies

10:01 - The Impact of AI on Employment

16:01 - The Future of Job Boards: ZipRecruiter and Dice

35:09 - Dock Workers Strike and Economic Implications

43:57 - Amazon's Workforce Challenges

46:59 - Declining Condom Usage and Societal Changes

Keywords

AI, job market, HR Tech, employment trends, ZipRecruiter, Dice, dock workers, Amazon, condom usage, economic impact, Butler America, Harold Dagget, Courtney Summer Myers, Gia Johnston, HR Gumbo, Outsolve, Paradox, FactoryFix, Keeyora, Bullhorn, Maersk

Allison also discusses her approach to job applications, including reaching out to connections for support and leveraging LinkedIn Jobs. She highlights the value of being strategic in your outreach and making specific requests for assistance. Additionally, Alison shares her thoughts on job boards and the application process, recommending a focus on LinkedIn for professionals and entry level jobs, new grads alike.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Welcome

02:56 - Allison's Journey and Background

06:49 - Using ChatGPT for Resume and LinkedIn

09:57 - The Power of LinkedIn and Green Banner

12:41 - Content Creation and Networking on LinkedIn

15:36 - Navigating the Job Search Process

19:58 - ATS and Technology in Job Applications

24:10 - Job Boards and LinkedIn for Job Search

26:30 - Advice for New Grads and Early Career Professionals

28:21 - Conclusion and Contact Information

Keywords

job search, personal branding, LinkedIn, networking, job boards, application process, new grands, entry level jobs, job search tips, indeed jobs, ziprecruiter job search, LinkedIn tips, LinkedIn Green Banner, Open to Work

Hot Takes

• The recruiting industry is facing significant changes due to technology and investment.
• Shout outs highlight the importance of community and collaboration in the industry.
• Media and classifieds businesses are undergoing major transformations with new ownership structures.
• Legal battles, such as Job Index vs. Google, reflect the complexities of the digital job market.
• SkillView aims to address the skills gap with innovative AI solutions.
• Jobbilla's approach to recruitment lacks unique offerings in a competitive market.
• Flowit focuses on employee retention through real-time feedback, but raises concerns about the role of managers.
• The hosts emphasize the need for human interaction in employee engagement strategies.
• Investments in startups reflect the growing importance of technology in recruitment.
• The podcast encourages listeners to stay informed and engaged with industry developments.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Context

02:54 - Shout Outs and Industry News

05:58 - Media and Classifieds Business Dynamics

09:06 - JobIndex vs. Google: Legal Battles

11:56 - Buy or Sell: SkillVue

23:53 - Buy or Sell: Jobbilla

30:04 - Buy or Sell: Flowit

Stacey emphasizes the importance of actively working towards unconscious inclusion. She discusses the need for dialogue and open conversations to bridge the gap between different perspectives. Stacey also addresses the challenges of changing mindsets and the role of education in DEI.

She highlights the benefits of skills-based hiring for diversity and inclusion and the need for ongoing training and implementation. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the politicization of DEI and the importance of shifting mindsets in the workplace.

Takeaways

• Unconscious inclusion is the goal of DEI, where people are included without conscious effort or bias.
• Skills-based hiring can be a powerful tool for diversity and inclusion, as it focuses on the qualifications and abilities of candidates rather than their background or identity.
• Changing mindsets is crucial for progress in DEI, and ongoing education and training are necessary to shift perspectives and behaviors.
• The politicization of DEI can hinder progress, and it is important to have open conversations and bridge the gap between different perspectives.
• DEI is not limited to race, gender, or sexual orientation, but encompasses all aspects of identity, including socioeconomic status, religion, and language barriers.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Welcome

03:01 - Unconscious Inclusion: The Goal of DEI

08:11 - The Politicization of DEI: Challenges and Opportunities

11:21 - Changing Mindsets: The Key to Progress in DEI

18:45 - Bridging the Gap: Open Conversations and Different Perspectives

24:14 -The Power of Skills-Based Hiring for Diversity and Inclusion

27:26 - DEI Beyond Race and Gender: Embracing All Aspects of Identity

30:00 - Conclusion and Call to Action

Keywords

unconscious inclusion, skills-based hiring, DEI, politicization, diversity, inclusion, mindsets, education

Takeaways

• Emi is the senior manager of Recruiting Enablement at Elastic.
• LinkedIn is launching new features to enhance user engagement.
• The importance of DEI is being overshadowed by RTO policies.
• Indeed is removing free features from company pages, which may alienate smaller companies.
• The merger of CareerBuilder and Monster may not significantly impact the job market.
• Layoffs in the recruiting industry are affecting many employees.
• LinkedIn's verified job feature aims to improve job seeker safety.
• Video interviewing solutions are becoming more common in recruitment processes.
• The podcast hosts emphasize the need for inclusivity in hiring practices.
• Personal stories and humor are integral to the podcast's appeal.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Guest Introduction

02:25 - Emi's Background and Role

04:03 - Shout Outs and Personal Stories

11:33 - Layoff News and Industry Updates

12:55 - LinkedIn's New Features Discussion

27:52 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Return to Office (RTO) Policies

34:59 - Indeed's Changes to Company Pages

37:58 - CareerBuilder and Monster Merger Discussion

As usual, Chad and Joel throw take shots at job board giants and predict the future of job search.

Best Line: "Indeed who? Never heard of 'em.” 

They also touch on the common problem of startups creating solutions for non-existent problems and the importance of customer orientation and research. In this conversation, Gareth Marlow discusses the challenges and strategies for companies looking to expand internationally, specifically between the UK and the US.

He emphasizes the importance of understanding the cultural differences and nuances in each market, as well as the need for localized go-to-market strategies. Gareth also highlights the significance of working with local experts and building strong relationships to navigate the fundraising process. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the rapid advancements in technology and the potential for democratizing waves in AI and low-code development.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Small Talk

02:57 - Differences Between Cambridge and Oxford

09:29 - Gareth's Role in Scaling Organizations

11:49 - Challenges of Scaling and Going Beyond 500 Employees

13:14 - Startups Creating Solutions for Non-Existent Problems

15:03 - Importance of Customer Orientation and Research

15:09 - Introduction and the Problem Space

16:00 - Expanding in America and Europe: Different Approaches

18:20 - Building Footholds and Organic Growth

20:40 - One Size Does Not Fit All

22:41 - Go-to-Market Strategies and Team Dynamics

26:50 -Red Flags and Warning Signs for Startups

28:25 -Fundraising Tips and Differences in Investment

31:11 -The Potential of Technology Advancements

Keywords

Gareth Marlow, executive coach, consultant, EQ Systems, Cambridge, Oxford, sci-fi movies, startups, product-market fit, customer orientation, research, international expansion, UK, US, cultural differences, go-to-market strategies, fundraising, technology advancements, AI, low-code development

As they navigate the impact of the merger, Chad & Cheese explain why the job board industry is evolving into something more focused on niche markets and innovative performance models, while the "Titans of Old" are left rearranging deck chairs on the sinking ship. Filled with sharp insights and unfiltered commentary, this episode offers listeners a front-row seat to the job board "meteor crash" and what it means for the future of recruiting. 

Get ready for some brutal honesty about where the industry is headed and why the old giants may not survive unless they evolve—fast.

Checkout his recent post on the move: https://www.cvwallet.com/post/our-journey-from-smart-cvs-for-jobseekers-to-solving-recruitment-advertising-for-the-ai-age

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Background

04:10 - From CV Wallet to C Squared Technology

08:59 - The Role of Blockchain in the Industry

10:36 - Pivoting and Adapting to the Changing Market

12:24 - Tips for Startups Facing a Pivot

13:39 - Shifting from CPC to Qualified and Interested Applicants

19:38 - The Disconnect Between Traffic and Quality

22:04 - The Role of C Squared Technology in the Job Board Ecosystem

26:36 - Building a Platform and the Future of C Squared Technology

33:00 - Reflections on the Changing Landscape of Tech Startups

36:40 - Funding and Growth Plans for C Squared Technology

Keywords

Richard Collins, Beverly Collins, C Squared Technology, ClickIQ, Indeed, IndeedIQ, recruitment advertising, job boards, qualified applicants, cost per click, cost per qualified applicant, platform, community-building, funding, growth plans, Appcast, CV Wallet

The main themes include the changing expectations of job seekers, the importance of authenticity and authentication in employer branding, the impact of AI and automation on job applications, the rise of video in recruitment, the role of social media in employee activism, and the right to disconnect from work. The conversation also touches on the cooling labor market and the challenges faced by job seekers in finding suitable employment.

What's more? Joel and J.T. discuss various topics related to employment and the workforce. They touch on the impact of the economy on different age groups, the future of recruiting, the rise of remote work, and the challenges of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. They also discuss the launch of LinkedIn's podcast aimed at Gen Z and the controversy surrounding an ageist report by Indeed.

Takeaways

• Job seekers now expect the job to find them, thanks to the influence of platforms like TikTok.
• Authenticity is important, but job seekers also want authentication to ensure that employers are who they say they are.
• Video is becoming a crucial tool in recruitment, allowing job seekers to showcase their skills and employers to provide an authentic view of their company.
• Job seekers are using social media to document and validate their experiences, challenging traditional power dynamics in the workplace.
• The right to disconnect from work is becoming increasingly important, especially for younger generations who prioritize work-life balance. The economy has different impacts on different age groups, with younger individuals facing challenges in finding employment and older individuals experiencing age discrimination.
• The future of recruiting is uncertain, with the rise of AI and automation potentially reducing job opportunities in certain sectors.
• Remote work is becoming more prevalent and offers opportunities for individuals to have flexible and fractional careers.
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in companies are facing challenges and pushback, with some companies scaling back their initiatives.
• LinkedIn's launch of a podcast aimed at Gen Z reflects the growing importance of podcasts as a medium for professional content.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Overview

01:34 - Introducing J.T. O'Donnell and her Background

02:21 - The Changing Expectations of Job Seekers

03:45 - The Importance of Authenticity and Authentication in Employer Branding

06:33 - The Rise of Video in Recruitment

07:59 - The Role of Social Media in Employee Activism

08:46 - The Right to Disconnect from Work

09:57 - The Cooling Labor Market and Challenges for Job Seekers

24:42 - The Impact of the Economy on Different Age Groups

27:24 - The Future of Recruiting and the Rise of AI

28:56 - The Opportunities and Challenges of Remote Work

37:46 - The Challenges of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

48:17 - LinkedIn's Podcast Aimed at Gen Z

Keywords

job market, job seekers, authenticity, authentication, AI, automation, video, social media, employee activism, right to disconnect, labor market, employment, workforce, economy, ageism, recruiting, remote work, diversity, equity, inclusion, LinkedIn, podcast

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Background

05:05 - The Name and Funding

06:15 - The Relevance of Video Resumes

07:51 - Funding and Advisory Board

09:13 - Background and Expertise of the Leadership Team

12:00 - Creating Video Intros and Work History

13:30 - Target Audience and User Experience

14:16 - Video Resumes and Risk Assessment

17:04 - Matching Candidates with Job Requirements

18:46 - Focus on Hourly Work and Part-Time Jobs

21:41 - Improving the Candidate Experience

24:43 - Emphasizing the Human Connection

26:13 - Engaging Candidates Through Chat Messaging

29:46 - Expanding Reach Through Social Media

35:16 - Pay-Per-Match: A Cost-Effective Model

Then it's time for a little Buy-or-Sell, featuring Pangeam, Micro1 and Workpay. More disagreement this time than usual, so hopefully you like fireworks. And if you don't like fireworks, hopefully you like chicken, becauase Chick-fil-A is back in the news. And speaking of chicken, don't even get Chad started on Chicken Cock Whiskey ... you just need to listen.

Chapters

01:00 - Euro Chad goes deep

03:40 - Chicken Cock Whiskey

05:18 - Oasis, PeralJam and Xers

08:25 - Kelce's New Heights rein in $100m

12:00 - Fantasy Football

14:15 - CEO Divergence

20:01 - iCIMS: Potential Acquisition Strategy and Layoffs

21:01 - SmartRecruiters: Industry Knowledge and Global Expansion

21:14 - Impact of CEO Changes on Global Growth Strategies

21:30 - Comparing iCIMS and SmartRecruiters

27:36 - The Impact of Amazon Q

34:54 - Recent Funding: Pangem, Micro One, and Workpay

43:32 - Chick-fil-A's Misadventure in the Streaming Market

Keywords

SmartRecruiters, iCIMS, CEO changes, acquisitions, layoffs, global growth strategy, iCIMS, SmartRecruiters, HR tech, AI, software development, Amazon Q, Pangem, Micro One, Workpay, Chick-fil-A, streaming platform

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Background

02:58 - Bullhorn's Evolution and Acquisition of Textkernel

08:39 - The Importance of Bullhorn's Marketplace and Venture Investments

11:05 - The State of the Staffing Industry

16:08 - No Immediate Plans for an IPO: Focus on Private Equity Sponsors

Keywords

Matt Fischer, Bullhorn, recruiting industry, AI, Textkernel, marketplace, venture investments, staffing industry

They also touch on Chris Bakke leaving X Hiring after one year, as well as the decline of Indeed and its questionable strategies, as well as the launch of ZipRecruiter's new podcast. The conversation then shifts to the role of AI in coding and the potential impact on developers. Finally, they touch on the controversial law in Indiana that requires age verification for viewing pornography online.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Overview

01:41 - Real People and Relatable Moments at the DNC

06:28 - Immersive Technology

10:46 - Shawn Fain Fighs for American Workers

13:06 - Alex Cooper's $100 Million Podcast Deal

18:22 - Chris Bakke Leaves X Hiring

24:28 - Indeed's Tomfuckery

30:05 - ZipRecruiter's Launch a Podcast?

35:47 - AWS AI in Coding

44:18 - Indiana Hates Freedom

Keywords

Democratic National Convention, immersive technology, Chick-fil-A, elevated drive-through, Sean Fain, American workers, Alex Cooper, podcast deal, RecFest, fantasy football, Chris Bocchi, X, recruiting industry, Chris Russell, X hiring, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, AI, coding, pornography, age verification

• Ukrainian Military Offensive
• UK's Move Towards Degree-less Hiring
• StepStone's New Ad Campaign:
• Buy or Sell with:
• Impact Pool, AlgoJob, and ViaCurrent.
• The "Lazy" Belgian Lie

This snark-filled synopsis captures the irreverent tone of the podcast while summarizing the key points with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Overview

01:30 - The Conflict in Ukraine and the Offensive Against Russia

11:35 - The Changing Job Market in the UK: Rise of Degree-Less Jobs

12:22 -The Importance of Certifications in the Tech Industry

15:23 - The Impact of Brexit on Immigration and Hiring

20:05 -Skills-Based Hiring and the Shift in Recruitment

23:50 -The Value of Blue-Collar Jobs and Skilled Workers

25:17 -Buy or Sell: Impact Pool

26:45 -Investing in Niche Businesses

33:39 -AlgoJob: AI-Driven Interview Tool

38:24 -Viacurrent: Early Wage Access App

47:11 -Working Hours in Europe

Keywords

Ukraine, job market, degree-less jobs, certifications, Brexit, immigration, skills-based hiring, inclusivity, diversity, HR, recruiting, buy or sell, companies, working hours, Europeans, jokes

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Background of Jim McCoy

08:50 - Convergence of EOR and Staffing

11:45 - Supporting Recruitment and Hiring Across Borders

14:00 - Safeguarding Intellectual Property in the Gig Economy

19:54 - Normalization of Salaries Based on Cost of Living

25:22 - The Success of Companies like Deal in the EOR Space

29:48 - Building an Ecosystem to Support Recruiters

Keywords

Jim McCoy, CEO, Atlas, Employee of Record, EOR, remote work, staffing, intellectual property, gig economy, salaries, normalization, global mobility, recruitment, ecosystem

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Olympics Recap

08:21 - Leadership Decisions at Paramount and Cisco

16:15 - Starbucks Goes Off the Deep End

18:09 - Earnings Reports: ZipRecruiter, Recruit Holdings, Upwork, and Seek

19:16 - Concerns about Layoffs and Adaptation

23:12 - The Impact of AI on Jobs

24:09 - Challenges Faced by Job Boards

27:45 - Sprockets: A Poor Man's Paradox

29:11 - The State of the Recruitment Industry

37:15 - Google's Potential Breakup and Remote Work

43:00 - Olympic Athletes on OnlyFans

Keywords

Chad and Cheese, podcast, Olympics, layoffs, Paramount, Cisco, earnings reports, ZipRecruiter, Recruit Holdings, Upwork, Seek, recruitment industry, financial performance, strategies, job boards, AI, Indeed, Upwork, ZipRecruiter, Seek, Alphabet, Google, antitrust, OnlyFans, Olympic athletes

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Overview

01:35 - Discussion on the Olympics

06:15 - Conversation on European Sports

08:45 - Review of Earlybird Startup

13:15 - Review of doinstruct Startup

15:46 - Review of WorkerHero Startup

20:19 - Review of Passionfruit Startup

27:09 - Discussion on Anti-Tourism Protests in Europe

30:18 - Reasons for Europeans' Dislike of Tourists

31:57 - Conclusion and Farewell

Keywords

Chad and Cheese Podcast, Europe, Olympics, anti-tourism protests, startups, Earlybird AI, doinstruct, Work Hero, PassionFruit, Moniti, Gojira, Yusuf Dikec,

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Welcome

03:03 -Pitching Periodally

12:03 -Bathroom Products and Preferences

15:10 - Cutting Through the Clutter

21:37 - Product Fit in a Remote Work Environment

28:03 - Pricing and Margins

32:02 - Women's Success in the Workplace

35:31 - Future Growth and Conclusion

Keywords

Hila Hascalovici, Periodally, period ally, menstruating employees, high-quality products, pain management, menstrual leave, rest policies, training, events, productivity, raising money, global expansion

Theget ready for a critique of Intel's leadership amid layoffs, Tinder's failed live streaming, and question the hype around AI investments, particularly startups like Tezi and Ema. They also highlight ZipRecruiter's acquisition of Breakroom as a smart move, while expressing doubts about Skillfully's future in AI-powered hiring. It's time for sharp industry insights with a punch humor and punch. 

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Reflections on the US Presidential Election

03:09 - The Olympics: Sportsmanship and Inspiration

06:00 -Layoffs at Major Companies: Leadership and Accountability

09:18 - Shout-outs: Snoop Dogg, Dolce & Gabbana, and Keeyora

10:56 -Upcoming Events: Recfest and Fantasy Football

21:14 -Layoffs, Funding, and Acquisitions in the HR and Recruiting Industry

28:41 -The Importance of Differentiation in the HR and Recruiting Industry

35:02 - Buy or Sell: Reviewing Recent Funding Rounds

45:54 - The Challenges Faced by the Restaurant Industry

Keywords

US presidential election, Olympics, layoffs, Snoop Dogg, Dolce & Gabbana, Kiora, politics, sports, fashion, technology, HR, recruiting, layoffs, funding, AI, HR tech, acquisitions, restaurant industry

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

0:55 Transition from Tech into Recruitment

2:30 Lord Wei’s Short Bio

3:23 Predicting the Era of AI

5:14 AI is a Superhuman in Recruitment

6:29 AI is about Skills

7:52 AI Discovers Talent 

9:51 Flexibility is Key

13:45 Taking Advantage over Government

15:23 Redeploying People into New Jobs

18:33 AI Makes Hiring Fair

19:59 Talent Is What Counts

23:06 Gen Z                        

24:38 Bringing Migrants into the Workforce

26:05 Integration into Hybrid Future

Big Mac or Nothing Burger