Is the "black box" of AI hiring finally being pried open? In this episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, hosts Joel Cheesman and Chad Sowash sit down with Rachel Dempsey of Towards Justice to dissect a landmark class-action lawsuit against Eightfold AI.

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

This week, the gang dives into the corporate chaos defining the start of 2026. The crew pulls no punches on the Workday leadership shakeup, questioning the optics of massive layoffs paired with multimillion-dollar executive payouts as a co-founder returns to the helm for the fourth time.

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

The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment. The Shred is brought to you today by Jobcase.

One of our favorite disruptors is back, and she’s brought a countdown clock. The boys welcome Quincy Valencia, VP of Talent Transformation at Korn Ferry, for a session that’s equal parts biting sarcasm and brutal honesty.

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

Get ready for a high-octane episode, as Joel Cheesman and Emi Beredugo take the mic to dissect everything from "bougie" McDonald's Valentine’s stunts to the high-stakes world of Big Tech.

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

The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment. The Shred is brought to you today by Jobcase.

Chad & Cheese are back to bite the hand that feeds the recruitment world. In this episode, the boys sit down with Lou Goodman, the industry vet behind the "Job Board Revolution?" report, and Martin Lenz, the tech mind leading Jobiqo, to dismantle the 30-year-old myths holding the hiring world hostage.

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

This week on The Chad & Cheese Podcast, AI finally does what it does best: get companies sued.

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.

The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment. The Shred is brought to you today by Jobcase.

In this episode, hosts Joel Cheesman and Chad Sowash sit down with Business Insider economy reporter Allie Kelly to unpack the real story behind the white-collar bloodbath sweeping across America.

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

The boys are back, but with a global twist as "Euro Chad" finally settles into his new life overseas, proving that moving a household might actually be more harrowing than a literal firefight.

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