Is "Agentic Recruiting" the end of HR friction? Chad Sowash sits down with Shiran Yaroslavsky to discuss the shift from clunky dashboards to seamless AI orchestration. Shiran shares how to wake up "zombie" talent pools, slash ATS migrations from months to weeks, and build transparent, bias-monitored systems. It’s a masterclass in making AI work for the recruiter, not the other way around.

In this episode of HR’s Most Dangerous Podcast, Joel Cheesman is joined by guest host JT O’Donnell for a candid, high-energy deep dive into the chaotic labor market of 2026. The duo kicks things off with "girl talk," debating the age-old GIF vs. Jif controversy and sharing a wild March Madness story involving a chance elevator encounter with a college coach. The banter quickly turns to the business of sports, exploring how NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals are shifting the coaching landscape and the mental health hurdles athletes face when the big checks stop rolling in.

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 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 of "HR’s Most Dangerous Podcast," Joel and Chad sit down with Paul Price, CEO of CodeWall, to discuss a startling security demonstration involving the AI recruitment startup Jack and Jill. Price explains how his autonomous AI agents "chained" together several minor, trivial vulnerabilities to gain full access to the recruitment data of major companies like Monzo and Anthropic.

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.

The Chad & Cheese Podcast is back with another explosive episode, and this week, hosts Chad Sowash (when he's not beach-bound), Joel Cheesman, and Lieven dive headfirst into the escalating "cage match" between recruiting's two 800-pound gorillas: Indeed and LinkedIn.

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

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 is back, this time in Mallorca, with Rebecca Carr who just dropped a Molotov cocktail on traditional recruiting.

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.

Buckle up for another chaotic ride with HR’s Most Dangerous Podcast, where the banter is sharp, the takes are hot, and no industry sacred cow is safe from the slaughter. In this episode, Joel Cheesman, JT O’Donnell, and Maureen Clough (with a hit-and-run cameo from Chad Sowash) navigate a conversational minefield that stretches from high-stakes geopolitical dread to the gritty future of how we all get paid. The crew kicks things off with a dive into the "dark humor" of global escalations and movie hot takes before pivoting to the real-world anxieties of the modern professional.

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

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.

Strap in, HR tech fans, because it’s time for a reality check on the 2024 job market. On this episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, we’re tearing down a landscape that isn't just "shifting"—it’s being dismantled and rebuilt by AI and corporate "cost-cutting."

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

This week on The Chad & Cheese Podcast, the gang proves once again that you can’t separate HR from the real world—especially when the real world feels like it’s on fire. What starts as travel talk quickly spirals into global tension, disrupted plans, and a larger conversation about leadership in moments of chaos. Let’s just say when flights get rerouted and headlines get louder, it’s hard not to wonder how instability at the top trickles down to the rest of us. The trio doesn’t pretend to have foreign policy solutions—but they do have opinions. Lots of them.

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