Buckle up, job nerds—Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman are back with J.T. O'Donnell, serving up the week’s employment chaos with a side of snark. Joann’s 800 fabric havens are kaput after 80 years—no buyer, 19,000 pink slips.

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

This week on The Chad & Cheese Podcast, we’re joined by Donald Knight, the People & Culture mastermind from Warner Bros. Discovery. We talk about:

💰 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. 🎧🔥

In this episode, the boys chat with Hannah Peet, the co-founder of Candidly, an ATS so generic it's called "white-label." Hannah waxes poetic about her grand adventure in HR tech, explaining how Candidly plans to make hiring as simple as a kindergarten art project for SMBs. They dive into the thrilling world of partnerships and the start-ups focus on going to market on the backs of more established companies.

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.

Ready for a ride through the latest workplace shake-ups? Well, welcome to another episode of Workplace Woes & Corporate Chaos with Chad & Cheese, joined this week by Emi Beredugo!

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

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.

Live from the Shaker Green Room at RecFest USA, Torin Ellis sits down with Chad & Cheese to tackle the evolving landscape of diversity and inclusion (D&I). As some organizations retreat under external pressures, Torin delivers a wake-up call—now is not the time to step back. He challenges leaders to honor their commitments, exposes the political forces shaping D&I strategies, and reminds us that real progress demands intention. With 2025 on the horizon, he highlights the companies still doing the work and calls on individuals—especially those with privilege—to step up.

AI, bias, the metaverse, and... J.Cole? 🤯

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

This week, J.T. joins the boys for a rollercoaster ride through the latest industry news, which seems to have more downs than a feather factory. First off, Workday decided to trim 1,750 jobs from its ranks, that's about 8% of its workforce, all in the name of cozying up to AI because, let's face it, who needs humans when you have algorithms? Over at Justworks, they're laying off 200 folks, blaming everything from a looming recession to rising interest rates and a trade war - because why not blame the economy when you can? And Meta, not to be outdone, is shedding 3,600 jobs, which is 5% of their workforce, probably to fund more metaverse adventures or to pay for Mark's new space yacht.

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

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 sit down with Celinda Appleby, Visa’s global director of talent attraction, for an in-depth discussion on navigating 2025’s talent acquisition hurdles—think economic uncertainty and a turbulent job market. Celinda reveals how Visa is refreshing its employer brand to align with evolving corporate strategies through EVP 2.0, powered by research and a dedicated center of excellence. 🚀

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! 🌐