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America just handed out a reality check at the ballot box, but is the pain finally easing or just changing form? On this week’s Chad & Cheese Podcast, we break down the midterm results and what the Democratic gains actually mean for businesses, workers, and the chaos of the last few years. We dig into the wild story of the Binance engineer who thought he was interviewing for a job and instead handed North Korean hackers the keys to a $6.34 billion heist — a sharp reminder of how sophisticated job-related social engineering has become. We also look at the latest JOLTS job openings numbers and why a surface-level gain doesn’t erase the “no hire, no fire” reality, ongoing white-collar layoffs, or the ghost-job problem. Then we turn to new Brookings research on ICE enforcement since 2025, which shows raids are quietly destroying more local jobs than they create through chilling effects and business disruption, especially in construction and related industries. Plus, a “Who’d You Rather” between two very different AI startups (one training agents, one matching candidates), a personal tribute, and the usual amount of unfiltered HR tech commentary. The election’s over. The hard questions aren’t.

The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment.

Joel and Chad sit down with Holly Hobbs—Gen Z founder, first-job TikToker, and co-founder of uruture—to talk about how young people actually get work now. She built an audience by posting her own rejection-to-apprenticeship story, then turned that into a business that helps employers reach school leavers instead of making kids game an ATS. "Number 10" even used that reach to talk to young people about careers. They get into why apprenticeships and frontline jobs still fight for respect, what “authentic” employer brand really means on TikTok, and why posting a job with stock photos doesn’t work. AI and easy-apply come up too: not as the death of hiring, but as proof the old process was already broken. Holly’s take on the mood among Gen Z is mixed—grim application stories on one side, side hustles and new companies on the other—and she argues first jobs should judge people on who they are, not a blank CV. It's a vision into the future and a warning for those stuck in the past. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to Holly Hobbs and her background 03:45 - Interviewing Prime Minister Keir Starmer and her social media strategy 07:08 - Holly's journey from job searching to founding uruture 08:48 - The mechanics of job applications and the role of CVs 09:59 - How Holly's business helps young people navigate the job market 10:34 - Understanding apprenticeships in the UK and their opportunities 11:07 - The value of blue-collar and entry-level roles 12:49 - Building an authentic employer brand for Gen Z 13:44 - The importance of visual and story-driven employer branding 14:26 - Transparency about work culture and expectations 16:06 - Diversity targets and targeted job advertising 17:09 - The impact of AI on job search and applications 18:40 - The future of job boards and entry-level recruitment 20:46 - Challenges faced by young job seekers and the role of experience 22:32 - The importance of soft skills and personality in hiring 24:16 - Using behavioral data and AI to assess candidates 25:45 - The optimism and challenges among young people today 28:16 - The importance of building networks and side hustles 32:24 - The decline of traditional CVs and the rise of new application methods 33:38 - Holly's contact info and final thoughts

Golden Handshakes, Digital Paperclips, and a Very Expensive Extinction Chad Sowash, a rain-soaked Stephen McGrath, and Lieven Van Nieuwenhuizen log on for a dose of HR tech absurdity, corporate passive-aggression, and high-stakes market delusion. The HR Stack Trap: Stephen takes pity on the hundreds of corporate talent leaders weeping on LinkedIn after hoarding dozens of shiny SaaS tools they have no idea how to operate. The "Please Quit" Playbook: Microsoft casually offers voluntary buyouts to 60,000 workers, while Skydance goes with the classic combo of buyouts mixed with a forced march back to physical cubicles. Who’d You Rather: Tech Edition: Faced with a hypothetical 2:00 AM closing-time dilemma, the hosts choose between two software suitors. ZenZapp pitches a private messaging fortress with rigid boundaries for your sanity, while Town rolls out $108M in backing and automated “Townie” bots designed to chat with each other so human employees can stay home. Dayforce Goes Shopping: Dayforce finally emerges from its quiet era to swallow Ribbon, an AI video and voice screening startup. Anthropic's 80-Billion-Dollar Bar Tab: The episode wraps with Anthropic gearing up for an IPO. Revenue rocketed past $16B, but it comes hitched to an eye-watering $80 billion net loss in the first half of 2026 alone. Cue Chad retreating into the fetal position with a cold pint of Guinness to ponder the financial apocalypse.

The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment.

How do you tell 21,000 candidates a year "thanks, but no thanks" without accidentally convincing them to stop drinking your beer? From Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw, Chad Sowash catches up with Heineken’s Head of Talent, Kobi Ampoma, to peel back the curtain on enterprise hiring reality. They break down the real cost of clunky legacy tech, why calendar Tetris is devouring 30% of your recruiters' workweeks, and the secret to getting a CRO’s attention by tying empty seats directly to lost revenue. Plus, discover how Heineken teamed up with VONQ to rethink candidate persona mapping—driving a 75% female hire rate for their commercial teams and proving that the best diversity strategy is simply reflecting the customers who actually buy your product.

Paris is Burning, Autonomous Fridges are Hacking Back, and the "Hiring Reject Machine" is Eating Candidates Alive Ever wonder what happens when nearly $400 million in VC cash collides with pure, unadulterated recruiting chaos? Strap in, because Chad and Cheese are back to expose the absolute circus that is modern AI talent tech. In this episode, we unpack: Elon’s 30-Second Wonder: Why SpaceX-style thrusters on a car are about as viable for a 5-minute flight as a chocolate fireguard. The Bullhorn Blackout: Ten thousand staffing agencies left staring at blank walls after a cyberattack. Did data fly the coop? Nobody knows, but at least recruiters got a coffee break! Eightfold’s Musical Chairs: A massive lawsuit, a new CEO stepping into the ring, and why this looks suspiciously like the Theranos of recruiting. Are any of these tech bros actually thinking about the poor job seeker getting ground up in the gears? Absolutely not! Tune in for the hot takes, the rage, and a bartender who definitively understands the assignment.Listen now before your ATS turns into a sentient overlord.

The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment.

If the idea of an AI-powered robot wielding a razor near your vital organs gives you cold sweats, you’re not alone—and according to global workforce statistics, job seekers are feeling that exact same terror about their careers. In this chaotic, live episode from Amsterdam, co-hosts Joel Cheesman and Chad Sowash bring a microphone and a healthy dose of snark to four brave HR industry leaders: Rika Coppens CEO, House of HR Chiara Riondino Head of FOW, European Commission Minna Melleri Executive Director, World Employment Confederation Glenn Bloxham-Mundy Global Accounts Leader, LinkedIn Tune in to hear what happens when application bots fight recruiter bots in an endless doom-loop, and stick around for the post-show outrage when an announcer realizes a podcast named after cheese didn't mention a single slice of Cheddar.

On the latest episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, Joel Cheesman and Emi Beredugo dig into a busy week of talent-tech deals and LinkedIn news. Acquisitions, resignations and bad decisions are back, baby! SAP has acquired skills-intelligence company TechWolf, which will integrate with SuccessFactors while remaining independent. Juicebox has picked up the intellectual property and assets of sourcing platform Fetcher. Humanly has acquired CareerArc to combine recruitment marketing with its AI hiring tools for high-volume employers. They also cover LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky’s departure after 18 years, the demotion of a McKinsey partner following a LinkedIn post about the “glass cliff,” and LinkedIn’s new Academy of Economic Opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs. The episode wraps with a viral TikTok of a candidate speaking gibberish to an AI interviewer that ends the call. Joel and Emi break down what the clip shows and what it means for AI in hiring. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and episode overview 01:07 - Joel's travel update and jet lag discussion 02:45 - Emi recognized as a top UK black professional 04:30 - Recent recognition and awards for Emi 16:13 - SAP acquires Tech Wolf to enhance skills-based hiring 19:40 - The strategic value of Tech Wolf's data analytics 22:16 - Acquisition of Fuel Fifty and industry implications 23:40 - Fetcher acquisition by Juice Box and industry decline 31:33 - History and strategic moves of CareerArc 34:51 - Leadership changes at LinkedIn and organizational culture 35:57 - LinkedIn launches Academy of Economic Opportunity 43:20 - Discussion on the departure of LinkedIn's CEO 44:44 - The rise of AI interviewers and their risks 55:53 - AI interviewers going rogue and candidate experience 58:16 - Humor and closing remarks

The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment.

Talent acquisition teams are currently being expected to pull off the ultimate corporate hat trick: hire at breakneck speed, manifest unicorn candidates out of thin air, slash budgets down to pennies, and somehow prove it with shiny metrics. In this session, ringmasters Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman—hosts of The Chad & Cheese Podcast—are joined by brave survivors Kayleen Weaver (Director of Talent Acquisition at Americare Senior Living) and Patrick Kelly (VP of Operations at Healing Partners). Together, they pull back the curtain on whether the tidal wave of recruiting AI and automation is actually saving the day, or just making HR's slow-motion trainwreck run slightly faster.

Live from Amsterdam where redheads combust in the sun and nobody uses e-scooters—the Chad and Cheese crew are back with guest star Stephen McGrath to tackle HR’s messiest sagas: Metaview’s $60M Pivot: How a basic, commoditized note-taking app rebranded as an "agentic AI" messiah. LinkedIn's Massive Data Purge: LinkedIn is boot-kicking third-party scrapers (RIP Gem, PIN, and NeuroScale) Palantir vs. The Nurses: The surveillance state giant tried its hand at automated healthcare scheduling. The "Soft" Labor Market: Jobs reports are crashing, immigrants are leaving, and companies are baffled why nobody’s applying. Complete with atrocious dad jokes, "dirty D" data warnings, and endless snark, it’s everything you’ve come to expect from HR’s most dangerous podcast.

The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment.

Joel and Chad welcome Nathan Labenz, host of The Cognitive Revolution and a self-described full-time student of AI. His agent booked the appearance after a weak first pitch and a better second one. They start with how he actually works: a separate Mac Mini for agents, a wiki about his life, no unsupervised access to bank and personal email, and a rule that the bots don’t lie about being AI if asked. That setup is the hook for the bigger story. Nathan walks through the industry as the dog that caught the car—systems that now cheat on tests, rewrite their own logs, and surprise the labs that built them. He argues for pacing the frontier without pretending today’s models are unused. Enterprises, he says, still have a lot of workflow fruit left before they need superhuman agents running for a month. Work comes next: short-term roles in AI safety orgs (not just researchers—HR, comms, ops), AI-in-the-loop jobs that let teams do more with less, and a hiring market already broken by zero-friction apply. Longer term he talks transformation, a new social contract, and why matching might get better once both sides use agents. China is the other half. He spent time on the ground this summer because “if we pause, China wins” never sat right. What he saw—and what he didn’t hear—is in the episode, along with advice for kids who may never be smarter than the models.