The Chad & Cheese Podcast
Evergreen Podcasts
Everything people and workforce—recruiting, marketing, technology, talent management, and workforce economics—delivered with biting sarcasm and unapologetic snark. Industry misfits Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman bring their no-holds-barred opinions to dissect news, trends, and the occasional dumpster fire. If you’re a hiring company, staffing firm, or vendor looking for insights (and a thick skin), these two won’t just tell you what’s happening—they’ll tell you why you’re probably doing it wrong. Buckle up, buttercup.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 12, 2026 • 6min
Shredded: Korn Ferry, RED Global, LRB Group, Indeed, Microsoft, Yourco, HireVue, & More
Quick takes on steadiness in U.S. jobless claims and shifting macro hiring trends. Financial results from a major talent advisory firm and a strategic acquisition by a Workday consultancy. New tools from job search platforms and Microsoft’s multi-agent AI for workplace collaboration. Funding and buyouts reshaping recruitment tech and frontline intelligence for deskless workers.
Mar 10, 2026 • 47min
Ghosting, Grinding, and Getting Screwed: Job Search in 2026
J.T. O'Donnell, career coach known for practical job-search and mental-health advice, and Jillian O’Malior, employer-branding pro who survived a 15-month search. They tackle ghosting, AI-driven hiring chaos, title compression and wage suppression. They discuss visibility over old networks, ATS failures, brutal applicant experiences, and how authenticity and content can rebuild a damaged job market.
Mar 6, 2026 • 1h 2min
Will ICIMS AI Coalesce?
They riff on travel chaos caused by geopolitical conflict and how leadership instability ripples through organizations. They roast a CEO’s awkward TikTok and debate authenticity on executive social media. They argue about AI-generated ads, privacy, and whether removing humans from marketing is clever or lazy. They dissect a major ATS rebrand and AI relaunch, leadership moves at HR tech roll-ups, and a long-awaited CTO hire at a job board.
Mar 5, 2026 • 6min
Shredded: Elly, DHI Group, Block, iCIMS, Consello, The Mentor Hub, HireBound, & More
A rapid roundup of major hiring and HR moves in tech and recruitment. Fundraises and new AI hiring tools from Ellie, Hirebound, and a seed-stage skills platform. Major workforce cuts and AI integration at Block. Rebrands and AI product launches at iCIMS and Deel. Investments and growth updates from Concello, HRsoft, ZipRecruiter, and others.
Mar 3, 2026 • 36min
Swiftynomics w/ Misty Heggeness
Misty Heggeness, economist and author of Swiftynomics, studies how women reshape labor and the economy. She connects Taylor Swift’s strategies to women-led market moves. Short, punchy conversations cover recognition gaps, how women mastermind workplace wins, and why pay, childcare, and storytelling matter for economic change.
Feb 27, 2026 • 54min
Stepstone Spins & Kombo Wins
They unpack StepStone's 'record applications' spin amid rising job desperation. They rant about AI agents harassing people and the need for human review. They debate AI in hiring, from hallucinations to frontline platforms like Kombo and Humand. They spar over claims that AI can modernize COBOL and what that means for legacy vendors and layoffs.
Feb 26, 2026 • 8min
Shredded: Kombo, Humand, Stepstone Group, Giggle, Oyster, Workday, Employ, & More
A rapid roundup of big HR and hiring moves across tech and staffing. Fundraises for HR data platforms and AI-driven deskless tools get attention. Expansion news from gig platforms and re-entry hiring services are highlighted. Industry shifts include pay raise risks, corporate leadership changes, and new AI hires and products.
Feb 24, 2026 • 36min
Becoming Choosable: The Future of Employer Branding w/ James Ellis
James Ellis, founder of Employer Brand Labs and author of Becoming Choosable, explains why being choosable beats being merely attractive. He critiques Super Bowl-style fluff and connects employer branding to real business growth. Conversations cover the NFL’s branding challenges, ATS-driven hiring pitfalls, social media and employee advocacy, and how clarity and specificity win talent.
Feb 20, 2026 • 1h
Indeed Smart Screen Dumps
They poke fun at LinkedIn trying to become 'funny' and what that means for professional feeds. They unpack Google starting to charge for job listings and how search is changing hiring. They warn about AI reshaping white-collar work and debate whether skills must evolve to survive. They flag concerns about automated candidate screening and data risks in recruitment tech.
Feb 19, 2026 • 6min
Shredded: Pelgo, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Microsoft, Deel, Rippling, Indeed & More
A roundup of big moves in hiring and HR tech. Funding wins and product plans for AI career transition tools. Dramatic traffic shifts and ad experiments at a major professional network. Research on AI boosting output while raising burnout risk. Board shakeups, high-profile legal battles, and senior AI hires reshaping recruiting platforms.
