

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

Feb 17, 2026 • 32min
Unfolding the Eightfold Lawsuit
Rachel Dempsey, Associate Director at Towards Justice who leads litigation on AI hiring and FCRA claims. She discusses a landmark class-action targeting opaque algorithmic hiring, how alleged secret consumer reports score applicants, and why existing law may force transparency around AI-driven hiring tools.

Feb 13, 2026 • 1h 1min
Indeed's Pricing Black Box
They dig into a major leadership shakeup and controversial layoffs tied to huge executive payouts. They question whether the AI-driven selloff in SaaS is real change or panic. Indeed’s ChatGPT integration is called out as a “black box” move focused on lead-gen, not candidates. Legal fights over opaque hiring algorithms and national pushes for tech sovereignty also get heavy scrutiny.

Feb 12, 2026 • 7min
Shredded: Spaggiari, Workday, Recruit Holdings, talentguide, Valeria, Indeed, Upwork & More
News roundup covering corporate leadership moves and big HR tech deals. Reports on fundraising for AI hiring and payroll startups. Coverage of product launches that blend conversational AI with job search. Summaries of major employers' financials and labor market statistics. Notes on crypto payroll partnerships and strategic acquisitions in talent platforms.

Feb 10, 2026 • 39min
Talent's Big Reckoning w/ Quincy Valencia
Quincy Valencia, VP of Talent Transformation at Korn Ferry who builds integrated talent strategies, issues a 2026 'big reckoning' warning. She argues AI speeds hiring but exposes fractured talent systems. Topics include AI amplifying broken processes, the shift from external hiring to internal mobility, risks of automating early-career pipelines, and designing a cohesive talent ecosystem.

Feb 6, 2026 • 1h 8min
Rippling Aims for Super Bowl Win | ‘TikTok Pivot’ Pays Off for LinkedIn | Resume Botox
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

Feb 5, 2026 • 7min
Shredded: Waabi Innovation, LinkedIn, Wellfound, Hirefly, Waymo, Rippling, Veremark & More
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.

Feb 3, 2026 • 40min
Are Job Boards Solving the Hiring Problem?
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 BookFull 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

Jan 30, 2026 • 59min
Eightfold Gets Served
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.

Jan 29, 2026 • 8min
Shredded: Tesla, Deel, Eightfold AI, Fiverr, Yaballe, Bullhorn, JobLeap, & More
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.

Jan 27, 2026 • 38min
Stop Blaming AI with Allie Kelly
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


