The Chad & Cheese Podcast

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.

SmarterX founder and CEO Paul Roetzer joins the boys for a chat about how AI is reshaping the workforce in ways most don't suspect. Paul sold his marketing agency in 2021 as AI was already writing at near-human level—then ChatGPT showed up and things went into hyperdrive.

Bentley and Gallup’s 2026 numbers say most Americans, especially young ones, don’t trust companies that use AI, while Microsoft, Google, and every CRM already do.

Paul talks human-centered adoption, Jobs GPT, Copilot/Gemini/Claude stall-outs, why IT shouldn’t own this, and what IBM, Deloitte, and McKinsey actually sell.

He walks through his Co-CEO GPT, a nine-month Anthropic/Claude build, HubSpot Breeze, Monday data agents, “human in the loop” versus a phrase he coins live, the 100-person split that becomes an HR problem, recruiting through a flood of AI applications, liberal-arts hires, and what he tells parents when asked about AI and entry level jobs.

Joel, Chad , and Emi break down the intersection of AI recruitment technology, global labor markets, and industry regulation, alongside pop culture banter and sports highlights.

Key Topics Covered:Pop Culture & Fantasy Football: Reactions to Steve Ballmer's retro Microsoft commercials and NBA ban, US Open tennis highlights, and fantasy football draft grades.

HR Tech & Startups: Spotlights on Sonic Jobs' LLM integrations, Hackajob's Archer agent rebranding following a 3x ARR increase, and previews of global HR events.

The H-1B & Union Debate: A look at how H-1B visa restrictions drive different hiring behaviors.

Jobs Report Reality Check: An analysis of August's 162,000 job additions, against structural economic shifts, immigration, and tariff impacts.

AI Compliance & Job Board Evolution: The European crackdown on fully automated management illustrated by Uber's €825 million Dutch fine, and what the closure of Guardian Jobs signals for traditional recruitment advertising.

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

On this episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, Joel and Chad welcome Lauren B. Jones—founder and CEO of Leap Advisory Partners and author of Real Girls Roadmap to Mastering AI—fresh off the farm in Northern California where the roosters clock in at 4:30 a.m.

With nearly 30 years in staffing and recruiting under her belt, Lauren cuts through the AI hype with a no-BS reality check: most companies claim they’re using AI, but only a fraction are seeing real ROI because they’re chasing shiny tools instead of solving actual problems.

She breaks down why leaders still need to get the basics right, how to stop the “slop,” and why policy, education, and enablement—in that order—matter more than ever.

Plus, they dig into why women approach AI differently, what parents should be teaching their kids, and why treating AI like Google is a fast track to garbage output. It’s practical, a little snarky, and exactly the kind of conversation HR’s Most Dangerous Podcast was made for.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Lauren B. Jones and episode overview

02:01 - The current state of AI adoption in staffing and recruiting

04:09 - How leaders can start educating themselves about AI capabilities

06:10 - Framework for organizations: eliminate, automate, AI

07:53 - Using surveys to identify automation opportunities

10:13 - The importance of policy, education, and enablement in AI adoption

11:59 - Global policy landscape and the need for regulation

14:08 - The evolution of AI tools like Jasper and ChatGPT

16:04 - Research findings on women and AI in the workplace

17:54 - The motivation behind writing 'Real Girls Roadmap to Mastering AI'

20:10 - Overcoming overthinking and confusion in AI adoption

22:10 - Advice for parents and children on AI safety and skills

24:02 - The impact of social media and AI on society

26:00 - The role of quality input and human oversight in AI outputs

27:57 - Connecting with Lauren B. Jones and final thoughts