The Chad & Cheese Podcast

The Chad & Cheese Podcast is back with another explosive episode, and this week, hosts Chad Sowash (when he's not beach-bound), Joel Cheesman, and Lieven dive headfirst into the escalating "cage match" between recruiting's two 800-pound gorillas: Indeed and LinkedIn.

Is Indeed getting desperate? The trio dissects rumors of a bold (and highly suspicious) "spend-matching" pilot program—think a direct "Pepsi Challenge" aimed at poaching market share from LinkedIn. As Chad highlights, this incentive play comes loaded with major strings attached, raising questions about long-term sustainability and whether it's a genuine innovation or a frantic defensive move in a shrinking ad-spend pie.

Meanwhile, LinkedIn isn't playing defense. They're rolling out AI-powered initial interview screening (now in early testing for Hiring Pro users), where an AI interviewer handles audio/video screens for up to 40 candidates per role.

The system generates questions based on the job description, suggests ideal answers for recruiters to tweak, and scores responses on alignment—potentially streamlining the funnel but sparking debate on whether it truly improves quality or just adds more automation noise.

The conversation gets spicy with "banana in the tailpipe" tactics (classic sabotage vibes), the real cost of Indeed’s incentives, and whether LinkedIn's automated screens will actually fix the hiring funnel—or create new bottlenecks.

They also touch on emerging trends like the rise of "vibe-coding" (AI-assisted low/no-code hacks) making ATS integrations faster and easier than ever, plus Travis Kalanick's big reveal: his long-stealth company Atoms launching fleets of specialized industrial robots for food, mining, transport, and beyond—wheeled "gainfully employed" bots, not sci-fi humanoids.

If you're in HR, recruiting, or just love watching tech titans slug it out, this episode is pure chaos and insight. Tune in for the unfiltered takes on who's winning the war for talent acquisition dollars in 2026.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Light Banter

02:48 - Chad's New Car Adventure

04:44 - European Perspectives on American Politics

07:24 - Midterm Elections and Political Climate

08:44 - Shout Outs and Industry Insights

12:34 - The Future of ATS Integrations and AI

15:11 - The Challenge of Change in HR Tools

15:59 - Vibe Coding: Revolutionizing Prototyping

17:05 - Travis Kalanick's New Venture: Industrial Robots

18:35 - The Future of Work: Robots as Employees

19:42 - The Impact of Automation on Jobs

22:45 - Upcoming RLX Retreat: AI and Hiring Discussion

23:17 - Rumors of Acquisition: Paradox's Tradify

24:32 - Indeed vs. LinkedIn: The Battle for Recruitment

30:51 - The Future of AI in Recruitment

32:56 - LinkedIn's Slow but Steady Progress

35:59 - The Rise of AI Agents and Automation

42:58 - The Future of Employment in an AI-Driven World

46:13 - Government Regulations and AI: A Double-Edged Sword

53:05 - Cybersecurity Challenges in the Age of AI

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 is back, this time in Mallorca, with Rebecca Carr who just dropped a Molotov cocktail on traditional recruiting.

This isn’t “optimize your ATS” talk—this is burn it down and rebuild with AI agents running the show. SmartRecruiters went from “just another platform” to SAP’s shiny new weapon, and Rebecca’s here to explain how betting big on AI turned a commodity into a category killer.

We dig into:


Why ATS platforms are living on borrowed time


How AI agents will replace interfaces with conversations


The real reason candidates don’t trust hiring tech (hint: black box BS)


Why most companies are stuck in Frankenstein tech stacks they’re too scared to leave


And how SAP is using SmartRecruiters as a test lab for the future of work

Rebecca also pulls back the curtain on leadership—making hard calls, killing distractions, and why playing it safe is the fastest way to get left behind.

Bottom line: if your hiring strategy still looks like 2015… you’re already screwed.

Buckle up for another chaotic ride with HR’s Most Dangerous Podcast, where the banter is sharp, the takes are hot, and no industry sacred cow is safe from the slaughter. In this episode, Joel Cheesman, JT O’Donnell, and Maureen Clough (with a hit-and-run cameo from Chad Sowash) navigate a conversational minefield that stretches from high-stakes geopolitical dread to the gritty future of how we all get paid. The crew kicks things off with a dive into the "dark humor" of global escalations and movie hot takes before pivoting to the real-world anxieties of the modern professional.

Is the resume finally dead, or is it just being fitted for a digital tuxedo? The team squares off on whether AI "slop" has officially broken the application process, leading to a fiery debate on why your personal brand might be the only life raft left in an unstable sea. From the rise of video-first branding to the "human-in-the-loop" reality of Anthropic’s latest AI study, the hosts dissect who is actually at risk of being replaced and who is just being handed better tools.

The episode also serves up a masterclass in modern marketing, dissecting a viral $80M funding round that proves "knowledge creators" might be the new kings of recruiting—though Joel isn’t sold on the hype just yet. Between legacy tech acquisitions that feel a little too "desperate" and a sobering look at the "broken rung" still stalling women in leadership, this episode balances cynicism with a blueprint for survival. Whether you’re worried about flying cars or just trying to survive the next wave of AI-driven layoffs, this is the snark-filled reality check you need.

Ready to hear why your LinkedIn engagement is tanking and why a Big Mac video might be the future of executive branding? Hit play and join the conversation.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Light Banter

01:20 - Current Events and Global Concerns

05:33 - Shifting Perspectives on War and Politics

08:30 - Innovations in Transportation: The Rise of EV Talls

10:51 - The Importance of Executive Branding

18:09 - The Death of the Resume: A New Era in Hiring

33:06 - AI's Impact on the Job Market

34:24 - Craftsmanship in the Age of AI

35:20 - The Importance of AI Literacy

36:49 - The Digital Renaissance and Career Opportunities

41:29 - Navigating Job Market Changes

56:23 - Women in the Workplace: Challenges and Opportunities

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.