When SEO legend Rand Fishkin walks into HR’s Most Dangerous Podcast, you know it’s not gonna be another “AI is taking all our jobs” pity party.

Rand calls BS on the tech bros, drags lazy journalists chasing clicks, and explains why Google, LinkedIn, and Elon’s “Xperiment” have turned the internet into a zero-click wasteland.

He even serves up career advice for young marketers — build something real, specialize later, and never let a platform own your ass.

It’s insight, irreverence, and a side of pasta. 🍝

This week, the boys sling hot takes like baristas slinging lattes, diving into HR tech, AI, and corporate shenanigans with their signature wit. Kicking things off, they set the stage with a vibe check, chuckling over the wild ride of recruitment tech while side-eyeing the economic chaos of startups chasing venture capital like kids chasing ice cream trucks. No military leadership talk here, but they roast corporate missteps with the gusto of drill sergeants.

The spotlight lands on JuiceBox, an AI-powered recruiting tool that snagged $36 million, including a $30 million Sequoia-led Series A. Chad’s jazzed, calling it the “Capri Sun of HR tech” for its catchy name and $10 million revenue rocket. He wonders if they’ll build a platform or get gobbled up in an acquisition faster than you can say “merger margarita.” Joel, the grumpy cat of the duo, sniffs history repeating, comparing JuiceBox to 2010s sourcing flops like Entelo. “Build fast, sell faster, or get squashed by LinkedIn,” he grumbles, predicting a big-tech beatdown.

Next, they geek out over AI agents revolutionizing recruitment. Chad raves about Hackajob’s agents that dig through applicant databases like treasure hunters, saving cash and recruiter sanity. Joel dreams of Chrome’s new free Gemini AI turning browsers into job-search genies, scaring HR tech vendors like a horror flick. Chad warns, “Free? You’re the product, kids!” as they lament job scams and hope AI security saves the day.

LinkedIn’s new Learning Career Hub gets a roasting—Chad calls it a “half-baked LinkedIn loaf” compared to slick competitors like Degreed. Joel likens it to Apple’s VR headset: a panicked hedge against being left behind. They also torch Reid Hoffman’s claim that work-life balance is a “red flag,” with Chad snapping, “Want me to work like a CEO? Pay me like one!” Joel laughs it off as Silicon Valley hot air, like a CEO dropping truth bombs after one too many kombuchas.

Ford’s CEO Jim Farley’s $5 million pledge to train 15,000 workers by 2026 gets a collective eye-roll. Chad calls it “couch cushion change,” comparing it to Apple and Tesla’s billion-dollar China training sprees. “Farley’s begging for government handouts like a kid at a candy store,” he scoffs. Joel agrees, noting it’s chump change next to a Super Bowl ad, and both warn U.S. companies are losing the EV race to China’s manufacturing muscle.

Finally, a Waymo self-driving car’s illegal U-turn leaves cops stumped—no driver, no ticket! Chad, fresh off a Spanish speeding ticket by camera, wonders why the U.S. can’t keep up with “Star Trek-level” tech. Joel predicts local governments will milk Google for fines to fund football fields. With automation on the rise, they’re all in—just don’t expect Robocop to sort it out anytime soon.

Chapters 
00:00 - Introduction 
02:21 - Reflections on Current Events and Military Leadership 
05:19 - Job Market Insights and Economic Concerns 
09:13 - Cultural Commentary and Sports Events 
16:11 - Tech Innovations in Recruitment 
22:56 - Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook 
25:06 - Evolving Market Strategies 
27:13 - The Role of Agents in Recruitment 
31:00 - Google's AI Integration and User Behavior 
40:10 - LinkedIn's Challenges and Opportunities 
46:32 - Ford's Workforce Development and EV Challenges 
52:26 - Accountability in Autonomous Vehicles

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.

The boys welcome Tiffany Anton, a sex therapist, to discuss the implications of workplace relationships, particularly in light of a recent affair involving a CEO and an HR employee at a Coldplay concert.

Tiffany shares her insights on the dynamics of affairs, the power structures at play, and the societal shifts in understanding relationships. The conversation also touches on the challenges of modern dating, the role of platforms like OnlyFans in addressing loneliness, and the need for companies to rethink their policies on workplace romances.

Tiffany emphasizes the importance of emotional connection and the evolving nature of relationships in today's world.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Tiffany Anton

02:22 - The Coldplay Affair: A Therapist's Perspective

05:31 - Understanding Affairs: Causes and Consequences

08:26 - Power Dynamics in Workplace Relationships

11:29 - The Impact of Affairs on Company Culture

14:23 - Navigating Modern Relationships: A Societal Shift

17:11 - Dating in the Digital Age: Challenges and Insights

20:13 - The Role of OnlyFans in Addressing Loneliness

23:00 - Rethinking Workplace Relationships

26:11 - Future of Relationships: Hope and Challenges

This week, hosts Chad and Joel, joined by career guru J.T. and Emi, sling snark and wisdom like a comedy roast for the recruiting world. They dive into The Muse’s shady “acquisition” drama, where a LinkedIn post from an engineering honcho claims a buyout, but with zero press release or website proof, it smells more like a corporate ghosting than a deal—think two dinosaurs slow-dancing as meteors rain down.

The crew then skewers Trump’s H1B visa fee hike to $100,000, a move that lets tech titans like Google and Meta flex their fat wallets while startups choke, sending America’s “brain gain” packing to Canada and Europe.

J.T. drops a truth bomb: job security’s a myth, so job seekers better channel their inner influencer and monetize their skills on social media, because full-time gigs are fading faster than a bad Tinder date.

Meanwhile, Indeed’s playing mafia boss, slashing agency commissions and strong-arming them into direct-apply schemes, prompting Chad to call it “agency castration by 10,000 paper cuts.”

IBM’s AI saga gets a laugh—8,000 HR folks got the boot for a chatbot, only for the company to rehire for creative roles when AI couldn’t handle the human touch, proving even robots can’t fake empathy.

Finally, they tackle LinkedIn job scams, with losses skyrocketing from $90 million to $501 million in four years, blaming desperate job seekers, apathetic employers, and a government too busy to care. Chad’s three-legged stool metaphor—job seekers, employers, government—falls flat when all three are slacking.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:33 - Trump's Controversial Remarks on Europe
01:58 - Chad's Return from Europe and Personal Reflections
04:18 - Emerging Content Creators and the Knowledge Economy
11:36 - Industry Ethics and Accountability
15:26 - Celebrating Milestones and Upcoming Events
19:36 - Industry Events and Networking Opportunities
23:13 - The Muse Acquisition Controversy
28:18 - The Impact of H1B Visa Changes
34:24 - The Future of Work and Job Security
37:11 - Indeed's Strategic Moves in Recruitment
40:13 - The Agency Dilemma
45:00 - The Evolution of Recruitment
48:10 - AI's Role in Workforce Changes
52:47 - Job Scams in a Tight Market

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.

Time management coach Elizabeth Grace Saunders discusses the complexities of flexible work schedules and their potential to lead to burnout.

She emphasizes the importance of defining personal boundaries, understanding emotional drivers, and the need for effective communication in both professional and personal relationships.

The conversation explores the cultural differences in work-life balance, the impact of remote work on productivity, and the necessity for employers to foster a supportive work environment that encourages employees to disconnect and recharge.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Time Management and Flexibility

01:43 - The Genesis of Flexibility and Burnout

04:52 - The Emotional Side of Time Management

08:34 - Defining 'Enough' in Work-Life Balance

10:52 - The Role of Employers in Work-Life Balance

12:40 - Flexibility vs. Productivity in the Workplace

18:03 - Cultural Differences in Work-Life Balance

21:29 - Societal Pressures and Burnout

28:27 - Navigating Relationship Dynamics in Remote Work

Buckle up for The Chad & Cheese Podcast, where Joel Cheesman, Chad Sowash, and Maureen Clough dive into HR’s wildest waves with their signature no-filter banter!

This episode tackles the HR tech consolidation frenzy: Workday’s $1.1B Sana acquisition, paired with recent Paradox and Flowise buys, signals a bold AI-driven strategy to streamline everything from sourcing to onboarding with a slick, unified dashboard. It might be Workday’s “peanut butter and jelly” integration but execution’s the key.

Meanwhile, iCIMS grabs Apli (or is it Aptly? Nobody knows! Not sure it matters) for frontline hiring, but it may be a desperate “last girl at the bar” move to keep up in the conversational AI race.

The crew also mourns layoffs: Fiverr’s 250 job cuts and ZipRecruiter’s axing of 80 in Israel, with Chad slamming Zip’s post-IPO pivot to a dud chatbot, Phil, and Mo decrying Fiverr’s dystopian AI push that kneecaps freelancers.

Gen Z’s “revenge quitting” and “great lock-in” trends spark debate—Mo and Chad urge caution, while Joel’s all “life’s tough, kids!”

Starbucks’ dress code drama (no Crocs, tattoos, or piercings!) ignites a fiery clash: Mo and Chad call it discriminatory nonsense, while Joel insists baristas can just take their hustle to Arby’s.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview
08:10 Job Market Challenges for Older Workers
11:15 Technology and the Future of Work
18:46 Sneak Preview of Chicken Cock Whiskey HQ
24:11 Acquisitions in the HR Software Sector
29:44 Workday's Strategic Moves and Market Positioning
35:00 The Future of Work and AI's Impact
41:00 Industry Layoffs and AI Transformation
51:25 Gen Z's Workplace Challenges and Trends
59:18 Starbucks Dress Code Controversy

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.

AI isn’t fairy dust you sprinkle on your ATS latte—it’s duct tape on 20-year-old tech, sold to you with a shiny new buzzword. Enter Matt Charney, the HR-tech cynic who’s seen it all: Monster, SmartRecruiters, Employer.com, and enough bad vendor decks to wallpaper Vegas.

In this episode, Charney calls BS on:

Vendors selling “AI” that’s really just 2003 automation in a new hoodie

HR’s obsession with “a seat at the table” (spoiler: the table’s cold, and nobody saved you a chair)

Why being “first to market” with AI is usually just a great way to bleed out on the cutting edge

And the hilarious reality of candidates getting rejection emails before they’ve even finished hitting submit

👉 Grab your bourbon, hold on to your recs, and hit play.