Podcast
The Chad & Cheese Podcast
Hosted by Evergreen Podcasts · EN
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.
96episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Stepstone Spins & Kombo Wins
Feb 2700:54:10Tap to summarizeCheese is MIA, so Chad bring the ladies in to take over, and chaos follows: StepStone celebrates record applications… during record job desperation. Spin level: Olympic gold. AI agent harassment enters the chat. IBM’s COBOL cash cow meets AI with a chainsaw. Google’s “CareerDreamer” Copy prompt → paste → profit? Kombo vs. Humand at 2 am Tech layoffs are giving Hunger Games energy. CEOs call unemployment “momentum.” Workers call it “rent’s due.” AI in hiring: helpful assistant or reputation wrecking hallucination machine? Stay tuned.
Transcribe →Shredded: Kombo, Humand, Stepstone Group, Giggle, Oyster, Workday, Employ, & More
Feb 2600:07:50Tap to summarizeThe Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment. The Shred is brought to you today by Jobcase.
Transcribe →Becoming Choosable: The Future of Employer Branding w/ James Ellis
Feb 2400:35:48Tap to summarizeForget flashy career sites and catchy slogans—if you want to win the talent war in 2026, you need to stop being "attractive" and start being "choosable." In this episode, the boys sit down with employer branding heavyweight James Ellis, founder of Employer Brand Labs, to deconstruct the shallow misconceptions plaguing the industry. Fresh off the release of his new book, Becoming Choosable, Ellis dives deep into why most companies fail by prioritizing aesthetics over substance. From a scathing critique of superficial Super Bowl ads to a masterclass on the NFL’s global expansion strategy, the conversation bridges the gap between high-level marketing and the gritty reality of talent acquisition. Whether you're a mid-sized firm or a global powerhouse, tune in to learn how to define your company’s unique core identity and build a talent strategy that actually drives business growth. Ready to find out if your brand is actually "choosable" or just wearing a fresh coat of paint? Give the episode a listen on the Chad and Cheese Podcast official site or your favorite streaming platform. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to Employer Branding and the Podcast 02:17 - Super Bowl Insights and Branding Implications 05:18 - The Catalyst for Writing 'Becoming Choosable' 09:28 - Understanding Employer Branding and Business Growth 13:23 - The Future of Talent Acquisition and Branding Challenges 15:00 - The Importance of Brand in Recruitment 18:53 - Navigating the ATS Landscape 22:00 - The Role of Social Media in Employer Branding 29:58 - Targeting and Brand Messaging in a Holistic World
Transcribe →Indeed Smart Screen Dumps
Feb 2001:00:15Tap to summarizeIn the latest episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, HR’s "most dangerous" duo is back to slice through the industry noise with their signature brand of snark and real-talk. This week, the boys dive into LinkedIn’s sudden quest for a personality, questioning if the platform can actually pull off being "funny" and what that cultural shift means for your professional feed. The conversation heats up as they dissect Google's latest moves to monetize Google for Jobs, a play that could fundamentally disrupt the recruitment landscape and how employers reach talent. Finally, things get sobering as they issue a blunt wake-up call to white-collar workers: evolve your skillset now or prepare for obsolescence in an AI-driven market. It’s a high-stakes mix of big tech power plays and career survival tactics that you won't want to miss. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and Banter 06:46 - Shout Outs and Industry Insights 10:24 - Travel Plans and Events 16:42 - Acquisition of BeApplied by Phenom 24:19 - Market Pressures and Company Valuations 27:51 - LinkedIn's Marketing Strategy Shift 34:18 - Google's Monetization of Job Searches 42:07 - The Future of White Collar Jobs 51:01 - Indeed's Smart Screening Updates
Transcribe →How Marriott Tackles AI, Complexity, and Fake Candidates
Aug 2700:21:49Tap to summarizeMarriott’s Tyler Weeks joins Chad & Cheese to unpack what it’s like running HR for a million humans (and possibly a few Roombas). Expect: Ritz-Carlton ghosting Joel harder than his prom date. Why Marriott’s HR is basically 9,000 mom-and-pop shops in a trench coat. The shocking discovery that AI doesn’t make great recruiters greater—it just stops the bad ones from lighting themselves on fire. CFO ROI math so sketchy it belongs in a late-night infomercial. And the big AI fix for fake résumés and deepfakes? Drag ‘em into the lobby for an old-fashioned, in-person interview. This is hospitality meets HR Tech chaos—and Tyler’s got the room service order. 🍸 Listen :)
Transcribe →Upwork’s €20M Bupty Bet, Denmark’s Deepfake Crackdown, and Europe’s 4-Day Work Week
Aug 2500:53:08Tap to summarizeForget the Eiffel Tower, kids—we’re climbing the recruitment rollercoaster instead. Upwork’s shopping spree in Holland (Bupty? Buptie? Bupkis?), Denmark’s going full Face/Off to keep Nic Cage off Viggo’s jawline, and the UK is suddenly allergic to Fridays. Joel’s out dropping Cole at college, so Chad is joined by Belgium’s royal pain Lieven and Scotland’s deep-fried-pizza poet Stephen McGrath. Loud Americans, entitled tourists, and the four-day work week—this one’s got more punch than a Glasgow nightclub at 2 a.m. 👉 Press play. Europe’s never been so dangerously entertaining. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 04:15 Shout Outs and Celebrations 11:11 Upwork's Strategic Acquisitions 22:52 The Future of Staffing and Technology 38:29 Denmark's Deepfake Legislation 44:24 The Four-Day Work Week Discussion
Transcribe →Upwork & Indeed Target Randstad
Aug 2200:55:47Tap to summarize🎧 This week on The Chad & Cheese Podcast: AI hiring lawsuits pile up faster than unread LinkedIn DMs Upwork tries on staffing’s Blockbuster costume Deel debuts creepy digital clones (no, not the cool Star Wars kind) And Joel cries in Bloomington while Chad rants about Tim Apple It’s HR tech, corporate drama, and just enough bad jokes to make you question humanity. Chapters 00:00 - Intro: Chad and Cheese, the HR comedy duo you didn’t know you needed. 02:23 - College Drop-Off Diaries: Tears, tuition, and existential dread. 05:23 - AI in Hiring: When algorithms discriminate worse than your uncle at Thanksgiving. 17:15 - AI Recruitment: Is it saving HR or just ghosting candidates with flair? 23:14 - AI Hiring Outlook: Crystal balls and code, what’s next? 24:30 - AI Marketplaces: New risks, same old corporate facepalm. 26:20 - AI Governance: Trying to tame the tech beast in talent acquisition. 29:30 - Upwork’s Lifted: Enterprise staffing with a side of swagger. 36:17 - Deel and SiriusXM/iCIMS: AI innovations meet legal oopsies. 43:33 - Government Funds Shipbuilding: Because who doesn’t want to sail into 1850? 49:41 - Humans + AI: Recruitment’s new rom-com, minus the happy ending. Grab your popcorn and a sense of humor—this episode’s a wild ride! Subscribe and checkout the eye candy at YouTube.com/@chadcheese and visit www.chadcheese.com today.
Transcribe →Shredded: Visage, Rolebot, Workday, Upwork, Professional.me, Deel, & More
Aug 2100:05:57Tap to summarizeThe Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment. The Shred is brought to you today by Jobcase.
Transcribe →Domino’s HR Tech Transformation with Matt King
Aug 1900:25:31Tap to summarizeDomino’s isn’t just delivering pizza in 30 minutes or less anymore—they’re trying to deliver candidates, too. In this episode, we sit down with Matt King, Director of HR Tech at Domino’s, to talk AI, ATS drama, and why franchisees always have “better ideas” than corporate. From killing off Kenexa (RIP, nobody misses you) to jumping into bed with SmartRecruiters, Domino’s is betting big on speed, automation, and a sprinkle of chatbot charm. Matt spills on: Why hiring at Domino’s must be as fast as ordering a pepperoni with extra cheese. How chatbots went from clunky decision trees to almost-human assistants (minus the dad jokes). What happens when franchisees get in a room with vendors. The eternal struggle between human touch and “just let the damn bot send the background check reminder.” And yes—we even asked about the Noid. Because if Domino’s doesn’t bring him back as a recruiting chatbot, what are we even doing here? It’s tech, pizza, and questionable morals—just another day on The Chad & Cheese Podcast: AI Sessions.
Transcribe →It's the End of Entry Level Jobs as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) : Silicon Valley Gets Hard
Aug 15, 202500:51:05Tap to summarizeHold onto your headphones, folks, because the Chad and Cheese Podcast is serving up a hilarious, hot-mess buffet of insights that’ll leave you laughing and maybe a little worried about your career! This episode, your hosts sling snarky banter like baristas tossing espresso shots, breezing through early chit-chat about travel woes, Coldplay’s drama-fest, LinkedIn’s questionable career tips, sports shout-outs, Walmart’s employee discount PR stunt, free swag, and fantasy football. But the real meat hits after the 15-minute mark, where they dive into the chaos facing recent grads—think degrees collecting dust while the job market laughs. The future of work gets a roasting, with the creator economy shining as the cool kid at the career fair, while AI and economic shenanigans threaten to swipe jobs faster than you can say “pivot.” Teaching’s future? It’s AI’s new playground. Silicon Valley’s traded ping-pong tables for “purpose,” but don’t get too cozy—tech employment’s a rollercoaster, and global competition’s got everyone sweating. Job boards like ZipRecruiter are wheezing in the dust, outrun by AI, and in a plot twist nobody saw coming, the hosts ponder if newspaper job ads might stage a retro comeback. It’s a wild, witty ride through the workforce’s new reality—adapt or get left behind, and maybe grab a newspaper just in case. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and Banter 00:29 - Travel and Cultural Observations 02:26 - Coldplay Drama and LinkedIn Insights 04:12 - Shout Outs and Celebrating Progress in Sports 09:20 - Walmart's Employee Discount Initiative 11:00 - Free Stuff and Promotions 12:10 - Travel Plans and Upcoming Events 13:14 - Fantasy Football and Sports Culture 14:26 - Challenges for Recent Graduates 18:30 - The Future of Work and the Creator Economy 21:04 - The Impact of AI and Economic Factors on Employment 22:53 - The Future of Teaching and AI 24:49 - Silicon Valley's Shift: From Perks to Purpose 27:16 - The Changing Landscape of Tech Employment 30:21 - Global Competition and the Tech Industry 32:03 - The Decline of Job Boards and the Rise of AI 39:34 - Reviving Newspaper Job Ads: A Retro Solution? 48:27 - Closing Thoughts and Dad Jokes
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