LinkedIn Has a Serious Gen Z Problem

In this episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, hosts Joel and Maureen trade barbs and insights like a comedy duo on a caffeine bender before diving into heavier stuff like mental health in a world gone wacky, in addition to the latest news around the world of work.

In a rollercoaster of a month, U.S. companies slammed the brakes on hiring, with ADP’s February private payrolls report showing a measly 77,000 jobs added—half of what the eggheads predicted and a steep drop from January’s beefy 186,000. Meanwhile, Employ snatched up Pillar, an interview intelligence tool, probably hoping to outsmart the hiring slump.

Over at ZipRecruiter, Q4 was a bloodbath—revenue tanked 18% to $111 million, with 2024’s full-year haul down 26.6% to $474 million, flipping a $49.1 million profit into a $12.9 million loss; the stock hit rock bottom, leaving only Severance fans to pick up the pieces—cue the sad trombone. Commenters on X are cackling that the Four Horsemen (Google, LinkedIn, automation, AI, and freelancing) are galloping in, with one suggesting ZipRecruiter go private or sell out, while another whispers Paradox might be the real job-board slayer.

On the AI front, HeyMilo ($2.2M) and Alta ($7M) scored seed funding to flex their virtual agent muscles—HeyMilo’s screening candidates like a nosy aunt, while Alta’s chasing global sales domination; Mo’s probably picking Alta because, duh, bigger bucks. LinkedIn’s still the envy swamp, with Vice noting Gen Z’s drowning in “Director of Ego” vibes—users are bailing to escape the cringe, though employers keep them chained to it like a corporate ball-and-chain.

Finally, HiBob’s survey dropped a buzzkill: only one in three women feel empowered at work, less than 10% have mentors, and men are hogging raises and promotions—34% to 22% and 46% to 32%, respectively. Commenters mutter about crab bucket mentality, wondering if women hold back to avoid the claw-back from their own squad. Mo’s take? “Trump’ll fix it, maybe.” Sure, lady, and I’ll hire a crab as my next intern.

Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and First Impressions 03:07 - Mental Health and Current Events 06:00 - Oscars and Entertainment Trends 08:53 - Corporate Responsibility and Consumer Choices 11:58 - Meta's Internal Issues and Whistleblowers 14:55 - Mark Zuckerberg's Transformation 17:59 - Charitable Contributions and Corporate Image 20:02 - Job Market Trends and ZipRecruiter's Struggles 26:18 - The Future of Job Boards 27:46 - Who'd You Rather: AI Startups Showdown 29:00 - Concerns About AI in Recruitment 33:24 - LinkedIn Envy: The Professional Comparison Trap 42:26 - Women Empowerment in the Workplace 48:04 - The Crab Bucket Phenomenon: Women Supporting Women