iCIMS Shuffles, Phenom Splurges, & Greenhouse Gets Fashionable

Hold onto your hats for another candid episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, where the industry’s most opinionated trio—Chad Sowash, Joel Cheesman, and JT O’Donnell—break down the latest HR tech shakeups.

Between JT’s "29th" birthday celebrations and Chad "hydrating" with a Guinness in Portugal, the group dives deep into the iCIMS leadership change. Is a CFO-turned-CEO a sign of a bold new chapter or a flashing "For Sale" sign?

The hosts don’t hold back on what this means for employees and customers alike.The acquisition trail is just as heated, as the team debates Phenom snapping up Plum.io and questions whether more "psychobabble" assessments actually solve hiring problems.

On the flip side, there’s plenty of buzz around Greenhouse’s bet on Ezra AI Labs and the massive revenue potential behind LinkedIn’s new Agentic AI hiring tools.

JT shares her exclusive early-access results, while the guys debate whether it’s a recruiter’s dream or just a glorified search bar.

From a look at LinkedIn’s Thought Leader Ads to a fiery discussion on living wages and a shout-out to King Charles, this episode is packed with industry realism and sharp wit.

It all culminates in a high-stakes round of "Who’d You Rather?" where the team chooses between the AI talent agents at Dex and the personalized coaching of Blooma.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Celebrations

02:56 - World Cup Ticket Prices and Attendance Concerns

05:57 - The Cost of Experiences and Living Wages

08:55 - Innovative Advertising on LinkedIn

12:00 - Political Commentary and Economic Insights

14:57 - Upcoming Events and Travel Plans

17:10 - Chicago Delicacies and Nostalgia

18:25 - Leadership Changes at iCims

19:15 - The Impact of New Leadership

22:19 - The Future of iCims

26:26 - Acquisitions in the Talent Assessment Space

30:08 - Behavioral Testing: A Critical Perspective

34:15 - Greenhouse's Strategic Acquisition of Ezra AI Labs

39:14 - The Value of Timing in Business Decisions

42:13 - LinkedIn's New AI Hiring Tools

50:10 - The Evolution of Recruitment Skills

54:11 - Innovative Job Seeking Strategies

01:00:24 - Comparing New Startups: Dex vs. Blooma