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