In this episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, Joel and Chad bring together some of the sharpest voices in HR, recruitment, and HR tech to make bold, no-escape 2026 predictions — the kind you can’t quietly walk back a year from now.
J.T. O’Donnell, CEO ofWork It Daily, Emi Beredugo, Sr Manager, Recruiting Enablement, Elastic, Quincy Valencia VP – Talent Transformation at Korn Ferry, Jason Putnam CEO of Vetty, and Lieven Van Nieuwenhuyze, House of HR),weigh in on what’s actually coming for talent acquisition, hiring, and the future of work — not the sanitized conference version, but the messy, uncomfortable reality.
They dig into:
🤖 Why AI in HR, LLMs, ChatGPT, Gemini, and robotics are accelerating faster than most TA teams can adapt
💥 Whether AI is killing jobs — or just exposing broken systems
🔗 What consolidation in ATS and HR tech really means for platforms like iCIMS, Paradox, SmartRecruiters, and Workday
📊 How Indeed, data, automation, and AI video are reshaping recruitment economics
👻 The rise of candidate ghosting, trust erosion, and what happens when humans disappear too early from hiring
Why global forces — from politics and Trump-era shifts to instability and even conversations touching Venezuela — are influencing talent, labor, and business decisions more than we admit
If you care about recruitment, TA, HR tech, AI, data, ATS strategy, and what 2026 will demand from leaders, this episode doesn’t just predict the future — it challenges how ready you actually are for it.
0:00 – In This Episode
1:56 – We’re Back
2:23 – Geopolitical Meltdown: Venezuela
7:54 – FREE Stuff
9:40 – Soccer Overtakes Baseball in America
13:15 – 2025 Predictions Review: Matt Lavery
15:43 – Emi’s Prediction for 2025
19:59 – Rebecca’s Prediction for 2025
26:00 – Tim’s Prediction for 2025
27:47 – J.T.’s Prediction for 2025
33:45 – Chad’s & Joel’s Predictions for 2025
41:51 – 2026 Predictions
42:31 – J.T.’s Prediction for 2026
45:36 – Emi’s Prediction for 2026
47:56 – Quincy’s Prediction for 2026
51:53 – Jason’s Prediction for 2026
54:47 – Joel’s Prediction for 2026
59:30 – Chad’s Prediction for 2026
1:01:18 – Lieven’s Prediction for 2026
1:08:06 – Chad’s Prediction for 2026
1:11:46 – Joel’s Prediction for 2026
J.T.’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtodonnell/
Emi’s LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/emi-beredugo-8295093/
Quincy’s LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/quincy-valencia-she-her-3a2800/
Jason’s LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonputnam/
Lieven’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebusiness/
Chad & Cheese:
Website: https://www.chadcheese.com/
Make sure you check FREE Stuff: https://www.chadcheese.com/free
Subscribe for an audio version: https://www.chadcheese.com/subscribe
Podcast Production & YouTube Management: https://beverlyen.com/production
