The End of the "Sentiment" Era: How Big Data Kills Pay-to-Play Employer Badges

In this episode of the WorkTech Podcast, host George LaRocque sits down with Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Founder and Managing Director of Where You Work Matters and Managing Director at the Schultz Family Foundation, for an unvarnished look at a fundamental paradigm shift in HR: the death of the "employee sentiment" era.

Chandrasekaran, a former Washington Post senior journalist who spent years working alongside Starbucks leader Howard Schultz, brings a pragmatic, data-first perspective to labor market quality. Built as a philanthropic collaboration between the Schultz Family Foundation, Matt Sigelman’s Burning Glass Institute, and Harvard Business School’s Managing the Future of Work project led by Joe Fuller, Where You Work Matters (WYWM) delivers an empirical, big-data autopsy of the American career path.

Replacing Survey Guesswork with Hard Outcomes
For decades, HR technology has relied heavily on annual employee surveys and pay-to-play "Best Place to Work" badges. As LaRocque notes on 1WorkTech, employee sentiment is merely a snapshot that often masks stagnant wages and career paralysis. WYWM renders these legacy mechanisms obsolete by replacing subjective opinion with verified worker outcomes.

Instead of PR surveys, WYWM analyzes the actual career progressions of over 12 million American workers across 1,750 major employers over five years. Mining data from Burning Glass, LinkedIn, online resumes, Lightcast, and Glassdoor, the platform normalizes job titles to perform true "apples-to-apples" occupational comparisons.

Role-Level Realities & Frontline Mobility
Assessing nearly 55,000 unique occupations across Early Career, Growth Stage, and Stability archetypes, WYWM proves that two workers doing the exact same job can experience radically different trajectories based on employer practices. Workers in platinum-rated roles are 26% more likely to stay past three years, 68% more likely to be promoted internally within five years, and earn 48% more in total compensation—yielding up to $1.2 million in extra lifetime compensation for an administrative assistant.

The data also reveals that "sector is not destiny". Out of 138 financial services firms evaluated for financial analysts, only six earn platinum ratings, while 27 non-financial enterprises (like Nike and General Mills) rate as platinum. Similarly, Platinum employers for Retail Sales Clerks yield a 247% higher likelihood of internal promotion and 91% higher wages.

Building "Mobility Muscle" for the AI Era
For enterprise CHROs and TA leaders, WYWM provides an unbiased, non-commercial yardstick to benchmark internal pay, retention, and mobility. As AI reshapes job categories, Chandrasekaran emphasizes that resilient companies will be those that build deep "mobility muscle"—the ability to train, retain, and transition staff laterally from within.

TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS
0:00 - Introduction: The Problem with Legacy "Best Place to Work" Lists
1:45 - From Washington Post to Starbucks & Schultz Family Foundation
3:55 - The Burning Glass Institute & Harvard Business School Partnership
6:11 - Why Big Data Kills Employee Sentiment Surveys
9:12 - Comparing Apples-to-Apples Across 55,000 Occupations
12:14 - The $1.2 Million Lifetime Compensation Gap for Admins
15:36 - Philanthropic Mission: A Free Public-Interest Tool
18:47 - Upcoming Worker Tools & LLM Integration
20:55 - Why Sector Is Not Destiny: Financial Analysts Outside Banking
24:14 - Building "Mobility Muscle" to Survive AI Disruption

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The End of the "Sentiment" Era: WYWM replaces pay-to-play surveys with a big-data autopsy of 12 million real worker progressions across 1,750 major U.S. employers.

Occupational Precision: Evaluating 55,000 unique roles proves specific departments can outperform traditional industry benchmarks.

The $1.2M Compounding Advantage: Platinum-rated roles yield 48% higher pay, 68% higher internal promotion rates, and up to $1.2M more in lifetime earnings for admins.

Frontline Mobility Engines: Platinum employers for Retail Sales Clerks offer 247% higher internal promotion rates and 91% higher wages.

Building "Mobility Muscle" for AI: Enterprise resilience depends on internal mobility—training and transitioning existing staff into new roles.

RESOURCES & LINKS
Subscribe to the WorkTech Channel: https://youtube.com/@worktechvideo
Visit WorkTech Website: https://1worktech.com
Explore Where You Work Matters: https://whereyouworkmatters.org

Read the full 1WorkTech analysis: https://1worktech.com/beyond-the-sentiment-era-how-big-data-is-redefining-the-employer-choice-standard/

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hackajob Launches Agentic Recruiting Solution with Out-of-the-Box Compliance and Verified First-Party Profiles, Minimizing Enterprise Legal and InfoSec Friction

In this episode of the WorkTech Podcast, host George LaRocque sits down with Mark Chaffey, CEO and co-founder of hackajob, to explore how enterprise talent acquisition can deploy autonomous AI sourcing while completely eliminating legal, regulatory, and InfoSec friction.

As candidate-facing AI tools flooded recruiting pipelines with mass-customized applications, inbound resume volume surged up to 400%, destroying candidate signal and leaving recruiters overwhelmed. Talent acquisition leaders faced a critical deadlock: executive leadership demanded AI adoption for speed, while internal Legal, Risk, and InfoSec teams strictly vetoed AI tools placed inside the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to avoid bias audits and liabilities under frameworks like the EU AI Act and NYC Local Law 144.

To solve this governance bottleneck, hackajob engineered Archer, an autonomous sourcing agent built natively for pre-apply execution. By managing outreach, vetting, and consent gathering entirely before an application is submitted, Archer operates completely outside internal ATS decision-making. This pre-apply architecture provides out-of-the-box recruitment compliance, allowing enterprise employers to deploy agentic AI without triggering internal legal vetoes, algorithmic bias audits, or complex IT overhauls. Archer connects seamlessly into existing enterprise TA tech stacks—including Workday, Lever, and Greenhouse—delivering interview-ready talent straight into existing recruiter workflows.

Central to hackajob’s platform is a strict reliance on first-party data integrity and verified trust. Rather than scraping unverified web profiles or purchasing third-party lead lists, Archer operates exclusively on explicitly consented candidate data compliant with strict GDPR standards. Archer acts as a dual-sided advocate, building long-term career relationships with candidates across all knowledge-work functions—including finance, sales, marketing, and engineering—by matching talent based on real skill context, compensation expectations, and work-model preferences.

To protect enterprise brands against the steep rise in remote applicant fraud, Archer enforces single-profile constraints and integrates government-backed ID verification through partners like Veriff. This ensures enterprise recruiters interact only with verified, high-intent individuals.

Consuming over 4 billion LLM tokens daily and generating 45,000 qualified monthly candidate introductions for Fortune 500 brands like Comcast, Barclays, and American Express, Archer demonstrates how agentic models scale across global organizations. Furthermore, hackajob aligns its business model directly with enterprise outcomes, replacing flat SaaS seat licenses and database access fees with performance-based pricing—charging employers only when Archer delivers fully qualified, interview-ready candidate introductions.

TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS
0:00 - Introduction: The Surge in Inbound Resume Noise
1:45 - The Legal Bottleneck: EU AI Act, NYC Local Law 144 & ATS Vetoes
4:10 - Introducing Archer: Pre-Apply Agentic Sourcing Architecture
7:30 - Out-of-the-Box Compliance & Workday/Greenhouse Integration
10:15 - First-Party Profiles vs. Web Scraping: Restoring Signal
13:40 - Cross-Functional Representation for Knowledge-Work Roles
16:20 - Stopping Candidate Fraud with Veriff ID Verification
19:05 - The Shift to Outcome-Based Recruitment Pricing
22:30 - Scaling to 45k Monthly Introductions at Enterprise Brands

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Out-of-the-Box Recruitment Compliance: Executing strictly in the pre-apply phase lets enterprise TA teams deploy autonomous AI sourcing without violating ATS governance, internal InfoSec policies, or automated decision-making laws.

Verified First-Party Profiles: Replacing scraped web databases with explicitly consented, self-reported candidate data restores top-of-funnel signal and yields 3x higher interview conversion rates.

Minimizing Legal & InfoSec Friction: Archer connects directly into existing enterprise ATS workflows (like Workday), allowing talent acquisition teams to adopt AI speed without waiting for lengthy corporate risk reviews.

Integrated Anti-Fraud Infrastructure: Single-profile rules, controlled job matching, and government-backed ID verification protect enterprise brands from fraudulent remote applicants.

Outcome-Based Pricing Models: Moving away from traditional SaaS seat licenses, hackajob aligns enterprise value with results by charging strictly for verified, interview-ready candidate outcomes.

RESOURCES & LINKS

Subscribe to the WorkTech Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WorkTechVideo

Learn more about hackajob: https://hackajob.com

Connect with George LaRocque: https://1worktech.com

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Greenhouse CPO Meredith Johnson unpacks how cross-industry insights, the Ezra acquisition, and the new Model Context Protocol are moving enterprise talent acquisition away from passive record-keeping into a secure, hyper-connected orchestration network.

In this episode of the WorkTech Podcast, host George LaRocque sits down with Meredith Johnson, the Chief Product Officer at Greenhouse, to unpack the complex, multi-layered paradigm shifts reshaping modern talent acquisition. Bringing fresh eyes from over two decades leading product in legal tech and edtech, Johnson explores the crucial connection between sophisticated people strategies and bottom-line business ROI.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Learn more about Work Tech innovations: https://1worktech.com

Explore Greenhouse solutions: https://greenhouse.com

Read Greenhouse's official MCP announcement on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4fwkvkP

See Greenhouse's published MCP customer use cases: https://support.greenhouse.io/hc/en-us/articles/52193605120155-Greenhouse-MCP-use-cases-by-role

Subscribe WorkTech: https://www.youtube.com/@UCNUYXfQa4HHNxOdMhNHaWwg

TIMESTAMPS (Chapters)
0:00 - Introduction: The Core Paradigm Shift in Talent Acquisition
1:10 - Legal Tech Parallels: Connecting People Strategy to Business ROI
2:55 - The Dual-Sided Talent Coin: Balancing Employers and Candidates
4:30 - Rejecting Chatbot Fads: Building Responsible, Auditable AI
6:05 - The Strategic Acquisition of Ezra Conversational Voice AI
7:50 - Fixing the Top-of-Funnel 400% Application Surge
9:12 - Breaking Down the Greenhouse Model Context Protocol (MCP)
10:45 - MCP Use Case 1: Retiring Paid Software Tools (Formation Bio)
12:15 - MCP Use Case 2: Catching Comp Mismatches Early (Komodo Health)
13:40 - MCP Use Case 3: Eliminating Manual Data Busywork with Claude
15:10 - My Greenhouse: Structuring a Network of 5 Million Job Seekers
16:45 - The Dream Job Signal: Increasing Hiring Likelihood by 5.8x
18:10 - Outro: Reimagining the Next Era of Enterprise Ecosystems

EPISODE BREAKDOWN

Cross-Industry Parallels and the Dual-Sided Talent Coin

Johnson opens by drawing powerful structural parallels from her time in legal tech, where firm IP is permanently tethered to its human assets, requiring deep intelligence to build winning teams. Transitioning into HR technology, she identifies a critical friction: the talent ecosystem relies heavily on a dual-sided coin where employer demands and candidate expectations often clash. While employers chase efficiency and risk reduction, job seekers are fighting to feel seen and respected amidst massive technical noise.

To bridge this divide, Greenhouse has rejected superficial AI trends like standard text-based chatbots. Instead, Johnson outlines their strict commitment to responsible, auditable AI that informs matching data while keeping humans strictly at the wheel for all final hiring decisions. This philosophy directly drove Greenhouse's strategic acquisition of Ezra, a conversational voice intelligence platform. With top-of-funnel application volume skyrocketing over 400% in the last three years, recruiter fatigue often leads to a reliance on gut feelings. Spoken conversation injects clean, unbiased structure at the earliest touchpoints, capturing richer context and pattern-recognition signals than text ever could.

The Operational Impact of Greenhouse MCP

The operational impacts of the MCP are actively shifting enterprise tech dynamics, delivering immediate value across roles:

Retiring Paid Software: Organizations like Formation Bio prompted the MCP to build a custom pipeline dashboard with integrated sentiment scoring, successfully replacing a paid, standalone business intelligence tool in just one hour.

Preventing Offer Collapse: Companies like Komodo Health use the protocol to flag candidate salary targets against live compensation bands at the start of the process, ensuring alignment happens up front instead of falling apart at the final offer stage.

Eliminating Daily Friction: Instead of drowning in manual tab-switching, teams can paste meeting notes into Claude via the MCP and automatically update priority fields across multiple job categories in under two minutes.

Building a Network for the Future

Finally, Johnson details the maturation of "My Greenhouse," an ecosystem that has officially grown into a network of nearly 5 million job seekers. Features like "Dream Job" applications reveal that candidates signaling high-intent are 5.8 times more likely to be hired.

On this episode Meredith and George discuss Greenhouse MCP release, Model Context Protocol HR tech, Conversational Voice AI recruitment, Greenhouse Ezra acquisition, talent acquisition orchestration layer, candidate experience network, responsible AI hiring practices, ATS data gravity software, automated recruitment workflow solutions.

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Cadient CEO Bill Mastin discusses the rise of AI-generated resumes, deep-fake interviews, and the new modular tools designed to protect recruiters.

In this episode of the WorkTech Podcast, host George LaRocque is joined by Bill Mastin, the CEO of Cadient, a highly seasoned operator with a career-long history in HR tech, learning, and talent management spaces. Mastin dives into the staggering pace of change in the recruitment sector, noting that the industry is experiencing an evolution akin to looking past the veil of the Industrial Revolution.

Try Cadient's Free Tools Here:
Cadient Main Site: https://cadienttalent.com/
Smart Shield Tool: https://cadient.ai/smart-shield/
Hiring Funnel Audit: https://hiringscorecard.ai/

Subscribe to the WorkTech Podcast for more HR Tech Insights: https://www.youtube.com/@WorkTechVideo?sub_confirmation=1

TIMESTAMPS (Chapters)
0:00 - Introduction: The Future of High-Volume Recruitment
0:50 - Bill Mastin & Cadient’s Shift to an AI-First Platform
2:15 - The AI Hiring Crisis: "Godzilla vs. King Kong"
3:40 - How Candidates Use Generative AI to Create "Unicorn" Resumes
5:10 - Deep Fakes in Remote Video Interviews
6:45 - SmartShield Demo: Fighting AI Fraud with Agentic Tools
8:30 - Auditing the Talent Pipeline Natively in the Flow of Work
9:55 - Hiring Scorecard: Automated "Mystery Shopper" Auditing
11:40 - The Death of One-Size-Fits-All Software
13:10 - What is "Tuning SaaS"? Customizing Enterprise Workflows
14:55 - Integrating Agentic Ecosystems with Legacy HCM & ATS Systems
16:40 - Key Takeaways & Closing Thoughts

ABOUT THIS EPISODE
The AI Arms Race: "Godzilla vs. King Kong"
Mastin introduces what he terms the "AI hiring crisis," a phenomenon where candidates and employers find themselves locked in an active arms race. Empowered by generalized tools like ChatGPT and Claude, job seekers are pumping job descriptions into AI models to instantaneously churn out hyper-optimized, "unicorn" resumes. This has triggered an administrative avalanche for recruiters, who are suddenly flooded with hundreds of homogeneous, AI-exaggerated applications where no individual stands out. At the extreme end, Mastin reveals that enterprise clients are even encountering deep fakes during remote video interviews, driving some back toward face-to-face screenings.

To level the playing field, Cadient is delivering agentic tools that fight AI with AI. Mastin showcases SmartShield, a free Chrome plugin that instantly cross-references submitted resumes against public profiles and external data points. Instead of automating hiring decisions—which risks algorithmic bias and legal trouble—SmartShield operates like "automatic steering" while keeping the recruiter's hands on the wheel by flagging discrepancies, credential gaps, and purely AI-generated text.

Auditing the Pipeline and the Evolution of SaaS
The conversation shifts to Hiring Scorecard, a free, standalone automated auditing tool that utilizes AI agents to run "mystery shopper" evaluations on an organization's career sites and talent pipelines. By simply entering a company's URL, the tool grades application completion times, SEO visibility, mobile-friendliness, and job board distributions against industry benchmarks, generating a downloadable business case for HR leaders looking to optimize budget allocations.

Crucially, these modular capabilities operate independently of Cadient's core backend platform, allowing them to plug natively into any existing legacy ATS or Human Capital Management (HCM) software. Mastin notes that this architecture underscores a massive philosophical shift away from traditional SaaS. Historically, enterprise tech vendors forced all buyers into a rigid "one product fits all" model under the guise of "best practices," often overwriting unique workflow nuances or cultural highlights that made a company distinct. By leveraging an ecosystem of individual agentic modules, providers can now implement what Mastin calls "tuning SaaS"—swiftly customizing workflows and pricing structures to fit the exact parameters of a client's specific business unit, timeline, or frontline hiring criteria.

For HR technologists and talent acquisition executives trying to navigate a market defined by ghost jobs, automated application loops, and rapid compliance shifts, this discussion offers an invaluable masterclass on where enterprise recruitment infrastructure is heading next.

Get more insights on the HR and WorkTech market, and learn which market windows are opening and closing - and at what rate: https://1worktech.com

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Phenom CEO Mahe Bayireddi breaks down integrating psychometric data into an agentic AI architecture.

In this episode of the WorkTech Podcast, host George LaRocque sits down with Mahe Bayireddi, Co-Founder and CEO of Phenom, to unpack the strategy behind the company's recent acquisition of Plum. Marking Phenom's second assessment-focused deal in ten weeks following their acquisition of BeApplied, this conversation explores how behavioral science is rewriting the future of talent acquisition and talent management.

Learn more about Phenom: https://phenom.com
Subscribe to WorkTech Podcast for more HR and Work Tech Insights: https://1worktech.com/vidsubscribe

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Introduction: Phenom Acquires Plum
0:45 - Meet Mahe Bayireddi & The Vision of Phenom
1:55 - Why General AI is Becoming a Commodity
3:15 - Leaning into Cognitive Science in HR Tech
4:40 - Demolishing Silos: Democratizing Psychometric Data
6:10 - Plum’s Behavioral Blueprints Across 40,000 Jobs
7:45 - Delivering Insights Seamlessly in the Flow of Work
9:15 - The 5-Dimensional Context Matrix Explained
11:30 - The Single Code Base Advantage for Enterprise
13:45 - Accelerating Product Velocity & Future Roadmap
15:00 - Key Takeaways & Closing Thoughts

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Beyond Commodity Intelligence
Bayireddi explains that as generalized AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) become heavily commoditized, simply generating answers is no longer a corporate differentiator. True technological value now lies in an engine's ability to establish context, context-driven understanding, and human judgment. While technical skills are easily cataloged in traditional resumes and job descriptions, deep psychometric and behavioral data sets have historically been missing from automated HR ecosystems. Phenom is bridging this gap by leaning into cognitive science—combining computer science, neuroscience, linguistics, and psychology—to unlock data that traditional AI models cannot provide.

Historically, psychometrics were siloed into high-volume hourly roles or C-suite executive hiring. Phenom’s vision is to democratize this data across all talent workflows. By connecting Plum’s role-modeling technology, which maps behavioral blueprints across 40,000 real-world jobs with four times greater predictive success, to Phenom's skill ontology, enterprise buyers can accurately forecast candidate and employee performance on a global scale.

Delivering Insights in the Flow of Work
A primary historical challenge of assessments was user friction, but Phenom’s agentic AI framework solves this by embedding these insights directly into the daily flow of work. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, Phenom applies a "five-dimensional context" matrix that evaluates organizational needs by industry, role, location, business unit trajectory, and workflow automation level. This ensures behavioral insights are served exactly when needed—whether that means instant screening in high-volume retail or post-screening evaluations in healthcare.

The Single Code Base Advantage
Unlike legacy vendors that run acquisitions as siloed business units, Phenom buys strictly for product velocity and acceleration. Every acquired tool is completely rebuilt into Phenom's native, single code base and single data integration flow. For enterprise customers, this eliminates fragmented databases and clumsy integrations. A psychometric marker captured during automated screening remains natively active throughout the entire employee lifecycle, seamlessly powering internal career pathing, retention, and workforce development.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Shift to Contextual AI: As general AI becomes a commodity, the ultimate value lies in creating context and human judgment via psychometric data.

Democratizing Behavioral Science: Integrating Plum allows Phenom to scale validated behavioral blueprints across 40,000 jobs, elevating hiring accuracy globally.

The Single Code Base Mandate: Natively rebuilding acquisitions into one code base ensures that candidate data flows seamlessly into long-term employee retention and growth workflows

Hyper-Targeted Workflows: Using a five-dimensional context matrix, businesses can deploy assessments precisely where they make sense based on specific industry and role dynamics.

If you found this interview valuable, please Like, Comment, and Subscribe to stay updated on the latest shifts in HR technology, artificial intelligence, and workplace talent acquisition!

#HRTech #Phenom #AppliedAI #Recruiting #TalentManagement #Psychometrics #BehavioralScience #WorkTech Podcast

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Goldman Sachs Validation: Einat Steklov on Kashable’s $60M Series C and the Future of Workplace Credit

In this breaking news episode of the WorkTech Podcast, host George LaRocque sits down with Einat Steklov, co-founder and co-CEO of Kashable , to discuss their landmark $60 million Series C funding round led by the Goldman Sachs Impact Fund. As the venture market sees a scarcity in mid-stage deals, this investment serves as a massive validation for the financial wellness sector and the mission to provide Socially Responsible Credit® to the American workforce.

The "Action" Gap in Financial Wellness
For decades, employer-sponsored financial wellness focused heavily on education and budgeting advice. However, with 78% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck and many unable to cover a $1,000 emergency, Einat explains that "advice alone is just not enough". Kashable bridges this gap by combining financial coaching with an action plan: low-cost, employer-linked loans that serve as a critical lifeline for unexpected expenses.

How It Works: The Employer Advantage
Kashable’s proprietary model leverages the relationship between employer and employee to offer credit to those often ignored by traditional banks. By using employment data for underwriting and payroll-linked repayment, Kashable can approve more loans while maintaining a highly resilient business model.

This creates a "win-win-win" ecosystem:

For Employees: Gain access to affordable credit that helps build or repair credit scores—often seeing an improvement of 45–50 points.

For Employers: Companies like UPS, Amazon, and Kraft Heinz see a reduction in 401(k) loan withdrawals by up to 30%, keeping retirement savings intact.

For HR Teams: Implementation is "light" and tech-driven, featuring seamless HCM integrations with platforms like Workday, Business Solver, and Corestream.

A Mission Validated by Goldman Sachs
The partnership with the Goldman Sachs Impact Fund puts a "stamp of approval" on Kashable’s mission to deliver measurable financial outcomes for everyday Americans. With this $60M capital injection, Einat details plans to scale Kashable's reach from the current 5 million lives to the more than 100 million American workers who remain underserved by the current financial system.

Whether you are a CHRO looking to enhance your voluntary benefits, an HR leader focused on employee retention, or a fintech investor, this interview provides a masterclass on how HR technology can foster a more inclusive and resilient financial future.

Key Takeaways from the Discussion
Category Validation: A Series C led by Goldman Sachs proves that financial wellness has evolved into a durable, institution-grade business model.
Tangible Tools Over Advice: Effective wellness requires an "action plan" that includes affordable credit to solve immediate liquidity needs.
The Power of Payroll: Integration with payroll systems provides the repayment certainty required to offer significantly better terms than the open market.
Protecting Retirement: By providing a loan alternative, Kashable helps prevent employees from depleting their 401(k) plans, solving a long-term retirement crisis.
Scalability via Tech: Seamless API and HCM integrations allow HR teams to deploy high-impact benefits with minimal administrative effort.

On this episode Einat and George discuss Series C Funding, Goldman Sachs Impact Fund, Financial Wellness, Socially Responsible Credit, Fintech, Employer Benefits, Payroll Integration, Credit Score Improvement, 401(k) Loans, Employee Retention, HR Technology.

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WorkTech founder George LaRocque sits down exclusively with Greenhouse CEO and founder Daniel Chait to break down the acquisition of Ezra AI Labs, a voice AI interviewing platform built to deliver structured, naturalistic on-demand conversations for talent acquisition.
This is not a standard deal announcement. It is an analyst-led conversation about why Greenhouse made this move, what it signals for the future of recruiting technology, and why voice AI is becoming the next primary interface for enterprise hiring software.
What we cover:

Why Greenhouse acquired Ezra AI Labs and what put them in the buy column.
How the first wave of AI interviewing failed candidates and what Ezra built differently.
The structured hiring methodology behind Ezra's voice AI technology.
Why this acquisition is bigger than interviewing — and what it means for the Greenhouse platform roadmap.
The adoption curve for voice AI in recruiting and why the resistance will give way.
What this deal signals for the broader HR technology and talent acquisition market.

Why this deal matters:
Q1 2026 work tech M&A was defined by capability buying — established platforms acquiring foundational AI technology rather than waiting for internal build cycles to catch up. Greenhouse acquiring Ezra is a direct expression of that thesis. Voice AI in talent acquisition is no longer a category to watch. It is a strategic priority for the market's leading ATS platform.
About Greenhouse:
Greenhouse is a hiring software platform used by 7,500 companies worldwide to run structured hiring processes. Founded in 2012, Greenhouse's mission is to make hiring work for everyone. Learn more at greenhouse.io.

About Ezra AI Labs:
Ezra AI Labs is a voice AI interviewing platform designed to deliver structured, on-demand candidate conversations that feel naturalistic rather than robotic. Built from the ground up around candidate experience, structured hiring methodology, and compliance. Learn more at ezra.ai.

About WorkTech:
WorkTech is a market intelligence and strategic advisory firm covering the HR and work technology ecosystem. Founder George LaRocque tracks $6B+ in annual work tech investment across 60+ specialized categories, publishing proprietary research, analysis, and exclusive interviews for HR tech vendors, investors, and practitioners.

Read the full article and access the Q1 2026 Global Work Tech VC Update and Q1 2026 Global Work Tech M&A Update at 1worktech.com

Tags / Topics:
Greenhouse | Ezra AI Labs | Voice AI | AI Interviewing | Talent Acquisition | HR Technology | ATS | Applicant Tracking System | Recruiting Technology | Work Tech | HR Tech | AI in HR | Structured Hiring | Candidate Experience | M&A | HR Tech M&A | Agentic AI | Enterprise Software | WorkTech | George LaRocque | Daniel Chait | HR Tech 2026 | Future of Recruiting | Voice Interface | AI Recruitment

Follow WorkTech for proprietary market intelligence, exclusive interviews, and analysis of the HR and work technology ecosystem.
Website: 1worktech.com
Substack: @1worktech

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Traitify aims to end the era of intuition-based hiring with the industry’s first universal system of record for outcomes.

In this episode of WorkTech, George LaRocque sits down with Crosschq CEO Mike “Fitz” Fitzsimmons to break down a strategically significant acquisition in the HR Tech market: Crosschq’s purchase of Traitify, the behavioral and cognitive assessment provider known for its scientifically validated, highly visual, candidate‑friendly assessment experience. Fitzsimmons reveals why the timing is ideal, how the deal came together, and why Traitify’s science‑backed approach to behavioral prediction and realistic job previews is a perfect fit for Crosschq’s expanding hiring intelligence platform. “We’re announcing an acquisition of a company called Traitify… a leading provider of behavioral and cognitive assessments,” Fitzsimmons shares, underscoring the strategic importance of deeper candidate intelligence in an AI‑accelerated hiring landscape.

The conversation explores how Crosschq has evolved from digital reference checking into a full‑scale quality‑of‑hire system of record spanning fraud detection, AI interviewing, interview intelligence, reference checking, and analytics. With Traitify’s 50M+ completed assessments and a team of PhDs joining Crosschq, the combined platform now offers end‑to‑end intelligence from the moment a candidate enters the hiring funnel. This acquisition specifically positions Crosschq to scale into the $600B+ frontline labor market, where traditional methods often fail to address turnover rates that can exceed 100% in certain industries. By integrating Traitify’s assessments, built on established frameworks like the Big Five, Crosschq aims to replace "intuition" with data-driven decisions that correlate directly with long-term performance.

Fitzsimmons highlights the long‑term vision: a unified, science‑validated, AI‑powered foundation model for hiring that continuously learns from outcome data. “We imagine a world where you could compress this all… into one unit of thing,” he explains, emphasizing the shift toward integrated, predictive hiring workflows.

In this episode, we look at HR Tech, M&A, talent intelligence, strategic consolidation, quality of hire, AI in hiring, and the Future of Work.

Key Takeaways:

-Crosschq acquired Traitify to deepen its quality‑of‑hire platform with validated behavioral, cognitive, and job‑preview science, strengthening its position as an end‑to‑end hiring intelligence provider.

-The deal accelerates Crosschq’s move toward a unified, integrated workflow/platform provider, combining assessments, AI interviewing, interview intelligence, fraud detection, and reference checking.

-Addressing the Frontline Turnover Crisis: The platform now targets the 80% of the global workforce in frontline roles, aiming to solve structural inefficiencies where fewer than half of new hires typically remain after one year.

-Traitify’s 50M+ assessments and PhD‑led science team give Crosschq a defensible data advantage, enabling outcome‑linked, compliant, explainable AI.

-A New "System of Record": CEO Mike Fitzsimmons notes that hiring has historically lacked a true system of record for outcomes; this deal creates a continuous learning loop where every candidate interaction is tied back to real-world performance data. Market timing is ideal, with employers shifting from “butts in seats” to ROI‑driven hiring and quality‑of‑hire becoming the top priority for TA leaders.

-Crosschq’s new platinum partnership with Workday and deep integration with Paradox expand distribution and enterprise reach, signaling strong ecosystem alignment.

-Scientific Validity vs. "Opaque" AI: Unlike many new AI tools that rely on unvalidated signals, the Traitify integration ensures that all behavioral data is grounded in rigorous industrial-organizational psychology.

The long‑term vision is a foundation model for hiring, trained on behavioral science, outcome data, and multimodal signals. A major step toward predictive, ethical, AI‑driven talent decisioning.

Learn more about CrossChq at https://crosschq.com

Get more global HR and Work Tech market insights at https://1worktech.com

8 2

How the Paris startup is building an AI‑powered learning layer to replace the LMS.

In this episode, George LaRocque sits down with Clément Lhommeau, co‑CEO and co‑Founder of Blify, the Paris‑based learning startup that just raised €1.8 million/$2.08 million in pre‑seed funding. Blify embeds learning directly into Slack, Microsoft Teams, and WhatsApp, creating an AI‑powered learning layer that eliminates the need for employees to log into a traditional LMS. Clément explains how the founding team blends deep HR tech experience, AI engineering excellence, and enterprise go‑to‑market expertise, including backgrounds at 360Learning, JobTeaser, and Alan.
The conversation explores why now was the right moment to raise, with Clément noting that “everything goes very quickly in this market… even in the learning industry.” With 30 early customers across France, Europe, and global markets, Blify is focused on product, scalability, and co‑designing with design partners to reach true product‑market fit. Their long‑term vision: make the destination LMS obsolete and establish Blify as the intelligent learning layer for the enterprise.

In this episode we look at HR Tech, startup funding, venture capital, AI‑powered learning, product‑market fit, Future of Work innovation, and early‑stage go‑to‑market strategy.

Key Takeaways (Funding Strategy, Investor Signals, PMF)

-Blify raised €1.8M on vision, not features, positioning itself as a pioneer of a new wave of AI‑native learning software.
-Timing mattered: Rapid shifts in AI and L&D created urgency to accelerate product development and customer validation.
-Investor confidence was driven by team strength, with founders who are operators, domain experts, and AI specialists.
-Early momentum (30 customers across regions) served as critical proof of market pull and early product‑market fit signals.
-The pre‑seed focus is product, scalability, and co‑design, not aggressive growth. A modern funding discipline that investors expect.
-Long‑term vision aims to replace the LMS entirely, positioning Blify as the enterprise learning layer embedded in daily workflows.

Learn more about funding in HR and WorkTech at ⁠https://1worktech.com⁠

Learn more about Blify at ⁠https://blify.co⁠

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Workday’s legal troubles, data‑broker scrutiny, and Meta’s agentic ambitions collide in a turbulent week for Work Tech.

In this episode of Up Next @ WorkTech, George LaRocque and Kate Achille navigate a packed week of industry turbulence, from Workday’s ongoing age‑discrimination lawsuit to Senator Hassan’s public rebuke of data‑broker practices at Findem. They explore rising anxiety around AI’s impact on jobs, including Meta’s acquisition spree, rumors of major layoffs, and new research from Brookings and AIR forecasting profound workforce disruption. The conversation widens to the job‑market outlook for new graduates, the persistence of corporate jargon, and one of the largest recruiting‑tech funding rounds in recent memory as Juicebox lands an $80M Series B at an $850M valuation.


Kate and George discuss Workday lawsuit, age discrimination, data brokers, Findem, privacy rights, AI regulation, Brookings Institute, Meta layoffs, agentic AI, job market trends, new graduate unemployment, corporate jargon, Juicebox funding, recruiting technology, HR Tech, Work Tech.

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How Autonomous Agents & Skills Data are Transforming Capacity Planning

Strategic workforce planning is evolving from theoretical aspiration to automated execution. In 2026, organizations are integrating autonomous AI agents and predictive skills data into their core capacity models, moving away from generic AI wrappers toward verticalized, agentic architectures that provide measurable business value.

In this episode, WorkTech expert George LaRocque identifies 2026 as the definitive turning point for the HR Tech industry. We explore why "architectural rigor" has replaced experimental AI, and how the rise of autonomous agents is forcing a total redesign of workforce capacity planning.

Key Questions Answered:

How are autonomous agents changing workforce capacity? We break down the shift from "tools" to "digital teammates" with their own IDs and KPIs.

What are the new risks of agentic AI? George explains "one-to-many" complexity and the resulting security and compliance liabilities.

What are investors looking for in WorkTech founders? Discover the four high-conviction categories currently receiving funding.

Key Takeaways for Leaders
Agentic AI & Predictive Intelligence: The new engines of execution.

Hybrid Capacity Models: Planning for both human and digital labor.

Verticalized Agentic Models: Why specific solutions beat general tools.

The Global Payroll Infrastructure: Essential "connective tissue" for 2026.

Links & Resources:
Deep dive into WorkTech trends: https://1worktech.com
Connect with George LaRocque: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgelarocque/

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From agentic AI to vibe coding, George breaks down the forces redefining the future of HR technology.

In this episode, George LaRocque unpacks new data from the 2025 Global WorkTech Report, revealing why investment capital continues to rise even as deal volume declines. He explains the “squeezed middle” dynamic affecting growth‑stage vendors, the surge in early‑stage AI innovation, and the strategic bets shaping the market. George also breaks down the hype and hidden risks of vibe coding and warns HR leaders about the escalating legal exposure tied to AI explainability and transparency.

In this episode we look at workforce intelligence, agentic AI, HR technology, WorkTech investment trends, CHRO strategy, AI governance, future of work.

Key Takeaways:

Global WorkTech investment rose to $6.24B in 2025, even as deal volume fell 16%, signaling a shift toward high‑conviction, AI‑forward bets.

Early‑stage innovation is surging, with 136 pre‑seed, seed, and Series A deals capturing $1.1B in capital.

The “squeezed middle” is real, as growth‑stage vendors struggle to raise amid investor discipline and platform consolidation.

Agentic AI and workforce intelligence are top acquisition targets, replacing standalone tools with infrastructure‑level capabilities.

Vibe coding creates false confidence, delivering prototypes but failing to meet enterprise‑grade HR tech requirements at scale.

AI explainability is now a legal tail risk, with black‑box systems threatening vendor valuations, enterprise adoption, and regulatory compliance.

Get the report and "Vibe Coding vs the CHRO" at ⁠1worktech.com⁠

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2026 kicks off with a jolt as George and Kate unpack a wave of developments reshaping HR tech. They dive into the new class action lawsuit against Eightfold, exploring what it signals for AI transparency, compliance, and vendor accountability. The conversation widens to worker power, including Microsoft’s landmark agreement with Australian unions, and the heated rhetoric coming out of Davos about AI and jobs. They also break down Apple and Google’s unexpected AI partnership and the first acquisitions of the year. A fast‑moving, insight‑rich episode for anyone tracking the future of work.

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Exploring venture capital paradoxes, Workday’s agent ambitions, payroll automation risks, workplace safety, and HR’s evolving role in the future of work. George and Kate dissect the paradox of HR Tech funding, Workday’s PipeDream acquisition, payroll automation failures, workplace safety concerns, and The Economist’s claim that HR has “taken over the world.” This episode blends market intelligence, AI agent trends, and human resources strategy for the future of work.

In this episode we look at HR Tech, Work Tech, AI agents, Human Resources strategy, Future of Work, payroll automation, and venture capital trends. These high-volume keywords frame the conversation around funding paradoxes, workplace safety, and the evolving role of HR leaders in technology-driven organizations.

Key Takeaways

HR Tech funding paradox: Despite $4.9B invested in 2025, early-stage founders face unprecedented challenges in raising capital.
AI agents in Work Tech: Workday’s PipeDream acquisition positions it as a leading enterprise AI agent platform for HR and finance.
Payroll automation risks: AI-driven payroll failures highlight the need for human oversight and off-cycle payment safeguards.
Workplace safety in HR Tech: The Amber Check tragedy underscores the importance of escalation processes, psychological safety, and frontline worker protection.
HR’s evolving role: The Economist’s claim that HR has “taken over the world” sparks debate on strategy, DEI, and AI disruption.
Future of Work trends: Integration platforms, AI-enabled SaaS, and HR acuity tools redefine how organizations manage people, culture, and compliance.

Get more insights on the Work and HR Tech market at https://1worktech.com

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How Workday’s acquisition of Paradox signals a new era for conversational AI, frontline hiring, and platform-driven recruiting.

Workday’s acquisition of Paradox marks a pivotal moment in HR Tech, combining enterprise scale with conversational AI to transform recruiting workflows. CEO Adam Godson joins George LaRocque to unpack the deal’s strategic rationale, market impact, and future of hiring across ecosystems and industries.
In this episode, we look at: HR Tech innovation, M&A strategy, conversational AI, frontline hiring, recruiting automation, platform consolidation, and the Future of Work.
Key Takeaways
Deal Rationale: Workday’s acquisition of Paradox was driven by a shared mission to reduce hiring friction and serve the full market, including the SAP and Oracle ecosystems.Market Impact: Paradox schedules 32M+ interviews annually, representing 1 in 10 U.S. interviews, dramatically accelerating time-to-hire across industries.Frontline Focus: The deal strengthens Workday’s position in high-volume, frontline hiring across the retail, restaurant, and franchise sectors, where traditional HCM platforms have struggled.Client Continuity: Paradox will continue to operate as a standalone platform, supporting integrations with non-Workday systems and maintaining innovation velocity.Agentic Architecture: The future lies in agentic workflows, combining Paradox’s conversational AI with HiredScore’s matching intelligence for seamless candidate experiences.Buyer Sentiment: Customers praise Paradox’s scheduling capabilities and real-world impact, with hiring managers reporting improved staffing and job satisfaction.

Learn more about the Work and HR Tech Market, and the deals shaping it at https://1worktech.com

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