Walmart's Eating AwardCo's Unicorns?

Get ready for a rollercoaster of HR drama and economic shade on this week's show as we unpack a can o' worms, starting with the wild corporate espionage feud between Rippling and Deel, with Rippling alleging Deel’s spying triggered a federal probe and Globalization Partners reporting similar shenanigans—Chad says Deel’s C-suite might need a total reboot. Klarna’s AI avatar-led earnings report screams IPO hype, but its predatory micro-loan model gets roasted, with J.T. warning job seekers to master video authentication as AI interviews become universal. Speaking of AI, job seekers are slamming glitchy, soulless AI interviews, with J.T. urging strategic job hunting in a market tougher than 2008, while Chad pitches quirky Max Headroom-style AI to ease the weirdness. Utah’s AwardCo snags $165M and a $1B valuation for its employee recognition platform, but the hosts call it a shiny fix for lousy leadership, doomed to breed dissatisfaction. Trump’s tariff tantrum at Walmart, demanding they “eat” costs, is labeled chaotic misdirection by Chad, with J.T. seeing it as Trump’s chaos-and-save tactic. The Senate’s No Tax on Tips Act, offering a $25,000 deduction, is slammed as a distraction from living wages—only 2.5% of workers rely on tips, and Joel mourns the sidestep of real wage reform. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and Weather Banter 03:00 - The Decline of Skype and Video Calling Trends 05:57 - Shout Outs and Legal Drama 09:08 - Corporate Espionage in HR Tech 16:58 - AI in Business Presentations and Job Seeking 24:02 - The Future of AI and Authenticity in Video25:50The Impact of AI on Employment27:58Automation in Job Interviews 33:58 - The Future of Job Applications 38:02 - The Rise of Recognition Platforms 52:02 - The No Tax on Tips Act 56:05 - The Economics of Tipping and Wages