Shredded: Factorial, Empion, Werkhelden, JobBooster, Guardian Jobs, Jobbio, Amply, & More

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Dude, it turns out that Winston, Smart Recruiter's first AI hiring sidekick, is taking all the grunt work out of Recruiter's Day. Things like candidate screening, scheduling, all the admin garbage no one actually wants to touch, Winston can do it all.

SPEAKER_2 (0:17)

Man, you know I'm a fan of using new tech that takes the boring, repetitive crap out of a Recruiter's Day and allows them to have more time to connect with hiring managers and candidates.

SPEAKER_1 (0:29)

Yep, Winston is doing the heavy lifting while recruiters kick back and do the actual hiring stuff. You know, like talking to people.

SPEAKER_2 (0:37)

I really dig that Smart Recruiters is evolving out of the legacy ATS model and embracing cleaner processes using AI. With most ATS providers, it's like, hey, 2003 called and it wants its 30-minute application process back.

SPEAKER_1 (0:53)

No doubt. It sounds like Rebecca and the team are using Winston to go with Smart Recruiters into the future, while the ATS vendors are basically on an AOL dial-up modem with a dashboard.

SPEAKER_2 (1:05)

With Smart Recruiters, Winston does the grind and the recruiters get the glory.

SPEAKER_1 (1:11)

For more information on superhuman hiring with Winston, visit smartrecruiters.com. That's smartrecruiters.com.

SPEAKER_2 (1:19)

Start using Winston today or I guess you can stick with...

SPEAKER_1 (1:25)

Now we return you to our regular scheduled program In Progress.

SPEAKER_2 (1:29)

Hide your kids, lock the doors. You're listening to HR's most dangerous podcast, Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman.

Cole Cheesman (1:38)

Hi kids, it's Cole Cheesman and I'm bringing you The Strad for the second week of September 2026 This read is a weekly roundup of what's making headlines in the world of employment.

And now to the news in no particular order. The US federal government is introducing AI tools to interview job applicants for its TechForce pilot program. Utilizing platforms like CodeSignal, AI agents will conduct structured interviews and summarize audio for hiring managers, aiming to modernize and accelerate the federal recruitment process with human oversight.

SPEAKER_1 (2:11)

Another one.

Cole Cheesman (2:13)

Barcelona-based HR software company, Factorial, has acquired Empion, a German AI-driven recruitment startup. Undisclosed in price, the deal adds millions in recurring revenue to $2.5 billion valued Factorial, expanding Empion's culture and skill talent matching platforms beyond German-speaking markets across Europe.

SPEAKER_1 (2:34)

Another one.

Cole Cheesman (2:36)

Dutch back-office provider, Werkhelden, acquired JobBooster and three related job boards. Undisclosed terms expand Werkhelden into front-end recruitment services, including job postings and candidate sourcing. Existing operations, names, and user services remain unchanged in the short term.

Guardian Jobs is shutting down after three decades as a key charity recruitment platform. The closure stems from a five-year low and UK job vacancies. All active listings will be completed, but the loss reduces hiring options, especially for smaller charities.

Following Avar Communications Limited Voluntary Liquidation, Irish recruitment sites Jobbio and Amply, along with their assets were sold to newly-formed Nexerton Limited. Nexerton's sole registered director is Jobbio investor Michael Chadwick, though its beneficial ownership remains undisclosed. Co-founder Stephen and John Quinn remain involved. LinkedIn is expanding its AI tool, hiring assistant beyond sourcing into candidate pre-screening, interview analysis and recruiter guidance. While recruiters retain final hiring decisions, the expanded AI capabilities significantly narrow candidate pools and shape the evaluation criteria used throughout the selection process. A New York Times report states Kenya's SA ghostwriting industry, which once employed up to 40,000 workers writing papers for Western students, collapsed within two years of Chad GPT's release. Demand fell as students adopted AI tools, reducing earnings and forcing platforms and local operations to close.

SPEAKER_1 (4:20)

Another one.

Cole Cheesman (4:21)

Hack a Job has rebranded as Archer from Hack a Job, following rapid growth driven by its AI sourcing agent Archer. Rebuilt around the tool over the past year, the platform expanded beyond tech recruitment into general knowledge work worlds, significantly boosting candidate registrations and recurring revenue.

SPEAKER_2 (4:40)

Another one.

Cole Cheesman (4:41)

In August, 2026, London-based AI hiring startup Jack and Jill raised 30 million pounds led by Airstreet Capital. Founded last year, the company develops conversational hiring agents amidst growing investor demand for AI hiring tools. Be sure to tune in to the weekly show for this and more news and commentary from the world of recruiting. Cheesman out.

Adios turd nuggets.