Shredded: Pelgo, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Microsoft, Deel, Rippling, Indeed & More

The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment. The Shred is brought to you today by Jobcase.

• 0:00Speaker 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.

• 0:17Speaker 01

  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.

• 0:29Speaker 00

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

• 0:37Speaker 01

  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.

• 0:53Speaker 00

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

• 1:05Speaker 01

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

• 1:11Speaker 00

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

• 1:19Speaker 01

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

• 1:25Speaker 02

  Now we return you to our regular scheduled program in progress. Hire your kids, lock the doors. You're listening to HR's most dangerous podcast. Chad Soash and Joel Cheeseman.

• 1:38Speaker 03

  Hi kids, Cole Cheeseman and our bringing you The Shred for the third week of February 2026. The Shred is a weekly roundup of what's making headlines in the world of employment. The Shred is brought to you today by Jobcase, the online community where workers of all kinds, like hourly employees, tradespeople, and healthcare technicians, access jobs, make connections, and support each other in every aspect of their work life. Jobcase has over 100 million workers on their platform, so if you need to hire, you probably need to talk to Jobcase today. Learn more by going to jobcase.com/hire. Again, that's jobcase.com/hire.

• 2:18Speaker 03

  And now to the news in no particular order. Pelgo, a New York City-based company offering AI-powered career transition services, raised $5.5 million in seed funding led by Flybridge Capital Partners, with participation from ENIAC Ventures, Primary Venture Partners, and 645 Ventures. Funds will support hiring, research, product development, and its initial launch.

• 2:48Speaker 04

  Another one.

• 2:49Speaker 03

  LinkedIn reported up to a 60% decline in B2B non-brand traffic as AI-generated search results reduced clicks despite stable rankings. The company formed a cross-functional AI search task force, shifting from traditional SEO metrics to visibility-based measures, such as mentions and citations within AI-generated responses.

• 3:13Speaker 04

  Another one.

• 3:14Speaker 03

  An ongoing study by researchers at the Haas School of Business found that AI adoption increased work pace, task variety, and hours for employees at a US tech company. While productivity rose, researchers reported workload expansion, cognitive strain, blurred boundaries, and potential burnout risk.

• 3:35Speaker 04

  Another one.

• 3:37Speaker 03

  ZipRecruiter appointed Jennifer Sands to its board of directors effective February 5, 2026. Sands, an executive at Albertsons, brings marketing and operational experience. Yvonne Howe will resign the same day. CEO Ian Siegel thanked Howe for her contributions.

• 3:57Speaker 04

  Another one.

• 3:59Speaker 03

  CEO of Microsoft AI Mustafa Soliman said AI could automate most white-collar, computer-based tasks within 18 months, citing rapid gains in computing power. Other tech leaders have made similar predictions. Current evidence shows limited productivity gains and modest job displacement, with broader economic impacts outside tech remaining uncertain.

• 4:24Speaker 04

  Another one.

• 4:26Speaker 03

  LinkedIn launched a new campaign with McCann NY using humor to highlight career growth and business tools. Comedic workplace vignettes showcase LinkedIn products aiming for authentic connection, broad audience appeal, and optimism running across multiple US and UK media channels.

• 4:46Speaker 04

  Another one.

• 4:47Speaker 03

  Deal announced the pitch, a global $15 million competition for seed-stage startups. Up to 100 regional winners will receive $50,000 each, and up to 10 global champions $1 million each. The program spans seven regions, with finals in major tech hubs and global participation open to founders worldwide.

• 5:11Speaker 04

  Another one.

• 5:13Speaker 03

  A San Francisco federal judge allowed Rippling's corporate espionage lawsuit against Deal to proceed, finding sufficient federal claims of racketeering and trade secret violations. Deal's motion to dismiss or transfer the case to Ireland was denied, though three California state law claims were dismissed.

• 5:32Speaker 04

  Another one.

• 5:34Speaker 03

  Indeed appointed Jim Gillis as chief technology officer. Gillis, formerly VP of Engineering at Google, will lead technical strategy and AI-driven innovation for the global hiring platform, focusing on simplifying hiring, connecting people with opportunities, and supporting the growth and evolution of Indeed's engineering teams. Be sure to tune in to the weekly show for this and more news and commentary from the world of recruiting. Big thanks to Jobcase for supporting this trend. No matter the size of your company, you can quickly find great workers in the Jobcase community. Whether you need one employee around the corner or want to hire hundreds across the country, Jobcase helps you find the right people fast. Hit up jobcase.com/hire to learn more.

• 6:18Speaker 03

  Again, that's jobcase.com/hire. Cheeseman out.