As usual, this week, Chad & Cheese dive into the latest news and developments in the HR and technology sectors, featuring updates on Deel, Klarna's AI integration, Google's data deal with Stack Overflow, and lots more. Drink it in:
DEEL's Acquisition Spree: We start with Deel, the HR startup making waves with its recent acquisition of African-based PaySpace, following last week's purchase of Zavvy. This marks Deel's largest acquisition yet, as it aims to strengthen its presence in Africa and reach $500M in annual recurring revenue, with plans for an IPO in 2025/2026.
ZipRecruiter and Appcast's Pricing Changes: While Deel celebrates its growth, others like ZipRecruiter are facing scrutiny for a nearly 74% price hike without clear additional value. Meanwhile, Appcast is transitioning its business model away from supporting customers below the $20K/mo. spend, raising questions about its strategy and impact on agencies.
Klarna's Efficiency with AI: Klarna's partnership with OpenAI has resulted in significant efficiency improvements, with its chatbot managing two-thirds of customer service chats in 23 markets and 35 languages. The integration is expected to increase profits by $40 million in 2024, raising questions about the impact on recruiting.
Google's Data Deal with Stack Overflow: Google's Gemini chatbot will now utilize Stack Overflow's Q&A for coding assistance, marking Stack Overflow's first customer for paid access to content used to train AI chatbots. This deal could have significant commercial implications for Stack Overflow.
Indeed's Missteps: Finally, we touch on Indeed's recent controversies, including a disappointing Willy Wonka chocolate factory experience and a racist job ad that was posted on the platform. These incidents raise questions about Indeed's oversight and use of AI in job postings.
It's enough to make you forget politics, global conflict and the increase in prices at Chipotle. You're welcome.