Shredded: Zenzap, Workday, Amazon, ADP, LinkedIn, Deel, HR Path, & More

0:09Hi kids, it's Cole Cheeseman and I'm bringing you the shred for the fourth week of October 2026. The Shred is a weekly roundup of what's making headlines in the world of employment.

0:23And now to the news in no particular order. New York-based ZenZap raised$44 million from investors to expand its AI-powered workplace messaging app. The platform offers chat, task management, scheduling, and AI automation for businesses. Its clients include FedEx, Starbucks, Taco Bell, and Dollar General. Another one. A Princeton and University of Chicago study found that AI models can develop new hiring biases through repeated decisions, even when candidates have equal success probabilities. Researchers found that explicit diversity objectives reduced these patterns in simulated scenarios, but could lower accuracy when genuine performance differences existed.

1:06Another one. Healthcare and social assistance are projected to add 2.2 million U.S. jobs from 2025 to 2035, representing 37 % of new jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics attributes growth to an aging population and increased chronic health conditions. Nurse practitioners are projected to add 137 ,800 ,000 positions. Another one. workday introduced sauna coach an ai tool for performance reviews feedback collection and employee sentiment analysis available in early access it supports voice and text interactions to help managers and employees organize feedback and development plans future releases are expected to include leadership and career coaching another one amazon has deployed more than one million robots across its operations, using automation to improve efficiency and reduce labor costs.

2:03Experts and labor advocates raise concerns about job security, workplace security, and the effects of robots on working conditions for its 1.5 million employees. Another one. ADP CEO Maria Black says employees who trust senior leaders are 41 % more likely to be engaged at work. ADP research also links peer trust to 60 % higher engagement. Black emphasizes leadership communication, employee development, and skills training as companies adapt to AI. LinkedIn is introducing customizable digital business cards featuring users' profile photos, job titles, and QR codes. Users can add cards to digital wallets and share them during in-person interactions.

2:47The feature will roll out globally over the coming months, building on LinkedIn's earlier QR code functionality. Another one. Deal signed a multi-year partnership with Golden State to provide HR technology for the Warriors, Valkyries, Santa Cruz Warriors, and Chase Center. The agreement covers workforce management, payroll, hiring, and compliance, alongside arena branding, marketing activities, and community engagement during the 2026 to 2027 season. Another one.

3:37Another one.

3:46$108 million in a Series B round, reaching a unicorn valuation. The company develops workplace AI assistance. Town has raised$186 million and introduced shared workflows to update assistance with business information. Bullhorn is restoring services after a cyber attack forced it to disable access to its ATS and CRM systems on October 17th, affecting 10 ,000 staffing firms. Systems are operational in several regions. The investigation continues with potential customer data access still undetermined. Amazon plans to hire over 300 ,000 seasonal, part-time, and full-time U.S. workers for the 2026 holiday season.

4:33Seasonal employees average$20 per hour. Starting January 1st, 2027, eligible seasonal workers averaging at least 30 weekly hours will receive first-day health care coverage. Glendale, California-based FAMA launched Lens, a social media screening tool that evaluates candidates against employer-specific policies. The system links decisions to policy criteria, supports candidate consent, and removes protected class information. Available to order now, Lens is scheduled for general availability in November 2026.

5:34Another one.

5:39Adios, turd nuggets.