In the job market, the last several years have largely been an AI arms race.

Candidates are using generative AI tools like ChatGPT to tailor their résumés to job descriptions in seconds, and many are bulk applying to open roles with the help of AI. Recruiters are leveraging AI to help screen, match, and rank applicants at scale. And vendors are automating every stage of the funnel.

But Indeed’s newest beta tool, Interview on Demand, takes a different approach: bring humans together earlier. “AI is dominating all facets of the hiring journey right now,” John McMahon, a product director at Indeed overseeing its interviewing products, told HR Brew. “Interview on Demand is saying, let’s go the opposite direction and say humans are in charge again.”

While Indeed continues to invest in AI-driven screening, sourcing, and scheduling tools, the idea here, McMahon said, is about task allocation.

For more on Indeed’s bet on human connection in hiring, keep reading here.—AD

Andrea Lucas, the chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a letter to Fortune 500 companies on Feb. 26, reminding them that they are required to comply with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The letter is the latest warning to companies that DEI programs may not be used to discriminate against people based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics, and calls back to similar memos issued in 2025.

Lucas encouraged companies to “reject identity politics” and protect workers from discrimination she baselessly claimed is a result of DEI programs.

“My honest reaction to this when I read it was that it was a giant nothing burger,” David Glasgow, co-founder of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law, told HR Brew, adding that, through the letter, the EEOC does not accuse any companies of wrongdoing or say anything new.

For more on what HR needs to know about the EEOC’s latest DEI warning, keep reading here.—KP

Jack Dorsey may have read that infamous Citrini report a little too closely. Last week, he announced that Block, the fintech company that owns Square, Cash App, and Tidal, is cutting 40% of its workforce (4,000 jobs) and tied the move directly to AI. Some industry analysts say it’s the biggest workforce reduction as a share of total employees in S&P 500 history, and depending on who you ask, it’s either a serious warning sign or a prime example of “AI-washing.”

Dorsey said Block is restructuring around “intelligence tools,” arguing that smaller, flatter teams can operate more effectively with AI embedded into workflows. The cuts reduce the company to fewer than 6,000 employees.

Notably, this wasn’t framed as a downturn response. Executives emphasized that gross profit is still growing and described the decision as proactive rather than reactive. Dorsey said he’d rather make a decisive shift now than trim headcount slowly over time because the latter can be “destructive to morale.” Also, presumably for morale, he wore a hat that said LOVE during the town hall where he spoke about the layoffs.

For more on what’s next for Block, keep reading on Tech Brew.—AC

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