# EP 36 Is The ATS Out To Get You? An Empty Red Seat Conversation on a Deserted Island

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-hr-life-podcast-7368906/ep-36-is-the-ats-out-to-get-you-an-empty-red-seat-conversation-on-a-deserted-island
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-hr-life-podcast-7368906/ep-36-is-the-ats-out-to-get-you-an-empty-red-seat-conversation-on-a-deserted-island.md
Podcast: [The HR Life Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-hr-life-podcast-7368906)
Published: 2026-02-17T13:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/bb8580f3
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/bb8580f3/9060a412.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-hr-life-podcast-7368906/episodes/ep-36-is-the-ats-out-to-get-you-an-empty-red-seat-conversation-on-a-deserted-island
Duration seconds: 5651

## Resource

In this episode of The HR Life Podcast , "Fantastic" Tony Benjamin and Stephen “Big Deal” Smith tackle one of the biggest villains in today’s job market: the Applicant Tracking System. The guys kick things off with a slightly terrifying (and mildly hilarious) detour into rogue AI bots that call you when you ignore them — because nothing says “future of work” like software that won’t let you ghost it. If you’ve ever blamed “the system” for your job search frustrations, this episode might change your perspective — or at least help you understand what the guys on the other side of the screen are really doing. And no, the ATS isn’t calling your phone. Probably. Learn more about "Fantastic" Tony Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/ Learn More about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/ Learn more about the books mentioned in the podcast at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast Learn more about our sponsor MegaStarHR at: https://www.megastarhr.com/ Learn more about Pucks for Autism at: https://www.pucksforautism.com/ Watch the Trailer for Send Help here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4wiXj9NmEE No AI's or ATS's were injured during the recording of this episode. (Or even maligned. We love AI, no, really.)

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## Transcript

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