Hello friend! Ever have one of those dreams where you’re back in school taking a test you didn’t study for? Well, it turns out some coders are living that nightmare—except they’ve found a high-tech cheat sheet.

A 21-year-old Columbia student is making waves (and money) with Interview Coder, a service that helps software engineers use AI to ace technical interviews. And he’s not alone in this market—there’s also Leetcode Wizard catering to the same need.

Are these tools just clever hacks for an outdated system, or do they undermine the integrity of the hiring process? Tech giants like Google and Amazon are already considering a return to in-person interviews to combat the trend.

But if tech companies themselves tout AI coding capabilities, perhaps it’s time to rethink how they evaluate technical talent. After all, when the CEO of Google brags that 25% of their code is AI-generated, should we be surprised that candidates are following suit?

– Team Talivity 

Today’s edition is a 4-minute read. Here’s what to expect 

 Corporate espionage allegations shake HR tech rivals

️ Federal agencies warn about DE&I-related discrimination

️ Gender pay gap stalls as companies roll back DE&I

 Layoffs hit NASA, Sesame Street

 TA roles at StubHub, Qualtrics

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NEWS

One Thing You Should Know This Week

NYT: Corporate Spy Accusations Inflame HR Tech Rivalry

The normally quiet world of HR tech just got a dose of espionage drama. Rippling has sued rival Deel, accusing the competitor of planting a mole in its Dublin office to steal trade secrets in a scheme that allegedly reached the highest levels of Deel’s leadership.

 The big picture

This corporate spy thriller is playing out between two HR software unicorns that have transformed the seemingly mundane business of human resources into multibillion-dollar operations. Rippling was most recently valued at $13.5 billion, while Deel sits at more than $12 billion. According to the New York Times, Their rivalry has been heating up for years, with Rippling’s co-founder and CEO Parker Conrad previously barring former employees who joined Deel from participating in secondary stock sales.

 By the numbers

• $13.5 billion – Rippling’s most recent valuation
• $12+ billion – Deel’s current valuation
• 17 – Number of Rippling’s global payroll team members Deel allegedly tried to recruit via WhatsApp
• 4 months – Duration of the alleged espionage

 Inside the spy trap

Rippling claims it uncovered the scheme through a “honeypot” trap – a specifically created Slack channel mentioned in a letter to Deel executives. Within hours, the alleged mole (referred to as “D.S” for “Deel Spy”. in the complaint) searched for the channel, springing the trap. When confronted by a court-appointed lawyer demanding his phone, D.S. reportedly locked himself in a bathroom before fleeing the scene.

This isn’t just office drama – Rippling is playing hardball, bringing in Alex Spiro of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, the high-profile attorney known for representing Elon Musk, Jay-Z, and Mayor Eric Adams of New York City.

 War of words

The accusations have sparked a heated exchange between the rivals. Vanessa Wu, Rippling’s general counsel, stated: “We’re all for healthy competition, but we won’t tolerate when a competitor breaks the law.”

Deel fired back, claiming Rippling is “trying to shift the narrative” after being “accused of violating sanctions law in Russia and seeding falsehoods about Deel.” The company “denied all legal wrongdoing” and mentioned forthcoming counterclaims.

 Why tensions are running high

The HR tech sector is experiencing rapid growth, and with that growth comes intense competition. Both companies are fighting for market share in global payroll, compliance, and HR automation – areas seeing massive investment as remote work and international hiring become mainstream. The stakes are particularly high as both companies chase profitability while trying to justify their unicorn valuations in a challenging economic climate.

 What’s to come

This unprecedented case highlights the increasingly cutthroat nature of competition in HR tech, where proprietary data and client relationships represent significant competitive advantages. As these platforms continue to expand globally, expect to see more fierce battles over talent, technology, and territory.

 TA Takeaway

If there’s one takeaway here for HR and recruiters, it’s the critical importance of protecting sensitive data and trade secrets. Implement robust access controls and monitoring systems on internal communications platforms, and establish clear policies about competitive intelligence gathering. Vigilance is key – as we see with the Rippling v. Deel allegations, competitive intel can certainly cross legal lines.

️ Read more at NYT.

NUMBERS

Numbers That’ll Make You Think

• 74% — Healthcare execs plan to leave their jobs within a year. The Great Resignation is apparently getting an MD. (Staffing Industry)
• $217 — Weekly wage gap between men and women aged 25-54 in 2024. Women still earn 217 fewer dollars, but hey—at least there’s pink office supplies. (Staffing Industry)
• 66% — Consumers expecting unemployment to rise next year, according to the Bank of America Institute. The economy is flushed, and not in the good way. (Axios)
• 4 — The number of weeks financial firm Prudential Financial lets employees work from anywhere annually. Finally, the flexibility to cry into your spreadsheets from the Bahamas. (HR Brew)
• 1,700 — Cybersecurity job postings from state governments in three months. Uncle Sam needs a hacker—but make it patriotic. (WSJ)

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INDUSTRY INTEL

M&A Deals, Industry Moves, & Other Things To Know

• Economic rivals California and Texas show opposite job trends: California shed private jobs while Texas added 187,700 across all sectors. Everything really is bigger in Texas—including the employment numbers. (WSJ)
• Federal watchdogs EEOC and DOJ issued warnings about DE&I-related discrimination in the workplace. (Staffing Industry)
• Voice AI developer Voicify acquired restaurant staffing platform Bite Ninja, which serves 15,000+ drive-throughs. Siri is asking you, “hm…do you want fries with that?” (Staffing Industry)
• Healthcare staffing firm Elite365 snapped up Proxi Dental Staffing to expand specialty services. Open wide for this exciting acquisition. (Staffing Industry)
• Trump’s job cuts ripple through cities like Oklahoma City with its 30,000 federal workers, while parking garages near offices celebrate return-to-office mandates. (WSJ)
• Workforce platform Jolly secured $16.5M led by former Tesla CFO Zach Kirkhorn, incentivizing frontline workers with a points system. Sorry landlord, I can’t afford rent—I used all my points on emojis! (HR Tech Feed)
• Construction management startup Lumber raised $15.5M to streamline back-office functions with AI. Now robots can misplace your construction paperwork faster than ever. (HR Tech Feed)

OPEN ROLES

Jobs You Might Want (For Yourself!)

• Online ticketing platform StubHub is hiring a Senior People Experience Partner based in New York, NY
• Infant nutrition company ByHeart is hiring a Human Resources Director based in New York, NY
• Venture-backed tech platform A.Team is hiring a Head of People based in New York, NY
• Iconic media organization New York Post is hiring a Director of Human Resources based in New York, NY
• Experience management leader Qualtrics is hiring a Manager of Employee Relations based in Provo, UT
• Global investment firm Cambridge Associates is hiring a Human Capital Coordinator based in Boston, MA

For more of these roles delivered to your inbox every Monday, subscribe to the Talivity Jobs newsletter by clicking here. For a full list of open roles, head over to our job board by clicking here.

LAYOFFS

Places For You To Source Fresh Talent

• Streaming tech company Brightcove is cutting 198 workers (two-thirds of US staff) following acquisition by Italian developer Bending Spoons. (Boston.com)
• Space agency NASA eliminated 23 headquarters positions, including the entire Office of Chief Scientist, with broader cuts expected later this spring. (CNN)
• Children’s media nonprofit Sesame Workshop laid off nearly 100 people (20% of staff) after losing its $35M HBO contract. (NYT)

  Thanks for reading!