Want to know how a global restaurant chain hires 1,500+ employees while battling an industry notorious for turnover? In this episode, Joel chats with Chrystal Gualtieri, the Global Talent Acquisition Leader at CKE Restaurants—the powerhouse behind Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. They dive into the ins and outs of recruiting in the fast-paced hospitality world and explore how recruiters can keep things human in an age dominated by technology and templates.

Chrystal takes us through her fascinating journey, from handling high-volume nonprofit hiring to steering talent acquisition in a corporate setting. She breaks down the real reasons behind restaurant retention challenges and explains why even the smartest applicant tracking system can’t replace the warmth of genuine candidate care. Along the way, they discuss hot topics like the evolving role of hybrid work, AI’s place in the recruitment process, and even some resume red flags (yes, your email address might be giving you away!).

With a mix of practical advice and real-world insights, Chrystal also reveals how she handles the pressure of managing multiple roles with just a spreadsheet, a smile, and a lot of grit. Whether you’re a seasoned recruiter or just curious about the behind-the-scenes of hiring in hospitality, this episode is packed with valuable nuggets that can help anyone navigating the recruitment maze with too much on their plate and not enough backup.

In this episode:

• (00:00:03) Podcast introduction
• (00:01:15) Chrystal’s background and journey into recruitment
• (00:02:11) Sponsor message and recruitment tech
• (00:03:26) Chrystal’s early recruitment experience
• (00:04:38) Transition to corporate recruiting
• (00:05:17) Tech industry vs. hospitality industry
• (00:06:08) AI adoption in hospitality recruitment
• (00:08:23) Restaurant staffing and retention challenges
• (00:10:30) Corporate recruitment challenges
• (00:12:43) Hybrid work environment and candidate expectations
• (00:14:09) Building relationships in a hybrid office
• (00:16:41) Communicating hybrid work policies to candidates
• (00:20:53) Authenticity and AI in applications
• (00:22:36) Resume details and LinkedIn consistency
• (00:26:00) Candidate follow-up etiquette
• (00:28:21) Tracking job applications and networking
• (00:30:22) Candidate experience and tech limitations
• (00:33:23) Handling candidate rejections
• (00:36:40) Recruiter workload and full-cycle responsibilities
• (00:37:42) Connecting with Chrystal and closing remarks

This episode is brought to you by HeyMilo AI, the conversational AI built for high-volume hiring. HeyMilo helps recruiters save hours by automating initial screens while delivering smooth, two-way interviews at scale. Book a demo at HeyMilo.ai and see why top teams trust it to elevate their brand.

About Chrystal Gualtieri

Chrystal Gualtieri is the Global Talent Acquisition Leader for CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. With 1,500+ hires under her belt and nearly a decade of experience, Chrystal brings high-volume hustle and high-touch heart to every part of the recruiting process. She’s also a big believer in leading with empathy, staying tech-savvy but human-first, and celebrating every small win in a very big job.

Chrystal Gualtieri

• LinkedIn

In this episode of Recruiting is No Joke, host Joel Lalgee welcomes Stephanie Murray, Senior Director of Talent at Brightside Health, for her first-ever podcast appearance. With nearly two decades in healthcare recruiting, Stephanie gets real about the state of the industry, the mental health hiring crisis, and what it takes to build a high-functioning, data-driven talent function.

They dig into Brightside’s massive scale—from 20 clinicians to 1,200—and why sourcing, not job posts, drives most of their hires. Stephanie opens up about postpartum depression, the personal “why” behind her work, and the game-changing strategy of turning meet-and-greets into a pipeline goldmine.

She also drops the playbook on Brightside’s award-winning Talent Collective and how adding free CEUs and wellness perks helped them build a community that actually converts. Plus, they tackle what AI, overregulation, and therapist burnout mean for the future of recruiting. Let’s jump in!

In this episode:

• (00:00:03) Introduction
• (00:02:19) Stephanie’s background and Brightside Health overview
• (00:04:55) Scaling Brightside Health and data-driven hiring
• (00:06:56) Challenges in healthcare hiring
• (00:08:35) Recruitment marketing and sourcing strategies
• (00:10:37) Building the Brightside Talent Collective
• (00:11:37) Meet and greets and community engagement
• (00:13:17) Impact of the Talent Collective
• (00:14:34) Meet and greet structure and recruiter coaching
• (00:18:07) Community value and engagement tactics
• (00:19:17) Expanding to associate therapists and university outreach
• (00:20:48) Community growth and brand impact
• (00:22:04) Advice for building talent communities
• (00:24:03) Career advice for aspiring mental health professionals
• (00:26:03) Corporate hiring trends and market outlook
• (00:31:47) Application volume and candidate screening
• (00:32:51) Sourcing vs. waiting for applicants
• (00:33:38) Podcast wrap-up and where to connect

About Stephanie Murray

Stephanie Murray is the Senior Director of Talent at Brightside Health, a national leader in tele-mental health. With nearly 20 years of recruiting experience—most of it in healthcare—Stephanie now leads with a passion for building high-performing teams that truly care about making a difference. From launching talent communities to reducing time-to-hire through proactive engagement, she’s redefining what strategic recruiting looks like in a mission-driven, fast-growth company.

Stephanie Murray

• LinkedIn
• Brightside Health

About Joel Lalgee

Joel Lalgee is an internationally known recruitment leader and coach who has helped thousands of recruiters build their brands online. In 2015, Joel started recruiting for a small start-up agency in Milwaukee. He quickly found his passion for recruitment. In 2019, he discovered content marketing, publishing his first posts on Linkedin. Since then, he has grown to over 400k followers, and his content has been seen over 1 billion times. In 2023, he started a business specializing in coaching recruiters, marketing consulting, and influencer partnerships.

Is construction the next big thing in recruiting? In the 100th episode of Recruiting is No Joke, host Joel Lalgee sits down with Kala Kapahalou, Director of Talent Acquisition at W.E. O’Neil, to talk about a rarely spotlighted industry with massive opportunity: construction.

From ditching culinary school dreams to leading TA at a top national contractor, Kala shares his deeply personal and professional journey—from being told he was “too quiet” to thrive in recruiting, to proving everyone wrong. He offers a behind-the-scenes look at what hiring looks like in a world of million-dollar projects, civil engineering demands, and an ongoing talent shortage.

Joel and Kala cover everything from soft skills and culture fit, to career pivots and whether AI will ever take over construction jobs. They dig into why construction needs better branding, how soft skills have become the new superpower, and what younger talent is missing when stepping into the workforce.

In this episode:

• (00:03) Introduction and milestone update
• (01:17) Meet the guest: Kala Kapahalou
• (02:53) Kala’s origin story—from culinary dreams to recruiting
• (05:01) Leaving agency life for internal TA
• (06:52) Taking a pay cut to level up long-term
• (10:58) Construction vs. tech: why you should consider the hard hat
• (12:35) What do project managers in construction actually do?
• (13:50) Importance of relationships in construction
• (14:20) The underrated power of soft skills in blue-collar industries
• (16:45) Where construction hiring is headed
• (18:02) Field vs. Office jobs in construction
• (19:13) Decline in union interest and labor pipeline
• (21:49) Construction’s growing culture shift: balance, flexibility & retention
• (23:18) Will AI and automation affect construction?
• (26:38) Soft skills in Gen Z: what recruiters are noticing
• (28:25) AI in recruiting: tool or threat?
• (33:08) What makes a great interviewee
• (36:31) Joel’s classic advice: interview = conversation, not interrogation
• (41:05) Culture fit vs. hard skills: what really matters
• (42:11) How to connect with Kala & W.E. O’Neil
• (44:01) Wrap-up and Joel’s call to action

About Kala Kapahalou

Kala Kapahalou is the Director of Talent Acquisition at W.E. O’Neil, a leading national construction firm. With over 16 years in recruiting, Kala’s career began unconventionally — starting as a recruiting assistant after pivoting from culinary school ambitions. His journey spans agency staffing, direct hire, and now corporate talent leadership in one of the most relationship-driven and complex industries: construction.

Known for his resilience, adaptability, and emphasis on soft skills as a competitive edge, Kala has helped shape recruiting strategies that balance field operations with long-term cultural fit. He's a vocal advocate for elevating the perception of construction careers and building pipelines that meet the real demands of the industry.

Resource Links

• W.E. O’Neil
• LinkedIn

About Joel Lalgee

Joel Lalgee is an internationally known recruitment leader and coach who has helped thousands of recruiters build their brands online. In 2015, Joel...