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...

Did you know that emotional intelligence (EQ) can be a better predictor of job success than traditional hard skills? In this episode of Recruiting is No Joke, host Joel Lalgee sits down with Napoleon "Napo" Rumteen, founder and CEO of Interactive EQ, to talk about how emotional intelligence and soft skills are reshaping how we assess talent. If you've ever wondered why some candidates ace interviews but flop on the job—or how to make hiring less of a gamble—this episode is a must-listen.

Joel and Napo dive into the flaws of experience-first hiring, discuss the dangers of relying on gut instincts, and introduce new ways to measure the “intangibles” that truly make a candidate succeed. They explore the importance of reading the room, how EQ is linked to leadership, and the need for immersive evaluations that go beyond the resume.

From high-churn costs to the misalignment between talent and company culture, this episode challenges old-school hiring practices and offers fresh, research-backed solutions for the modern workforce.

In this episode:

• (00:00:03) Introduction and episode overview
• (00:01:17) Guest introduction: Napoleon Rumteen
• (00:01:46) Why assess emotional intelligence?
• (00:02:24) Hard skills vs. soft skills
• (00:03:46) Defaulting to experience in hiring
• (00:04:36) Challenges in interviewing for soft skills
• (00:06:09) The marriage analogy and interview limitations
• (00:09:33) Common hiring mistakes
• (00:11:00) Defining emotional intelligence
• (00:12:06) Reading the room and EQ in practice
• (00:13:37) Prevalence and teachability of EQ
• (00:14:03) EQ in management and sports
• (00:16:19) Diagnosing and developing EQ
• (00:17:33) Performance management and PIPs
• (00:19:08) Measuring performance beyond sales
• (00:20:24) How to grow EQ
• (00:21:29) Simulated assessment environments
• (00:23:46) Candidate experience and assessment details
• (00:28:12) Scoring soft skills and key categories
• (00:30:00) Measuring and defining culture fit
• (00:31:16) Customizing assessments for organizations
• (00:33:26) Current trends: Reorgs and tech’s impact
• (00:34:32) Balancing EQ and experience in hiring
• (00:35:42) EQ in the remote and post-pandemic world
• (00:37:35) EQ as the X-factor in recruitment
• (00:39:19) Modern communication challenges and EQ
• (00:40:31) Safeguarding against bias in culture fit
• (00:41:26) The business case for EQ and retention
• (00:43:13) How to connect and learn more
• (00:46:06) Closing remarks and next steps

About Napoleon "Napo" Rumteen

Napoleon "Napo" Rumteem is the founder and CEO of Interactive EQ, a platform using immersive, simulation-based assessments to measure emotional intelligence and soft skills. With years of experience interviewing thousands of candidates, Napo created Interactive EQ to close the gap between instinct-driven hiring and real-world performance.

Napoleon "Napo" Rumteen

• Interactive EQ
• LinkedIn
• Email

About Joel...

AI is rewriting resumes. Candidates are deepfaking interviews. Job postings go live—and within hours? Thousands of applications flood in. So how does anyone actually hire the right person anymore?

In this episode of Recruiting is No Joke, Joel Lalgee sits down with someone who’s not just talking about the chaos—she’s living it. Meet Erin Turnmeyer, VP of People Operations at Civis Analytics, juggling HR, recruiting, and payroll all on her own. One-person team. Zero fluff.

How do you spot a fake candidate in a world of perfectly polished LinkedIn profiles and AI-generated cover letters? How do you cut through the noise and find people who really bring it?

Erin brings the receipts—from her days recruiting in counterterrorism to leading hiring at high-growth tech startups. She shares what it takes to transition from government to tech, what AI is really doing to the hiring process, and how to keep the human element front and center.

If you’re a recruiter drowning in resumes, a job seeker wondering how to stand out, or just curious about the future of work—this episode is your roadmap. Because hiring in 2025? It’s a battlefield. But Erin Turnmeyer knows how to navigate it—and she’s not holding back..

In this episode:

• [00:03] Introduction and episode milestone
• [01:37] Guest intro: Erin Turnmeyer and her role at Sybase Analytics
• [02:24] Erin’s recruitment journey from federal government to tech
• [03:56] The surge in applications and rise of fake/AI-generated resumes
• [05:23] Four groups of fraudulent applicants and how they bypass systems
• [07:56] 990 applicants, 50 real contenders
• [08:38] What “qualified” actually means in tech hiring today
• [10:15] AI during interviews: how it’s detected and why it matters
• [12:46] How tech companies are thinking about AI—and what candidates need to know
• [13:21] Erin’s favorite AI tools and why human connection still wins
• [14:08] AI, job security, and why strategic thinkers stay valuable
• [15:54] Corporate reorgs, impact measurement, and job self-awareness
• [17:37] AI freeing HR pros from paperwork—and unlocking real impact
• [18:40] The irreplaceable value of strategic recruiting conversations
• [19:36] Advice for government employees moving into private sector
• [22:44] Why government workers struggle with bragging on resumes
• [23:45] Private sector myths: lazy, slow, and overly bureaucratic?
• [24:18] Counterterrorism vs. corporate: pace, pressure, and autonomy
• [25:22] Is tech still worth it? Erin’s take on risk, learning, and growth
• [27:30] The rise of trades and rethinking what “meaningful work” means
• [28:43] Remote work, mentorship gaps, and early-career development
• [33:13] Networking, discomfort, and finding your voice online
• [35:08] Closing thoughts and where to connect with Erin

About Our Guest

Erin Turnmeyer is the VP of People Operations at Sybase Analytics. With roots in federal recruitment for the...

When you’re applying to jobs in 2025, the world feels a little upside down. AI is everywhere. Remote work is under debate. And recruiters? They’re being asked to do more with less—again. So, how do we make sense of it all?

In this episode of Recruiting is No Joke, Joel Lalgee sits down with Logan Marsh, Head of Talent Acquisition at Calendly, to unpack the realities of hiring in a rapidly evolving landscape. With nearly two decades of experience spanning tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft, Logan brings a no-BS perspective on what’s changing—and what’s just noise.

From switching from enterprise to scrappy startup mode, to leading TA in a “remote-first-but-not-remote-only” org, Logan shares how he’s rethinking systems, data, and candidate experience at scale. He also gets real about job searching after a layoff, why AI won’t replace recruiters any time soon, and how curiosity (not panic) is your best weapon in today’s job market.

Whether you’re a hiring leader, job seeker, or just trying to keep your head above water in a sea of tools and headlines, this episode cuts through the fluff and gets to what matters most: real strategy, real people, and real talk.

In this episode:

• [00:01:09] Logan’s background and why he left big tech for a smaller, scrappier mission
• [00:04:30] Calendly’s growth journey and the challenge of doing more with less
• [00:06:49] Owning the full recruiting lifecycle—from headcount planning to tooling
• [00:08:26] Enterprise vs. startup: what changes and what stays the same
• [00:09:49] The dual reality of layoffs and innovation in today’s job market
• [00:11:48] Logan’s job search tips: real networking > recycled TikTok scripts
• [00:14:10] How Logan landed the Calendly role (hint: not through his network!)
• [00:17:41] Remote work: time zones, productivity myths, and flexible futures
• [00:21:47] Remote-first vs. work-from-home: what’s the difference, really?
• [00:25:01] Creating culture with intention in distributed teams
• [00:28:57] AI in recruiting: co-pilot, not replacement
• [00:31:39] What hiring teams are really looking for in AI-savvy candidates
• [00:34:57] Interviewing for curiosity, adaptability, and ownership
• [00:37:29] Why transcription tools are a total game-changer in hiring
• [00:40:48] Logan’s favorite AI tools (and how he actually uses them)
• [00:44:42] Advice for new grads: tech’s not dead, but it is evolving
• [00:46:13] Emerging industries to watch: healthtech, defense, climate

About Logan Marsh

Logan Marsh is the Head of Talent Acquisition at Calendly, where he leads global hiring strategy at one of the most widely used scheduling tools in the world. With nearly 17 years in TA, Logan’s experience spans leadership roles at Amazon, Microsoft, and Okta. Passionate about operational excellence and human-first hiring, he brings both enterprise wisdom and startup scrappiness to every team he leads.

Logan Marsh Social Media

• LinkedIn

Let’s be honest: recruiting is rarely simple—and in high-turnover, high-volume environments, it’s downright relentless. But what if we stopped overcomplicating it and focused on what really matters: clear expectations, streamlined systems, and actually respecting people’s time?

In this episode of Recruiting is No Joke, Joel Lalgee sits down with Matt Lowney, Managing Director of Talent Acquisition at CoreCivic, a corrections and reentry services company hiring 8,000+ people a year. From healthcare to corrections, Matt brings decades of experience managing large-scale, multi-site recruiting operations and shares his playbook for making high-volume hiring not only work—but work better.

With humor, Matt digs into what’s broken in hiring today—from inflated job titles and unclear expectations to the overhyped promise of “culture.” He’s brutally honest about what candidates really want (spoiler: it’s not ping-pong tables) and why it’s time to separate why someone joins from why they stay.

This isn’t your typical TA chat. You’ll hear how Matt’s team is testing AI workflows, spending $400k/month on omnichannel ads, and applying ruthless focus to improving “time to paycheck”—all while navigating human realities like burnout, motivation, and candidate experience at scale.

So whether you're deep in the hiring trenches or leading strategy from the top, this episode is packed with real-world insight to sharpen your recruitment edge.

This episode was brought to you by Interactive EQ. A one of a kind talent assessment platform that measures how people will handle real life situations. Check out what they do and let them know Joel sent you.

In this episode:

• [00:00] Introduction
• [00:51] Meet the guest: Matt Lowy
• [02:16] Matt's background and CoreCivic's hiring process
• [03:18] Sponsorship break: Interactive EQ
• [04:06] Challenges and strategies in recruitment
• [07:55] The evolution of recruitment and work culture
• [19:30] The role of AI in recruitment
• [21:13] Automation in recruitment
• [21:55] Inbound applications workflow
• [22:50] The role of recruiters in the future
• [23:45] Human interaction in recruitment
• [26:22] Challenges in recruitment
• [28:45] Candidate experience and feedback
• [32:22] Workplace culture and retention
• [38:11] Advice for job seekers
• [42:16] Conclusion and farewell

About Matt Lowney

Matt Lowney is Managing Director of Talent Acquisition at CoreCivic, where he oversees recruitment and HR operations for one of the largest correctional services organizations in the U.S. With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare and corrections hiring, Matt is known for scaling TA infrastructure, driving process improvements, and pushing past industry clichés to build real, people-first strategies that work—no fluff, no filler.

Matt Lowney Social Media

How many times have you opened that dreaded email—“We’ve decided to move forward with someone else”? Was it even written by a real person? An AI bot, maybe? Rejection stings, but silence stings more. So here’s the real question: do candidates deserve better? And are hiring teams truly prepared to give it?

In this episode of Recruiting is No Joke, Joel Lalgee is joined by Trisha Degg, Head of Talent Acquisition at Rush Street Interactive, to pull back the curtain on the real state of recruiting today. With a global team and rapid growth (100 hires this year alone across 26 countries), Trisha’s seen what works—and what definitely doesn’t.

From implementing hands-on interview training for hiring managers at every physical location, to building systems that actually respect candidates, Trisha shares how she’s helping scale a people-first hiring culture in a high-growth tech environment.

But it’s not just about systems. This episode goes deeper—into what it means to build relationships in recruiting. Trisha talks about the power of ongoing networking (hint: job seekers aren’t the only ones who should be doing it), the value of meeting someone new at every event, and the surprisingly overlooked etiquette of LinkedIn. (Ditch the generic connection request.)

No fluff, just real talk. Whether you're hiring, job hunting, or rethinking your recruitment strategy, this conversation is packed with the kind of insights that’ll change how you show up—for your team and your candidates. Ready to rethink recruiting? Let’s dive in.

In this episode:

• [00:00:49] Trisha's background and journey into recruitment
• [00:02:09] Hypergrowth at Rush Street Interactive and industry insights
• [00:04:11] Parallels between the Great Recession and post-COVID hiring
• [00:06:19] Dealing with bots and high-volume applicants
• [00:08:02] Tech, AI adoption, and building safe implementation practices
• [00:10:48] Addressing misconceptions about AI in the recruiting process
• [00:11:42] Candidate experience: balancing empathy with tech
• [00:12:18] Training hiring managers and building interview capability
• [00:14:46] Why so many managers have never been trained to interview
• [00:16:13] Behavioral interviewing, legal compliance, and live training
• [00:18:53] Elevating the recruiter role: from order taker to consultant
• [00:20:31] Internal mobility and training early-career employees to interview
• [00:23:21] Why investing in employees pays dividends
• [00:26:31] Corporate culture, transparency, and candidate trust
• [00:29:45] How Trisha's network helped shape her career
• [00:32:24] Networking advice: build connections before you need them
• [00:34:36] Trisha’s approach to in-person events and effective networking
• [00:36:46] Burned bridges, missed connections, and managing expectations
• [00:40:43] Give > take: why generosity in business wins long-term

About Trisha Degg

Trisha Degg is the Head of Talent Acquisition at Rush Street Interactive, a global online gaming and casino technology company. With two decades of experience spanning agency recruiting, HR...