Talentless

We took Talentless on the road and dropped ourselves right into the middle of RecFest. Sun out, mics on, chaos fully embraced.

In this episode, we sat down with two of our all-time favorite humans in recruiting, Brooke Freeburg and Krissy Callari from ZRG, and let the conversation do what it does best… wander in the smartest, funniest way possible.

We talked about the realities of recruiting right now, what actually makes this indust...

"HR Conferences” is our love letter and side-eye to the events that are supposed to move this industry forward. Desiree and Ashley break down what conferences should be about; community, real education, and true innovation and why too many of them have turned into overpriced vendor parades with celebrity keynotes no one asked for.

We talk about safety (especially for women), inclusion, accessibility, and what it actually looks like ...

Jim Miller is a global People Operations leader with over 20 years of experience scaling recruiting and people teams across tech giants and hypergrowth startups including Google, FullStory, and now Ashby, where he serves as VP of People & Talent.

From leading 200+ recruiters worldwide to advising on product, process, and people tech, Jim has built his career around one central truth: productivity in recruiting isn’t about doing ...

Katrina Kibben is a leadership speaker, LinkedIn Top Voice, and founder of Three Ears Media known for transforming how companies attract talent and build healthy team cultures. With over 15 years at global brands like Monster.com and Randstad, Katrina brings real talk on leadership, belonging, and what it means to show up as yourself at work.

In this episode, Katrina joins Talentless to talk about leading with authenticity, navigati...

“Clockout with Julia Arpag” is a story about building something meaningful at work and at home. Julia shares how she turned her love for connecting people into a business rooted in purpose, faith, and high-performance recruiting. As founder of Aligned Recruitment, she’s proof that you can lead with heart, hire with intention, and still build world-class teams.

Catch the full episode below and hear how Julia redefined what a career i...

"Clockout with Tejal Rives” is a conversation about finding power where the system told you not to. Tejal opens up about navigating the job search and promotion process as a woman of color and how that experience pushed her to change how hiring works starting with transparency and empathy. From helping others decode what recruiters really look for to talking openly about DEI and neurodiversity, her story is as honest as it is empow...

“Clockout with Erin Riska” dives into the unconventional path of a recruiter who refuses to play by the old HR rulebook. Erin shares how curiosity, flexibility, and a healthy dose of irreverence shaped her work as a fractional talent strategist and writer. From building better candidate experiences to designing people-first recruiting systems, her story is equal parts grit and wanderlust.

Catch the full episode below and hear how Er...

In this episode of Clockout, we sit down with Joel Lalgee — podcast host, executive recruiter, content strategist, and longtime friend of the Talentless Podcast.

Joel has been shaping conversations in recruiting and content long before it was trendy, and his journey is full of lessons for anyone trying to stand out in the talent space. From building an authentic voice online to navigating the realities of executive search, Joel shar...

When it comes to employer branding, no one cuts through the noise like James Ellis. In this episode, we dig into what it really means to “brand like you mean it.” From understanding the DNA of your organization to building a message that actually resonates with talent, James challenges the fluff and gets real about how to stand out in a crowded market.

We discuss why most employer branding efforts fall short, how to avoid the pitfal...

Same job title, totally different reality. In this episode of Talentless, we break down the messy truth about role nuances: the invisible details that can make or break a recruiter’s sanity. We’re talking job titles that don’t match the work, hiring managers who oversell the role, and candidates who find themselves in a job that feels nothing like the posting.

We’ll swap stories, spill some tea, and explain why understanding the fin...

Recruiting isn’t one-size-fits-all—and nowhere is that clearer than when you move across industries. In this episode of Talentless, we dig into the nuances that shape how hiring actually works in different sectors. From the fast-paced world of tech to the highly credentialed healthcare field, from hospitality’s frontline brand-builders to the high-stakes demands of tech hiring, we break down what makes each industry unique—and why ...

Recruiters aren’t just sourcing resumes — they’re managing expectations, coaching through bias, and sometimes dragging hiring managers across the finish line.

In this episode of Talentless, we dig into the real work behind “managing the manager.” From setting clear timelines and pushing back on unrealistic requests to aligning on what “good” actually looks like, we discuss the soft skills and strategic grit it takes to run a hiring ...

They share the same house but don’t always see eye to eye.

In this episode, we’re unpacking the long-standing (and sometimes strained) relationship between HR and Talent Acquisition. Our guest, Daniela Herrera, joins us to explore how these two critical functions can move from friction to flow.

From legacy hierarchies to modern collaboration, we’ll break down what works, what doesn't, and what it takes to build trust and partnership ...

What are the real lessons no one warns you about when you start recruiting?

In this episode of Talentless, we’re talking about the rookie mistakes, unspoken rules, and jaw-dropping moments that shape every recruiter’s first two years. Whether you’re just starting out or reflecting on your own early missteps, we’ve got stories and insights that’ll hit close to home.

We’re breaking down the things we wish we knew back then and sharing ...

In this episode of Talentless, we’re diving headfirst into one of the most overlooked—but most important—parts of the hiring process: the candidate experience. And we brought in one of the most trusted voices in the game to help us do it.

Bonnie Dilber joins us to break down why candidate experience isn't just a buzzword, but a core pillar of effective, equitable recruiting. We talk about what a good process actually looks like, wha...

Would you know if the recruiter sliding into your DMs was actually running a scam?

This week on Talentless, we’re cracking open the recruiting ecosystem, from the elite talent whisperers changing lives to the shady scammers collecting resumes like Pokémon cards. There are good recruiters. There are lazy ones. And then there are straight-up predators. We’re naming the types, sharing receipts, and giving you the tools to know who you’...

In this episode of Talentless, Ashley King and Desiree Goldey take on the recruiting unicorns of the talent world those hyper-specific, nearly mythical roles we lovingly (and sometimes begrudgingly) call purple squirrels.

From wild job descriptions to impossible expectations, they unpack what makes these roles so hard to fill and why companies keep writing them. This episode dives into the tension between business needs and hiring r...

In this episode of Talentless, hosts Ashley King and Desiree Goldey welcome their very first guest: Jeremy Lyons, a recruiting operations pro who’s as smart as he is generous with his time. Together, they dive into the world of RecOps—what it is, why it matters, and how it’s quietly shaping the future of hiring behind the scenes.

RecOps (that’s Recruiting Operations, for the uninitiated) isn’t just about fixing broken processes—it’s...