Grilling Up Authenticity: Chris Krull on Human-Centric Recruiting at Five Guys (LIVE @ RecFest US)
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/drm970PFJ_o
Live from RecFest 2026 in Nashville, Adam Posner sits down with Chris Krull, Director of Talent Acquisition at Five Guys. Chris shares his 17-year journey with Five Guys, detailing how an operational background allowed him to transition into talent acquisition with immediate credibility and shift his recruiting team from order-takers to strategic business partners. The discussion covers essential talent practices, including internal promotion strategies, training non-ops recruiters in actual store environments, prioritizing candidate experience to protect brand reputation, and leveraging AI for interview transcription rather than replacing human interaction.
Chris Krull, Director of Talent & Organizational Development, helps Five Guys build high-performing teams, develop leaders, and create talent strategies that drive business results. With extensive experience in talent acquisition, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, and multi-unit operations, Chris partners with leaders to navigate workforce challenges and foster cultures where people and performance thrive.
In his free time, he is an avid FC Cincinnati soccer fan and season ticket holder, loves working on his vintage 1997 JDM Subaru Forester, and spends time with his family.
Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-krull-3b641a20/
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Key Takeaways
- Operational Background Builds Credibility: Recruiters with hands-on operational experience build instant trust, buy-in, and a shared language with hiring managers.
- Recruiters as Strategic Partners: Shifting talent acquisition from transactional "order takers" to strategic business partners elevates the overall quality and impact of hiring.
- Internal Mobility Over External Hiring: Five Guys prioritizes promoting store general managers into recruitment roles, teaching them recruiting skills rather than trying to teach outside hires the company culture.
- Immersive Onboarding for External Hires: External hires spend time working in stores—cooking, cleaning, and experiencing operations firsthand—to live the company's core values.
- Candidate Experience Protects Brand Value: Avoiding candidate ghosting and communicating clearly is vital because job candidates are also prospective customers.
- AI Should Enhance, Not Replace, Human Interaction: Five Guys uses AI for automated interview transcriptions to help recruiters practice active listening, while strongly opposing fully automated or one-way robotic interviews.
Chapters
- 00:00 - 00:56: Introduction and RecFest Experience
- 00:56 - 02:35: Chris Croll's Transition from Operations to Talent Acquisition
- 02:35 - 03:50: Evolving TA from Order-Takers to Strategic Business Partners
- 03:50 - 04:47: Internal Hiring and Immersive Store Training for Recruiters
- 04:47 - 06:05: Empathetic Recruiting and Setting Transparent Expectations
- 06:05 - 07:35: Assessing Cultural Alignment and Maintaining a People-Centric Business
- 07:35 - 08:52: Candidate Attraction Strategies and Recruitment Platform Partnerships
- 08:52 - 10:06: Protecting the Candidate Experience and Preventing Candidate Ghosting
- 10:06 - 12:00: Utilizing AI Tools for Interview Transcriptions and Active Listening
- 12:00 - 13:30: Debating AI in the Interview Process and Human Interaction
- 13:30 - 14:06: Best Practices and Ethics for Candidates Using AI
- 14:06 - 15:00: Celebrating Team Culture, Retention, and Company Longevity
- 15:00 - 15:39: Where to Connect with Chris Croll & Closing Remarks