Episode Description
Everybody calls them headhunters. Nichole calls herself a matchmaker — and after this conversation, you'll understand why that one word change says everything about how recruiting in hospitality is supposed to work.
Nichole Bajko started in an Italian deli at 15, went to NIU for hospitality (mostly for the kegs and eggs, her words), did seven years with Marriott including opening The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas at 25, ran a restaurant and brewery in South Barrington, and is now about to start her fifth year at Source One Hospitality — a grassroots, referral-driven recruiting agency that doesn't use ads or AI to find people. Just conversations, a real network, and the belief that this industry is the biggest industry in the smallest world.
We get into why Chicago is pretentious about outside talent, why the job you see on Indeed has 500 applicants AND is still open, the salary compression happening right now in the city, what actually gets someone from cook to sous chef (hint: it's not a better resume), and the impossible balance of being a mom in restaurant operations. She also drops her three Chicago picks and the story about meeting José Andrés in an elevator at 25.
If you've ever felt stuck in your career, burned by a bad hire, or wondered whether working with a recruiter is even worth it — well call Nichole!
Find Nichole:
- Instagram: @findyourniche
- LinkedIn: Nicole Bajko
- Agency: sourceonehospitality.com
- Newsletter: twice-monthly jobs + content: https://mailchi.mp/sourceonehospitality/social?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Welcome + is "headhunter" a dirty word?
02:27 From an Italian deli at 15 to Marriott
04:16 Networking: the biggest industry in the smallest world
10:07 Resumes, AI, and what a recruiter actually costs you
17:15 Why Chicago won't hire outside talent
22:39 Tenure, salary compression, and the state of the industry
30:37 Mental health, moms in ops, and the "always on" problem
38:54 The real path from cook to management
48:46 What the industry gets wrong about leaders and training
54:16 Year five, The Cosmopolitan, and meeting José Andrés
01:02:14 Where to find Nichole + three Chicago picks
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