Conversation
Highlights

In this episode of How I Hire, Andy Mowat speaks with Ejieme Eromosele, VP of Customer Growth at Quiq, about her systematic approach to evaluating three-dimensional candidate fit and her tactical frameworks for identifying transferable competencies in non-traditional hires. Drawing from her transition from management consulting at Accenture and PwC to customer experience leadership at The New York Times and now scaling customer success at a Series A startup, Ejieme reveals advanced hiring methodologies that prioritize core capabilities over industry experience.

Topics discussed:

• How to evaluate three-dimensional candidate fit: role alignment, team maturity (process-builder vs. operator), and company stage matching—including the “machete vs. map” framework for identifying who thrives in ambiguous startup environments.
• Why you need three types of references for leadership hires: manager, peer, and direct report perspectives that reveal candidates who manage up brilliantly but “elbow and knife” their peers to get ahead.
• The “keep it real” pre-offer conversation that prevents misaligned hires—inspired by Ejieme’s CEO taking her to lunch to honestly explain startup chaos before she joined, saving both parties from a costly mistake.
• How top candidates differentiate themselves by explaining your company through customer pain points rather than product features, plus Ejieme’s go-to question: “Tell me about a time a customer changed your point of view.”
• The onboarding template that accelerates cross-functional relationships by pre-mapping new hires to key stakeholders with specific conversation topics, turning generic coffee chats into strategic relationship building.
• How to identify transferable skills in atypical hires by focusing on core competencies (leadership, relationship development, business acumen) rather than industry experience—the approach that got Ejieme her first VP role in tech.
• Why AI is creating both smarter candidates and more hiring noise, plus tactical considerations for screening authenticity when candidates over-leverage AI research for interviews.
• Real-world case study of redesigning roles when AI eliminates 50% of tasks—how Ejieme is creating a hybrid AM/RevOps position and applying the “scale rules” principle for sustainable growth.

ABOUT ANDY

Andy Mowat has built GTM engines for top companies throughout his career. He led Revenue Operations and Demand Gen at four unicorns, including scaling from $10M to $100M ARR at both Upwork and Culture Amp, and helping guide Box and Carta through IPO scale. With a passion for connecting people, Andy has advised executives on their careers for years and launched Whispered to make searching for executive roles less intimidating.

CONNECT WITH ANDY

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amowat/ 

ABOUT HOW I HIRE

How I Hire is a podcast in partnership with Whispered and Front Lines where Andy Mowat talks with senior GTM leaders about how they find, vet, attract, and grow exceptional talent.

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