Client Love
In Her Own Words
Don't just take our word for it — hear directly from the leaders who use HireQuotient every day.
An interview with
Ann Jadown
Chief People Officer · EnsembleIQ
30+ years in HR · One of HireQuotient's first 10 clients · AI recruiting pioneer
Full Transcript
Interviewer
Hello, Ann. It is very nice to meet you. Could you please give us a brief introduction of yourself and your background in the people function?
Ann
My name is Ann Jadown, and I am the Chief People Officer for EnsembleIQ. I have been in the HR function for over 30 years. My role has primarily been in the service industry, including retail, hospitality, and most recently, B2B media and intelligence. As a generalist, talent has always been my strength, with recruiting being a key component.
Interviewer
That sounds great. Thank you for providing a detailed view of your background. While AI has become a common boardroom discussion in the last year, you were among the pioneers who considered it almost two years ago. In fact, you were among our first ten clients. Tell us more about that. What were your thoughts two years ago on how AI could transform the people function?
Ann
I have always been very interested in AI and embraced it from the start. As the person in charge of hiring for my company, I saw AI as an option that could save me time. Being the only recruiter for my company, I normally spend significant time sourcing, which can take hours. When I saw the product, I wanted to jump in and learn how I could save time on the sourcing front. I was introduced to Smarth and the product, and I was truly amazed at how intuitive and easy "EasySource" with HireQuotient could help me.
Interviewer
That makes sense. If I am not mistaken, you were among the clients who worked directly with our CEO, Smarth, during the early days to shape our product. How was your experience working with him, chatting twice a week for months, and eventually seeing the impact of your insights shape our product?
Ann
I was surprised to start working directly with Smarth right away after signing the contract. Working with him twice a week showed that he really cared about ensuring I knew the product inside and out to get the best results. I also viewed our frequent meetings as a way for him to get feedback on what I was finding with the tool and to discuss my "wish list." As we interacted, I would see the results of my feedback in the form of new product technology or features. You do not normally see that when working with an AI recruiting tool or any HR tool. It meant a lot to me that he cared about making adjustments to the product based on my feedback to provide even better results.
Interviewer
One highlight in our relationship was that you initially took a one-month paid trial, but in under 30 days, you moved to an annual contract despite budget constraints at the time. What influenced that decision?
Ann
It was honestly the results. The fact that the tool can produce a niche talent pool within a day truly amazed me. By simply putting in vetting criteria, I was able to get a very specific talent pool. Another reason was the outreach. The customization is very smart; it uses AI to tailor the outreach to the candidate by pulling from their LinkedIn profile and the job description to create human-sounding language. It makes candidates feel special by helping them understand why they are a strong fit for a particular role. Those two factors made me want to commit to the contract, and Smarth was also very flexible regarding our budget challenges.
Interviewer
Within a few months of moving to an annual contract, you added another license and then renewed. You have now been using our platform for two years. Given the options in the market today, what made you stick with us? What value do we add to your company?
Ann
I have not even considered or researched other platforms. The service I receive from Smarth and his team is powerful. Whenever I need help with a project or a difficult role, my weekly touch-base with my support person changes the game. I see an influx of new candidates and the results of how they tweak my outreach. It is a partnership I do not think I will find elsewhere. The number of people we have been able to hire, combined with the service and results, makes me continue to stay with HireQuotient.
Interviewer
I am told that you and our CEO share a special professional relationship. Can you tell us more about your experience with him as a client?
Ann
Smarth and I discovered an easy friendship from the start. Much of that came from how much he cared about me learning the product to ensure I was successful. He also genuinely cared about my feedback regarding features I wished to see, which often materialized. Beyond that, he has built a strong team. Every person I interact with who supports me on a weekly basis is extremely knowledgeable and genuinely cares about the success of my open projects. Their ability to look into what I have done and make tweaks for better results says a lot about Smarth's high emotional intelligence and his brilliant team.
Interviewer
As part of his team, I really appreciate those thoughts. I would love to hear how you are thinking about the future of AI in the people function.
Ann
AI has proven to be an essential partner from a recruiting standpoint, especially for a one-person HR department. It has given me the ability to find a pipeline and conduct outreach quickly to get results. Moving forward, I do not think AI will ever replace the people function; I believe it is and will remain a strategic partner. In the future, it will assist more with reporting, analysis, and backend work like benefits and payroll. Regarding the people-to-people side, it allows me to be more proactive and intentional in my interactions with our workforce. That is where I see the future of AI in the people function.
Interviewer
That makes a lot of sense. Thank you so much for joining me today.
Ann
Thanks, Sam.
Interviewer
Nice to meet you. Have a great week.
Ann
Have a great week. Bye.