Kebone Moloko
Kebone Moloko
Head of Technical Recruitment | PM, Design & Data - Gusto
For Kebone Moloko, recruiting was the result of a career built around people, relationships, and creating opportunities.
Her professional journey began in marketing and economics before moving into private higher education, where she recruited prospective students while leading sales and business development initiatives.
After earning her graduate degree in International Business, Kebone began exploring what her next career chapter would look like.
A friend working at recruiting firm Robert Walters recognized the combination of customer experience, sales expertise, and relationship-building skills she had developed and suggested she explore technology recruiting.
That recommendation led her into design recruiting, where she immediately found her calling.
"It was a match made in heaven," she says.
Today, Kebone is a recruiting leader at Gusto, where she partners with the business to build world-class Product Management and Design teams. Rather than viewing recruiting as simply filling roles, she sees it as building the infrastructure behind exceptional teams that help organizations serve customers and grow.
She also describes herself as "an agent of access," a philosophy shaped by her nonprofit work co-founding a Google.org-backed organization focused on expanding opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs.
"Access is a design problem," she says. "I've made it my mission to build in the talent space with that conviction."
Leadership That Creates Access
Throughout her career, Kebone has been inspired by leaders who demonstrated that business success begins with investing in people.
One of the most influential was Esther Benjamin, whom Kebone met while working at Monash University during a period of organizational transformation.
Despite leading through significant business change, Esther consistently made people her priority. She took time to understand employees' challenges, amplified voices regardless of seniority, and empowered others to do their best work.
For Kebone, Esther became the model of a leader who creates access and helps others grow.
Another influential leader has been Amy Thibodeau, Head of Design at Gusto.
Kebone admires Amy's ability to combine deep expertise with humility, ensuring everyone feels they belong at the table while championing meaningful collaboration between recruiting and design.
She also credits Emil Yeargin, who rehired her when she returned to Gusto, for his strategic approach to talent and his ability to recognize and empower exceptional people.
Recruiting in the Age of AI
As AI continues reshaping talent acquisition, Kebone believes the industry is entering one of its most transformational periods.
She recognizes both the excitement and uncertainty many recruiters feel as automation becomes more integrated into sourcing, operations, and candidate engagement.
Rather than seeing AI as something to fear, she views it as an opportunity to elevate recruiting into a more strategic function.
AI can remove repetitive administrative work, allowing recruiters to spend more time partnering with business leaders, building relationships, and making better hiring decisions.
At the same time, she believes leaders have an important responsibility during this transition.
Before introducing new technologies, they must first understand how their teams are feeling and help them navigate change with confidence.
Advice for Talent Leaders
Kebone encourages talent leaders to embrace change while never losing sight of the people behind the work.
She believes the best leaders lead by example, investing time in learning new technologies themselves before asking their teams to do the same.
Upskilling, curiosity, and continuous learning are becoming essential leadership traits as AI rapidly changes how recruiting operates.
Most importantly, she believes leaders should remain people-first during periods of uncertainty.
By listening to their teams, creating psychological safety, and serving as amplifiers for others, they can help recruiters move confidently into the future rather than fear it.
For Kebone, the future of recruiting is not about replacing human connection.
It is about using technology to strengthen it.
By combining strategic thinking, curiosity, access-driven leadership, and a deep commitment to empowering people, Kebone Moloko represents the kind of talent leader helping shape the future of recruiting with empathy, innovation, and purpose.
