The Art of Decoding Impact: Olivier Irakoze

Matching The Right Voice To The Mission

For Olivier Irakoze, our Recruitment Associate, your background isn’t a cage but an asset. After starting his career in linguistics, Olivier realized that changing fields didn't mean starting from scratch—it meant applying his skills in a whole new way. Today, he views recruitment as the ultimate linguistic puzzle, where matching the right candidate to the right mission directly leads to greater harvests for farmers.

If your career journey had a title, what would you call it? And why? 

The Art of Decoding Impact. My career journey hasn't been a straight line - it's been an evolution of understanding how human connection drives change. Before moving into training, development, and recruitment, most of my career was spent in customer service, sales, translation, and interpretation. Looking back, no matter the role, I have always focused on making an impact for the people who need it most. 

You mentioned that your career started in linguistics. What first sparked your interest in that field, and has it shaped how you approach your work today?

At its core, recruitment is about human connection, and that is where my background in linguistics and customer service comes into play. Studying linguistics taught me the art of active listening and gave me a deep appreciation for diverse cultures, inspiring my career path.

Applying a customer-first mindset has allowed me to thrive in talent acquisition, building strong partnerships with hiring managers and candidates alike. In my work, communication is a superpower. I don’t just skim a CV; I decode and translate a candidate’s unique life experiences to see if they share our mission at One Acre Fund. 

Transitioning from linguistics to recruitment felt like a leap because I had no background in recruitment, but different skills can make you exceptional in a new field if used properly. Your background isn't a cage, it's an asset.

How did that road lead to One Acre Fund and what initially drew you to work in recruitment?

I always wanted to orient my career around visible impact, and One Acre Fund's reputation for transparency and working and staying close to farmers was a huge magnet for me. For my first nine months here, I worked as an English Instructor and Translator, teaching languages to staff and helping field teams communicate with farmers during data collection and storytelling.

Eventually, I transitioned into recruitment, which I see as the ultimate linguistic puzzle—matching the right voice to the mission. Finding the right person for a role isn't just filling a seat; it indirectly increases the harvests of thousands of smallholders by ensuring I support teams to find the right people who will serve farmers.

What do you enjoy most about your role and working at One Acre Fund?

Seeing professionals I hired grow into major field roles or leadership positions. I was part of the hiring team for the current Country Director in Burundi, Annaise Kwizera, when she was a Field Operations Associate. She grew to Field Operations Lead, then Deputy Country Director, and now leads the Burundi program.

I like that we deeply value growth and honest feedback. We give and receive feedback with the same intensity that we serve our farmers. This keeps me sharp and humble.

If you had to hire someone based on everything except their CV, what traits would you look for in a conversation to know they’d thrive here?

I look for a spark for service. Hard skills like Excel or project management can be taught, but caring deeply about farmer prosperity cannot. A humble approach to service and how they respond to feedback are equally important. Additionally, resourcefulness in finding scalable solutions to challenges, and curiosity in how deeply they engage with the role and organization through their questions. 

What’s your go-to vibe - good music, or curled up with a great movie/series? 

Good music! I grew up in a family of musicians and have played the guitar since I was very young. Today, my home office is filled with pianos and guitars that help me remain focused. I also enjoy karaoke and listening to Afrobeats to help me recharge after a busy day. When I’m not sourcing talent, I do cover songs and my own original creations on my YouTube channel.

The best part of my work is… finding deeply driven, humble professionals who are ready to put farmers first, and knowing that every great hire directly translates into bigger harvests and improved livelihoods for farm families.