Fighting the Lebanese Talent Exodus with Remote Work for Global Companies

Lebanon’s protracted economic, political and social crises have led to massive emigration that could last for years, according to the Crisis Observatory at the American University of Beirut. In response, various initiatives have sought solutions to allow Lebanese talents to work remotely for companies abroad, thus providing them with an incentive to stay in Lebanon.

Carla Richa wakes up at 8 a.m., gets dressed, makes coffee, and sits in a corner office from her home in Beirut. From Monday to Friday, he creates his own work environment to meet the needs of his clients in Dubai and Egypt.

“I have been working remotely for an international ad agency as a performance marketing executive for over a year,” Richa told FRANCE 24. “I feel lucky that I have a good job and am gaining incredible experience, all while I am staying in Lebanon and living comfortably with my family and friends. ”

In 2020, the World Bank warned that migration was “becoming an increasingly desperate option” for Lebanese. Two years after the country’s economic and social crisis, the Lebanese Crisis Observatory at the American University of Beirut noted that Lebanon was witnessing a third mass exodus since the late 19th century, with hundreds of thousands of Lebanese fleeing the country.

“Given the ongoing crises, the Lebanese are taking every opportunity to leave, and this is mainly because they cannot find suitable job opportunities in Lebanon. But the high rate of migration will have lasting effects on the country and the only way to respond to this trend is by having foreign companies outsource Lebanese talent, ”said Joseph Nemer, regional growth leader at Jobs for Lebanon, an unregistered in US -governmental organization that aims to bring international remote work opportunities to Lebanon’s skilled labor market by identifying and connecting international companies with local service providers.

Telecommuting for foreign companies as a trend has been around in Lebanon since the mid-1990s, but the economic crisis has made it a necessity, according to Neal El-Jor Taouk, CEO of Jobs for Lebanon.

“Providing opportunities that provide a stable salary provides security for Lebanese, which in turn leads to a better quality of life. If you have peace of mind and can live comfortably, you will not feel the need to leave, ”El-Jor Taouk said.

Since its launch in 2020, Jobs for Lebanon has generated a database of more than 14,000 applicants and posted more than 4,000 job opportunities online, of which 60 percent were remote.

“Our volunteers facilitate the connection between employers and Lebanese and provide candidates with the necessary tools to be career ready through mentoring, career guidance and jobs that match their profiles,” El-Jor Taouk told FRANCE 24 “We are trying to build this ecosystem to transform Lebanon into a outsourcing hub and encourage Lebanese to stay in the country.”

Challenges Faced by Remote Workers

“When do I stop responding to my job requests?” Richa asks, explaining one of the challenges of remote work. “It took me a while to put limits on my work hours and realize that working remotely requires a lot of organizational skills.”

One of the main challenges of working remotely is building a proper team culture, as employees can’t see each other most of the time, according to Wissam Youssef, co-founder and CEO of multinational technology consultancy CME, which provides skilled workers to all over the world. companies.

“On the other hand, the country’s weak infrastructure, including slow Wi-Fi and low electricity supply, is not a big problem,” Youssef told FRANCE 24. Therefore, you can mitigate challenges by accessing the right tools, like buying a UPS. [uninterruptable power supply] system to compensate for long hours of power outages. ”

With the growing brain drain, Mark Jlailaty, founder and chief marketing officer of Joint Media House, a marketing agency that offers a fully operational outsourced marketing department for companies, explained that another challenge is finding the right candidates for the position.

“To respond to this, we have developed an academy to teach the skills necessary for the global market and give Lebanese the opportunity to grow in their career,” he said. “We hope to make sure we can keep as many talents as we can in the country.”

While some people have chosen to leave, others may not have this option, or may wholeheartedly choose to stay. Remote work is for those people, El-Jor Taouk explained.

“I wake up every day feeling happy. Is it because of my remote work? Yes. Because it allows me to do everything I want to do during my stay in Lebanon, ”said Richa.