At Oyster, our mission is to remove the barriers that keep talented people from being able to enjoy full-time, remote employment with companies in other countries. Our platform is meant to be a bridge between great people and the great companies that would love to hire them. We are particularly motivated by the chance to bring great jobs to talented individuals who live in parts of the world with limited local opportunities.
In that spirit and in light of the recent catastrophe in Beirut, we are delighted to share that companies with open remote roles can now hire, pay, and give local benefits to full-time employees in Lebanon.
A country in crisis
Even before the devastating explosion that shook the capital city of Beirut last week, Lebanon was a country in crisis. The explosion is likely to accelerate a painful cycle Lebanon was already living through—discontent, economic distress, and emigration. Lebanon was already undergoing a massive financial crisis, deepening Coronavirus outbreak, and political instability following months of protests. It was also still recovering from terrible wildfires last year. The economic crisis had left 75% of Lebanese in need of aid, 33% unemployed, and 15%—one million people—below the poverty line.
An exceptional talent pool
Talent to Lebanon is what oil is to Saudi Arabia. The country has one of the top universities in the Middle East: The American University of Beirut consistently ranks at the top in the region, even in 2020. It has a cultural and linguistic mix of French, English and Arabic, with many speaking all three. Its time zone of GMT+2 means its days conveniently overlap with the vast majority of the world’s population. But for the last 40 years, the Lebanese have sought stability and success abroad, having a dramatic effect on the country itself, and creating one of the most successful and active diaspora in the world. It is estimated today that the Lebanese diaspora is 3x larger than Lebanese living in the country. In order for Lebanon to thrive again, the exodus must stop. What is needed now is to provide hope for local talent to stay in their communities and support in the gigantic effort to rebuild their nation.
Full-time (remote) jobs can transform lives and build local economies
One of the most encouraging “silver linings” of COVID-19 is that the accelerated adoption of remote working can begin to reverse the widening inequality gap. In the United States, this means that talented people no longer have to move to cities (like San Francisco) because that’s where the jobs are. It means that cities like Tulsa, Oklahoma can make a great argument for living there and working remotely. And all around the world, it means that some of the brightest and most promising minds to be found anywhere in the world don’t have to leave the places they call home.
It also means that companies that are hungry for the best talent now have a way to satisfy that appetite and also do some real good. If you are an organization with open remote roles, we encourage you to consider Lebanon.
JobsforLebanon is a site where you can post your open remote roles and get connected with talented candidates in Lebanon.
We hope you can find someone amazing. And, if you would like for your company to be able to conveniently employ people in Lebanon (as well as a number of other countries with great talent), get in touch with us. The world is your Oyster.
About Oyster
Oyster is a global employment platform designed to enable visionary HR leaders to find, hire, pay, manage, develop and take care of a thriving global workforce. It lets growing companies give valued international team members the experience they deserve, without the usual headaches and expense.
Oyster enables hiring anywhere in the world with reliable, compliant payroll, and great local benefits and perks.
