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JobsForLebanon.com; a new initiative by Lebanese expats

The free job posting platform aims to facilitate the recruitment of qualified people in Lebanon.

In an attempt to help the Lebanese overcome their country's unprecedented economic crisis, a group of young Lebanese expats has recently launched the online platform JobsForLebanon.com. The free job posting platform is accessible to people from various skills and aims to facilitate the recruitment of qualified people in Lebanon.

"What if we could create jobs in Lebanon," a targeted campaign which was recently launched, is inviting Lebanese around the world to join forces to hire qualified talents inside Lebanon. Helping them find paid jobs and develop their careers is in fact one way to help face the country's economic crisis in a sustainable way.

JobsForLebanon.com relies on SmartRecruiters, an innovative, robust and scalable recruitment software system. Designed to increase the productivity of recruiters and used by 4,000 companies, including IKEA, McDonald’s and Twitter, this system promotes collaboration with recruiting teams. "It is a complete recruiting product modeled on SmartRecruiters to create jobs, receive applications, send offers and hire people. With this job portal, we are creating links with all existing initiatives," Roy Baladi, who launched the project, told L’Orient-Le Jour. Baladi lives in San Francisco and heads the communications department at SmartRecruiters.

“In four days, JobsForLebanon.com was visited by people from 126 countries. Some 84 jobs were posted and 616 applications were submitted. Companies from all over the world, including Angola, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, France and the United States, have posted specific job vacancies looking for professionals of all ages: producers, graphic designers, writers, developers, animators, social network specialists, math and piano teachers, accountants and CFOs (Chief Financial Officer)," said Baladi. "A second targeted campaign for Lebanon will be launched this week.”


Hiring Lebanese talents

It was during his last stay in Lebanon in December that Baladi and a few of his friends "decided to act" to find a solution for unemployment caused by the financial and economic situation in the country. They, thus came up with the idea of creating JobsForLebanon.com to hire top talent on freelance basis. "The banks have failed and half the country, including my childhood friends and family members, is without work," he said. "I was not particularly a gifted kid in school, and seeing much brighter, cultured, skilled, and educated people jobless made me feel guilty and angry." He called for sparing "90 seconds" to watch their campaign video and share it. "It is very possible that we'll reach the global diaspora and create an alternative economy through this website."


Hashtag #MakeLebanonWork

The objective of JobForLebanon.com is to join forces with Lebanese expatriates from around the world to create jobs on mainly freelance, but also full-time bases. The message of these young expats is strong and engaging. “Lebanon is suffering. The economy is collapsing. Businesses are closing by the dozens. Unemployment rate is skyrocketing, but they are over sixteen million Lebanese outside Lebanon and you are one of them, like me and me and me. So if you want to be part of the change, to help those who are struggling to create the Lebanon our youth dream of; a Lebanon that has a chance for a future; a Lebanon you’ll be proud going back to, you can do it by providing jobs for those who are there fighting to realize their dream. It sounds impossible? Just go to JobsforLebanon.com and post a job your company would give to a freelancer, an applicant from Lebanon. There are thousands of highly skilled people. People with the experience you are looking for: consultants, lawyers, designers, high tech architects, animators, editors, translators, and so many more. Join us. Together, we can unleash the power of the Lebanese community. No matter where we are. Together, we can keep the economy alive, contribute to change and actively participate in a new Lebanon. Together we can make Lebanon work."

The targeted campaign explains its objective as follows: "Lebanon is facing an unprecedented economic crisis. The Lebanese pound is losing its value, businesses are closing at a frightening pace, unemployment is skyrocketing. This crisis is affecting all segments of society.

Job opportunities are vanishing. Highly educated, experienced, and talented individuals are sliding into poverty or fleeing the country.

Now’s the time for us, the 16 million Lebanese living abroad, to get involved. Let’s create an alternative economy to revive the Lebanon

we know and love. Let’s act. Let’s #MakeLebanonWork."

The team also developed the Bayt.com mobile app to facilitate the process of finding and applying for jobs, receiving job application updates and staying connected to employers. For jobs in the Middle East, Handiss app is the talent management tool used by the construction industry to hire full-time engineering and architectural professionals, contractors and freelancers. It’s a beautiful, hopeful initiative that opens up new international horizons for young people.


Who are they?

The initiators of this project are:

Production: Roy Baladi and Nicolas Sakr

Finance: Yalda Aoukar

Communications: Neal e-Jor and Kinda Awad

Marketing: Michelle Hajjar, Georges Achkar and Anita Karam

Creative affairs: RhéaNasard

Product and Design: Edwin Baladi

Design: Fabienne Weiszegger

Partnerships: Audrey Issa


(This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour on the 20th of March)


In an attempt to help the Lebanese overcome their country's unprecedented economic crisis, a group of young Lebanese expats has recently launched the online platform JobsForLebanon.com. The free job posting platform is accessible to people from various skills and aims to facilitate the recruitment of qualified people in Lebanon. "What if we could create jobs in Lebanon," a targeted campaign which...