Lebanon is a small country in the Middle East bordered by Syria, Israel, and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic nation with 18 recognized religious sects. Its diverse population has been shaped by centuries of foreign rule and a strong sense of national identity. Lebanon is home to some of the oldest cities in the world and has a vibrant culture and economy. The country has a rich history and has been home to many successful civilizations, making it an important cultural, political, and economic hub in the Middle East. Lebanon is also a great place to find software developers. But software engineers in Lebanon are also hard to find and hard to hire. Experienced developers get a lot of messages from recruiters, in some cases five or ten messages per day. To find engineers in Lebanon you have to search for engineers in different sources, reach out based on their preferred contact details, personalize your outreach and make an attractive offer. In this guide you'll learn more about the tech ecosystem in Lebanon, which methods to use to find developers and how to hire them.
According to the World Bank, Lebanon had a total of 2.1 million people employed in the technology sector in 2019, accounting for 15.8% of the total labor force. This is an increase of 6.8% from 2018. The country also has a high proportion of tech talent relative to its population, with an estimated 4,000 tech professionals per million people. In terms of gender diversity, women make up only 22.6% of the technology workforce in Lebanon. The country’s tech industry is also relatively young, with an average age of 28.3 years.
The tech ecosystem in Lebanon is vibrant and growing. Over the past decade, the country has seen an influx of investments, initiatives and development programs designed to promote and support the growth of the tech and startup scene. This has resulted in the emergence of a number of strong players in the tech sector including incubators, accelerators, venture capital firms, co-working spaces, and a range of tech events and conferences. The country is also home to a number of tech companies, ranging from startups to established companies, which are helping to drive innovation and growth. The government has also taken steps to promote the development of the tech ecosystem, with initiatives such as the Digital Transformation Strategy, which is designed to stimulate the growth of the tech sector.
1. Beirut Tech & Startup Meetup
2. Beirut Artificial Intelligence Meetup
3. Beirut Women in Technology Meetup
4. Fintech Lebanon Meetup
5. Beirut Web Developers Meetup
6. Beirut Data Science Meetup
7. Beirut Blockchain Meetup
8. Beirut Entrepreneurs Meetup
9. Agile Lebanon Meetup
10. Beirut Python Meetup
1. Attend networking events and conferences: Networking events and conferences can be great places to meet potential software developers. Connect with professionals from the IT industry and ask them to refer you to any software developers in the country.
2. Utilize online job boards: There are several online job boards, such as Indeed, Monster, and Glassdoor, that can help you find software developers in Lebanon.
3. Reach out to universities: Connecting with universities is a great way to source software development talent. Reach out to universities and ask them to refer you to potential software developers.
4. Utilize social media channels: Social media channels such as LinkedIn and Facebook are great places to find software developers in Lebanon. You can post job openings and look for potential candidates.
5. Contact recruitment agencies: Recruitment agencies can be a great way to source software development talent in Lebanon. Contact agencies and ask them to refer you to potential software developers.
The best way to find developer talent in Lebanon is to find them in the places where they have an online profile and are active. Examples of those platforms are GitHub and Stack Overflow. LinkedIn can also be a valuable source.
Talent search engines can help you find developers online through a variety of sources. Most talent search engines also provide verified contact details so you can reach out to the talent you have found. In some cases these engines even automate a big part of the outreach process so you can reach hundreds of candidates per day.
An example of a talent search and engagement engine is HeroHunt.ai which can find 1 billion candidates worldwide and lets you reach out automatically with personalized messages.
An alternative way to attract development talent is to post a job on a (local) job board.
1. LinkedIn
2. Bayt.com
3. Talently
4. Glassdoor
5. Monster
6. Indeed
7. GulfTalent
8. Jobzella
9. Step Forward
10. Middle East Jobsite
If you are sourcing for remote talent then you can utilize remote specific job boards where you can post your remote job.
1. Fiverr
2. Upwork
3. Freelancer
4. Workana
5. Guru
6. PeoplePerHour
7. SimplyHired
8. RemoteOK
9. FlexJobs
10. AngelList
When you’re hiring software developers you need to be aware of the local average salaries in order to provide a competitive job offer. Below are the average salaries for software developers per experience level.
The average salary for a junior developer in Lebanon is around 1,500,000 LBP (Lebanese Pound) per month, or 15,000 USD per year. This salary may vary depending on the company, experience, and skills of the developer. A junior developer typically has at least one year of experience and is responsible for writing code and developing applications. They may also be responsible for debugging existing code and providing technical support.
The average salary for a Senior Developer in Lebanon is approximately $3,500 per month. This salary is typically composed of a base salary, plus additional benefits such as bonuses, health insurance, and transportation allowances. Senior Developers in Lebanon typically have experience in a variety of programming languages, and have a good understanding of system architecture and software development life cycles. They may also have experience in developing mobile applications, web applications, or other applications.
Maybe your company doesn't have an office (yet) in Lebanon. But that doesn't mean you can't hire employees in Lebanon. There are several options like EORs which can help employ developers legally according to the regulations in Lebanon.
An Employer of Record (EOR) is a third-party organization that acts as a legal employer for a business’s foreign employees. This allows businesses to hire employees from other countries without having to establish their own legal entity in that jurisdiction.
In Lebanon, an EOR can be used to hire foreign employees who are not citizens of Lebanon. This can be beneficial for businesses who cannot or do not wish to establish a legal entity in Lebanon.
Once a business has identified an EOR in Lebanon, they will need to ensure that they are compliant with all local laws, regulations and employment contracts. The EOR will be responsible for managing the payroll and other related processes, such as compliance with local labor laws, social security payments, and other legal requirements.
Once the EOR has been engaged, the business should provide them with all of the necessary documents, such as the employee’s job description, proof of qualifications and any other required information. The EOR will then be responsible for all legal paperwork related to the employment of the foreign employee.
The EOR will also be responsible for monitoring the employee’s activities and ensuring that they comply with all local laws, regulations and employment contracts. This includes ensuring that the employee is not working in any way that is prohibited by local laws or regulations.
Once the employee has been successfully employed, the employer will be required to pay the EOR for their services. The EOR will then take care of all of the necessary payments to the employee, including salary, benefits, and taxes.
An Employer of Record can be a useful solution for businesses who do not wish to establish their own legal entity in Lebanon. However, it is important to ensure that the EOR is compliant with all local laws and regulations and is able to provide the necessary support to the foreign employee.