Morocco’s Tech Sector Seeks Expat IT Talent Amid Growing Skills Shortage

"Faced with the development of companies in Morocco and the growing need for high value-added profiles, both in terms of technology and management, there is a shortage of engineers in the country that is set to increase. Some companies are at the forefront of certain technologies like Indexar or Drupal and consequently cannot find the necessary profiles to work on them, which pushes them to look for them elsewhere. It turns out that IT candidates established abroad are not against a return to Morocco," explains Chantal Aounil, general manager of the recruitment firm Potential for Africa, to La Vie éco.

Companies like Alten Maroc, a subsidiary of the global leader in engineering and technology consulting, have initiated this professional dynamic for several years. "Our presence in more than 30 countries around the world allows us to find profiles established abroad who wish to come or return to Morocco," says Hajar Bououd, HR Director of the group. According to him, recruiting these profiles has advantages. "They bring valuable international expertise and experience in a globalized context. This approach allows us to contribute to diversity and inclusion within the company. The experience of these consultants also allows the project teams to acquire greater maturity," he adds.

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Attracting Moroccan profiles living abroad requires that local companies make efforts. "The most effective long-term way to stem this brain drain is above all to give them a ’reason to stay or return’: that is to say, to ensure them better jobs with added value and meaning, more prospects and a better quality of life, an international environment and network... all from Morocco," estimates Badr Molato, recruitment manager at Capgemini TS. According to Chantal Aounil, it is necessary to take the financial aspect into account. Other proposals: set up a digital infrastructure that allows factual tracking of results, provide access to quality training that allows for progress, and accept changing the management model to provide more flexibility at work.