Small states and fragmented economies have rendered the Caribbean vulnerable to the “brain drain curse” for decades. In fact, the region has one of the highest rates of tertiary educated emigrants in the world as some of the islands’ most skilled labour seek out lucrative opportunities in larger markets.
The normalization of remote work as a result of the global pandemic is creating a shift in employment patterns for many international companies as they adjust their workflow to facilitate team members working from home. However, for Automattic, Inc, the company behind blogging platforms like WordPress.com and Tumblr, it’s business as usual.
With over 1,700 employees based in 90 countries around the world, Automattic is built upon the foundation of a globally distributed workforce. The company which describes itself as “committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion” has partnered with regional tech ecosystem and workforce developer, Tech Beach Retreat, to aggressively recruit candidates in the Caribbean.
Having successfully onboarded two Jamaican software engineers to their team, both of whom are members of the Tech Beach community, Automattic, is specifically searching for highly qualified individuals in the Caribbean. This collaboration will allow the company to tap into Tech Beach’s substantial network to identify the best talent in the region for several engineering roles.
“At Automattic, we believe that diverse perspectives from different people, cultures, and countries make our company and our products stronger. That’s why we’re proud to partner with TechBeachRetreat. Their broad reach and deep roots in the region help us connect to the Caribbean’s amazing pool of profoundly talented people across all sectors of tech,” said Karen Arnold, Head of Talent at Automattic.
As with all other Automattic team members, successful candidates will not be required to relocate in order to fulfill their obligations of employment. Tech Beach cofounder, Kirk-Anthony Hamilton sees this as a big plus for the region.
According to Hamilton: “Many of our people have always looked outwards to identify a better life and the physical nature of traditional work has resulted in those people leaving our islands once they find opportunities creating a significant brain drain for our market.”
“If we can create pathways for our people to access global opportunities and experience while at home, we create the space for an evolution of our ecosystem where those who have benefited are positioned to directly impact others on the ground.”
“The pandemic has forced entities all over the world to remove the physical barriers to work. Given the dynamics of the Caribbean, this could be one of the single greatest opportunities for our region in recent history.”
The recruitment collaboration between Automattic and Tech Beach Retreat will include a virtual event, “The Future of Work: Globally Distributed Teams” on December 2 at 10 AM ET featuring Cavel Khan, Chief Revenue Officer at Tumblr, and Joel Dean, Senior Software Engineer at Automattic.
Qualified individuals are invited to apply online.
