The expat era isn’t dead, it’s just different.
“When I started seven years ago, 90 percent of my time was spent finding expats to fill long-term positions on projects and proposals,” said Leland Howard, a senior recruiter for Abt Associates. “Now almost all of my recruiting is local or regional.”
In fact, things are changing more quickly than recruiters expected, he explained, citing the roll-out of USAID Forward — which placed an emphasis on increased direct investment in partner governments and local organizations — as one of the major catalysts three years ago.