Leïla Fadil: ‘Morocco has a young talent that needs to be developed with support strategies’

Companies that want to establish themselves in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region or those that are expanding their business need the advice and support of specialists in human resources and organisation.

This is the work carried out by the consultancy firm Grow HR, whose director, Leïla Fadil, explained to Atalayar the services it offers.

What does your company do and how long has it been in operation?

Grow HR, of which I am the founder and director, is a strategic consultancy that also offers human resources support and services.

The company was established about three years ago, after a long business career as a human resources manager. Our aim is to support the economic development that the region is experiencing. 

What type of companies use your services: Moroccan companies or companies from other countries such as Spain that are setting up in Morocco?

We have a wide range of companies among our partners and in our client portfolio. Some of them are SMEs, but it is true that most of them tend to be large companies, whether Moroccan or multinationals. And when we talk about multinationals, they can be both Spanish and from other countries.

What kind of services do you offer your clients?

Grow HR is here to provide solutions. We specialise in human resources and organisation in general, so we work with companies that are setting up here or companies that are already here and are also growing in different ways.

When a company comes to set up in the region, we offer solutions, advice and support in the management of the implementation project, from the point of view of human resources and organisation. We also offer recruitment services, for all types of jobs, both manual and technical, and headhunting. Because nowadays we know that recruitment tends to be talent-oriented.

In addition to staffing their organisations, we take care of training and development, both during the project phase and afterwards, to further develop their competencies and organisational capabilities. For example, there are companies that have very short-term needs, such as administrative support for expatriates to get their work contract or residence permit. So we provide solutions to make it easier for new investors to settle in Morocco and, above all, to succeed.

The Moroccan economy in general and that of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region in particular have experienced significant development in recent years. What influence does this have on your field: human resources?

The region's economy has developed quite a lot and this is reflected in the labour market and therefore in the way we do things and support our partners. Some 20 years ago, it was difficult to recruit in this region. But today, it is attracting talent, both from Morocco and abroad.

There are many opportunities to create jobs and it's also a great place to live, so people come here to build a career. And we know that today's generation has a need for work-life balance. This is something we are, in fact, achieving. Once upon a time, companies came to the region in search of cheap, low-skilled labour. Today, Morocco is still competitive in terms of labour costs, but it is now also positioning itself as a supplier of talent in trades that are also much more specialised and have a high added value. So companies are now setting up their development centres and much more specialised professions are emerging.

How have the staffing needs of Moroccan companies changed?

Well, in the same way that a few years ago the needs were more, let's say, oriented towards manpower to guarantee production, today, although this is still the case, there is a greater need for talent in very specialised professions, which requires a certain expertise and certain studies.

A company that wants to develop a centre of excellence, a design and development office, has the necessary talent in Morocco. In fact, among our Spanish partners we have companies that are in the process of expanding their design centres and development offices in Morocco, and they need engineering profiles, which is what we are finding and hiring.

Do you also see progress in the training of workers in Morocco?

In terms of training, I think the evolution is also going in the same direction. A few years ago, the requirements were for compulsory training. Today, companies invest in operational excellence, in new skills, in transversal skills and in leadership.

All this is designed to give them a competitive advantage and organisational agility. This will allow the company to grow in a different way.

It has been said that one of the strengths of Africa and of Morocco, as one of the most developed countries on the continent, is the existence of very well-educated young people, eager to enter the labour market at a time when Europe's population is ageing...

Very good question. In any case, I have my perspective: I think that Morocco and some of the closest European countries, particularly Spain, are like two arms of the same body, in the sense that they can function separately, but when they join hands, they are much more efficient and powerful. And I think, when you think about human resources, the same is true.

In fact, the Moroccan population is perhaps younger and could be strengthened, whether in Morocco or abroad, through strategies to support development in the new trades. And together with European talent, which is more senior, joint strategies can be strengthened where experience is crucial. So we really have to act in a complementary and intelligent way, to be able to benefit from the strengths of each country, each economy and each population.

Do Spanish companies setting up in Morocco trust the local workforce and their specialised training?

Well, I think they clearly do. If we think of the Tangiers-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, the companies that have been here for decades are Spanish companies, they are still here, they are growing, they are expanding their activities.

Our Spanish clients are immersed in expansion projects, development and additional investment. I think that's a humble reflection of the fact that there's trusted capital and there's also a return on investment. So obviously they are here, they are planning to stay, they are continuing to develop. Yes, I think the confidence is there.

What would you say to a Spanish entrepreneur who is thinking of setting up a company or opening a branch in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region?

Well, as a consultancy firm that supports companies setting up in Morocco and in the region, through recruitment, training or strategic advice, my experience can be perceived as subjective. So I would like to say that there are studies carried out by public and private actors that demonstrate the attractiveness of the region in quantitative and objective terms: it has a strategic geographical position and a fairly dynamic labour market that is growing.

There is talent, both for low-skilled jobs and even for new and specialised jobs. So I think this strategic positioning and the attractiveness of Morocco compared to other destinations is beyond doubt.