Many business owners and entrepreneurs have hugely benefited by hiring Filipino virtual assistants.
Although the Philippines has been considered the call center capital of the world, many Filipinos are also employed as virtual assistants performing a wide range of tasks for small and big companies alike.
Remember, Filipino virtual assistants often speak tremendous English due to English being the country's legal and joint official language.
If you've ever been to the Philippines on vacation or business, you'll notice that every sign in the country is in English only.
Before I get into some of the reasons why hiring a virtual assistant in the Philippines makes good business sense, I'd like to recommend that if you're new to this, I'd recommend you start by reading the Philippines virtual assistant step-by-step guide.
Here are 7 Reasons For Hiring Filipino Virtual Assistants
1. The Philippines is a top outsourcing destination
The Philippines has consistently been one of the top destinations for business outsourcing.
Seven major cities in the Philippines, including Manila, Cebu, and Davao, are ranked in the Top 100 Outsourcing Destinations globally.
Traditionally you'd have to go through a business process outsourcing company, pay a hefty markup, and then deal with a bunch of middlemen - that was until we launched the Philippines team-building platform. Instead, businesses could directly choose from thousands of qualified and vetted remote staff.
In recent years, many Filipinos are hired as virtual assistants helping companies and entrepreneurs to run things more smoothly, from general administrative tasks, technical assistance to Search Engine Optimization or social media, among others.
Thus, when you decide to hire Filipino virtual assistants, there is a big chance that they have already worked for a BPO company before.
They already have an idea of working for an American or Australian business, adjusting to time zone differences but meeting important deadlines simultaneously.
2. Filipino Virtual Assistants Speak Great English
92% of the Filipino population is proficient in English. English is the joint official language of the Philippines.
Let me make this clear, every sign in the Philippines is in English. The Philippines constitution is in English, and all degrees in the Philippines are taught solely in English!
This can be attributed to education in the Philippines since English is taught from preschool until college.
This means that the majority of Filipinos have a good knowledge of the English language.
The good news?
Therefore, communicating with your Filipino virtual assistants will not be difficult, saving you a tremendous amount of time and effort.
3. Filipinos value hard work
Filipinos are known to value hard work.
Filipino virtual assistants devote a good amount of their time to performing jobs and tasks to earn money.
Doing overtime work is not foreign to Filipinos employed in local companies and BPO companies alike. Also, Filipinos have provided a significant number of overseas workers employed in various industries. There is a reason why the British NHS employs so many Filipino OFW's in the hospitals.
Hiring a Filipino virtual assistant is no different as their hard work will translate to a keen attention to detail and providing high-quality outputs.
A company needs to provide full details and instructions of the job together with the expected output, and a Filipino virtual assistant will surely get the job done.
Of course, you can also put your virtual assistant on time tracking software, which you can use for free inside your VirtualStaff.ph employer account. This would be great if you want to track the hours the staff work.
4. Lower staff costs:
One of the reasons why foreign companies, as well as entrepreneurs, startups, podcasters, realtors, digital marketing companies, among a whole host of others, hire Filipino virtual assistants is because of the lower staff costs. Filipinos prefer online jobs at home opportunities, and offer top-notch services at budget-friendly rates, making the Philippines the best destination for outsourcing.
Let's face the facts. Most of you reading this article are in the business of making more money and maximizing your profits. And as a capitalist, I salute you for that!
The salary you pay your virtual assistant in the Philippines can be as much as 75% lower than the salary you'd pay a comparable employee in the USA.
Additionally, many businesses also get to save from government costs and liabilities as they don't have the employer/employee relationship regarding being liable for employee taxes, pension contribution, maternity pay, etc.
You can see the most up-to-date salary rates in the article; Philippines outsourcing guide to doing it right.
5. Cultural Compatibility
The Philippines has a predominantly Western-inspired culture. This can be attributed to the country being an American colony until 1946, after a long Spanish reign.
Many aspects of Philippine culture, including economic and business culture, are inspired by American practices.
Also, since Filipinos adapt to different situations, you will not have a hard time directing your Filipino virtual assistants.
I'd also suggest you learn about the cultural differences of Filipino virtual assistants.
6. Time Zone Advantage
The Philippines operates in a time zone that is conducive to many Western countries, such as the United States and Australia. This synchronicity ensures that your virtual assistants are working during your business hours, promoting real-time collaboration and quicker turnaround on tasks.
The time zone advantage facilitates seamless communication, making it easier for you to conduct virtual meetings, provide prompt feedback, and maintain an efficient workflow.
This can significantly enhance productivity and responsiveness, allowing you to capitalize on the 24/7 nature of global business operations.
So, when you entrust tasks to Filipino virtual assistants, you not only benefit from their proficiency in English and strong work ethic but also from a time zone alignment that fosters effective and timely collaboration.
7. Technological Proficiency
Another noteworthy reason to consider hiring Filipino virtual assistants is their high level of technological proficiency. The Philippines has rapidly embraced advancements in technology, and its workforce is adept at utilizing various digital tools and software applications.
Filipino virtual assistants often possess a strong foundation in tech-related tasks, whether it's navigating project management tools, handling customer relationship management (CRM) systems, or staying updated on the latest software trends.
This tech-savvy nature streamlines the onboarding process, reducing the learning curve for new tools and ensuring that your virtual assistant can seamlessly integrate into your existing digital work environment.
How to get started working with a virtual assistant in the Philippines?
VirtualStaff.ph: The Philippines Team-Building Platform
Find and hire part-time or full-time virtual assistants. You can choose from thousands of great quality candidates—the most cost-effective and easiest way to hire virtual assistants in the Philippines quickly.
To get started, sign up for your employer account at VirtualStaff.ph.
VirtualStaff.ph: The Enterprise Solution
Not everyone wants to do the hiring process themselves; in fact, we find some businesses looking to outsource to the Philippines want to have the help and support of a professional outsourcing provider to take care of everything for them.
Virtual Staff enterprise solution works great for businesses that want the assistance of outsourcing experts.
