Outsourcing to the Philippines - Cultural Differences of Filipino Virtual Assistants
When working with Filipino Virtual Assistants or outsourcing to the Philippines, you need to understand the cultural differences between Filipinos and Americans.
For those who enjoy watching a video, you can click on the video and learn about the most important cultural differences you need to know about when hiring virtual assistants in the Philippines instead of reading an article.
Quick list of the most significant cultural differences when outsourcing to the Philippines:
- Personality traits: Filipino culture tends to be more sensitive than most of the west. This is based on my experience, what I have observed, and my partner is Filipino. I employ hundreds of Filipino staff, and I live and have family in the Philippines.
- Religion: Most Filipino virtual assistants will be religious. The catholic church is predominant in the Philippines, and unlike much of the west, religion is still a central part of lives. This shocked me when I moved here years ago, especially coming from a relatively secular population in the UK.
- Politeness: Coming from Britain, I was pleasantly taken back by the "oldy worldly" courtesy I experience in the Philippines. You'll find that most of the virtual assistants you hire in the Philippines will refer to you as "sir" or "ma'am".
- Don't expect superman: Like hiring locally, hire for the job you need. If you need a graphic designer, then hire a graphic designer. If you need a content writer/admin, then hire for that. But don't hire a general virtual assistant and expect them to be superhuman and be able to do websites, bookkeeping, cold calling, video editing, etc.
- Bonus tip: Communicate daily and don't leave your Filipino virtual assistant feeling disillusioned.
Personality traits of "most" Virtual Assistants in the Philippines
As mentioned earlier, the culture of the Philippines tends to be more sensitive than the west.
What I mean is this. Most Filipinos are very family-centric. Men are not afraid of listening and enjoying power ballads. You'll frequently see young couples in love, purely devoted to each other while walking the streets of the Philippines, especially in provinces.
This is why the Philippines is world-famous for providing the best-outsourced customer support. It's also why all the major companies outsource to the Philippines. It's also why the Philippines provides nurses and caregivers to all the wealthiest western countries.
Religion in the Philippines
It's essential to be aware of the various religions that your virtual assistants/virtual staff might follow, and it's necessary to know when you're outsourcing to the Philippines.
The primary religion in the Philippines is Roman Catholic Christianity, followed by Islam and other types of Christianity. Other Christian groups in the country include Jehovah's Witnesses, Latter-day Saints, Assemblies of God, Seventh-day Adventists, and numerous others.
Of course, not all Filipino's are religious, and some might be secular, agnostic, or atheist. However, the purpose of mentioning the religions is to give you a heads up and let you better understand the Philippines' culture, as it might provide you with opportunities to increase your staff performance.
For example, you could pay Christmas bonuses or provide extra pay or days off during religious holidays. I'm always looking for ways to make my staff feel part of the business, and those incentives have worked wonders for me when building teams here in the Philippines.
Now, you might be wondering how an archipelago in Southeast Asia became a predominantly catholic country? It's a good question, and it goes back to the Spanish colonial times.
The Philippines was a Spanish colony for almost 350 years, and the name "Philippines" comes from King Felipe of Spain.
I don't want to bore you with a history lesson, but I find it enjoyable personally, and I know some of you might also like to know more about the Philippines. I've done an article about the seven reasons why outsourcing to the Philippines is the best idea. In the article, I talk about why English is the official language of the Philippines and other stuff!
Politeness
You should definitely not outsource to the Philippines if you expect your virtual staff or virtual assistant to be some wolf of wall street type person.
If you're from the west, particularly from outside of the USA, you'll find it surprising how polite and friendly Filipino's tend to be.
By this, I mean you'll frequently be referred to as "sir". It's common to call you "sir" followed by your name. For example, the first virtual assistant I hired used to refer to me as "Sir Michael."
Philippines outsourcing is about building a team that will assimilate into your business at the end of the day. You're hiring team players or people who can fill roles and do tasks that you yourself can't or don't want to do.
Your staff's courtesy and being polite is undoubtedly not a bad thing. It's only bad, and I guess you're looking to hire some wolf of wall street type virtual assistant. However, it's the 2020's, not the 1980's, and that shtick does not work anymore.
You're hiring a virtual assistant, not superman!
Before hiring Filipino virtual assistants, remember to decide what tasks you want to hire them to do.
Ask the virtual assistant during the interview process, and remember if you're using VirtualStaff.ph, then add the skills you need them to have on your job post.
If you're hiring for a specific role, let's say a graphic designer with UI skills, then be careful not to expect them to do everything.
Don't expect them to be able to jump on cold calls, write killer content, and while doing that, finish off your end-of-year tax returns!
People often think virtual assistants in the Philippines can do everything in their business. At the same time, you sit in the sun and do nothing because of the gurus and book people who sell this idea to the masses of wantrepreneurs.
Remember, if people are charging you to sell you the secrets of hiring a virtual assistant, then question why they need to do that. If they're already successful with "real businesses," then they'd likely not bother.
Can you hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines who can do multiple things for you?
Yes, you can. But it has to be realistic. For example, an admin assistant can do basic bookkeeping and social media posting. Yes, that's possible. They might also be able to do basic graphics on tools like Canva.
However, don't expect to hire a virtual assistant who is a CPA, Web developer, Content writer, and video editor, all rolled into one. It's just not realistic.
Instead, hire a virtual staff instead of a virtual assistant who specializes in the area you need to hire.
Philippines Outsourcing Distinction: The difference between a virtual staff and a virtual assistant?
Virtual Staff: The Backbone of Your Operations
Virtual staff are a vital component of your business operations. They typically work in the background, providing support for various departments and functions. Here are some key characteristics of virtual staff:
- Specialized Skills: Virtual staff members are hired for their specific skills, expertise, and experience in various fields such as graphic design, web development, content writing, data entry, and more.
- Diverse Roles: Virtual staff can perform a wide range of tasks, including technical, creative, administrative, and operational responsibilities.
- Collaborative: Virtual staff members may collaborate with in-house teams, providing support and expertise to enhance overall productivity and efficiency.
- Flexible Scheduling: Virtual staff often have flexible working hours, allowing businesses to tap into their expertise when required.
Common examples of virtual staff roles include graphic designers, software developers, content writers, SEO specialists, and data analysts. They play a crucial role in the success of a business by contributing their specialized skills to various tasks.
Virtual Assistants: Your Personal Support System
Virtual assistants, on the other hand, are more focused on providing personal administrative support to business owners, executives, or professionals. Here are some key characteristics of virtual assistants:
- Administrative Tasks: Virtual assistants handle tasks like email management, calendar scheduling, travel arrangements, data entry, and other administrative duties.
- One-on-One Support: They often work closely with a specific individual, such as an executive or business owner, to provide personalized assistance.
- Time Management: Virtual assistants help streamline and manage their clients' schedules and tasks, ensuring that they can focus on higher-priority activities.
- Communication: They serve as a communication bridge, managing emails, phone calls, and other interactions on behalf of their clients.
- Multi-Tasking: Virtual assistants are skilled in juggling multiple tasks simultaneously, allowing their clients to be more productive.
Virtual assistants play a pivotal role in reducing the administrative burden on busy professionals, enabling them to concentrate on strategic decision-making and core business activities.
Understanding the differences between these two categories of outsourced professionals is crucial for businesses seeking to build a strong remote workforce in the Philippines.
Whether you need technical expertise or personalized support, outsourcing to virtual staff or virtual assistants can be a game-changer for your business's productivity and growth!
If you've found this article helpful, and you need some more specialist information on either outsourcing to the Philippines or hiring virtual assistants, then check out the articles and videos below.
- Hire a virtual assistant: How to avoid hiring a bad Filipino VA
- Why you should hire a virtual assistant full-time
- How entrepreneurs and Filipino virtual assistants benefit each other
- Virtual Assistant Philippines: The step by step guide to successfully hiring a virtual assistant
- Real Estate virtual assistant: Your guide to doing it right.
- Outsource Accounting and Bookkeeping Virtual Assistant
How to outsource to the Philippines and build a virtual team?
The first option would be to create your account on the VirtualStaff.ph platform, where you can post jobs and choose from thousands of Filipino talent.
Not everyone wants to find out talent manually; in fact, we find some larger businesses looking to outsource to the Philippines, wanting to have the help and support of a professional outsourcing provider to take care of everything for them.
This is where the virtual staff enterprise solution comes into play.
If you'd like our team to help you professionally build your virtual team in the Philipines, you can learn more about it below.
Virtual Staff Enterprise Solution
