In the past decade, we’ve seen a boom in outsourcing employees and freelancers. There has been a shift in hiring practices with businesses and entrepreneurs alike, and with the pandemic changing the way we live— hiring digitally and hiring virtual assistants is becoming the norm.
The Philippines is one of the biggest sources of remote workers and virtual assistants. The country’s outsourcing industry has been growing as much as the outsourcing market, growing by 46% since 2006 and is expected to grow by 20% more by the end of 2020. As the world demands more virtual assistants, the bigger the outsourcing industry in the Philippines grows. So sure, we get it, a lot of businesses hire virtual assistants from the Philippines, but what makes them special? What makes the Philippines a source of talent for a virtual assistant?
Filipinos are Fluent English Speakers
In any kind of transaction, communication is important, especially between employer and employee. English is the primary medium of instruction in the Philippines and is considered a secondary language. As an entrepreneur looking to hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines, you’re sure to find it easy to give instructions and work with a Filipino virtual assistant.
Filipinos Have a High Literacy Rate
At 96.2%, the Philippines has one of the highest literacy rates in the world. Making sure that the virtual assistant that you’re going to work with is important, so somebody who has the basic skills of reading and writing puts that out of the way.
Filipinos are Hard-Workers
In the Philippines, people value hard work and understand that prosperity comes from doing a good job. They are known to devote time to do well at work and earn money— they’re not new to overtime work and their hard work is well-known in any industry where you can find Filipino workers.
Photo by Wocintechchat for Unsplash
Filipinos are Culturally Adaptable
Virtual assistants from the Philippines are some of the most flexible and adaptable workers in the world. Living in an island-country and having dealt with colonizers and foreign merchants for hundreds of years, it’s innate for Filipino virtual assistants to adapt to the cultures they’re working into.
Lower Labor Costs
A lot of small business owners, companies, entrepreneurs, and startup businesses work with Filipino virtual assistants because labor costs are significantly lower. In the Philippines, you can get a good virtual assistant for $350$-600$ a month instead of 2000$ a month for an assistant from the US. Many employers also get to save from paying too much on employee taxes and office costs.
Sure, there are virtual assistants all around the world with varying skills and strengths, but the fact that Filipino virtual assistants remain one of the most sought-after virtual assistants in the outsourcing industry is proof of their knack for providing quality output.
There’s a lot to consider before you decide to hire a virtual assistant that will perform various tasks for your company. Sidekicks is an on-demand virtual company that provides virtual assistant services, and we’re eager to talk you through anything you need to know about hiring a virtual assistant! Click here for your free 30-minute consultation.
