Top 5 Reasons Why Building Your Remote Team in the Philippines Will Give Your Business the Edge It Needs

Summary.
While conflicting perspectives on remote work are not new, the tension seems to be escalating. Neither side holds all the power, and as the conversation becomes more and more polarized, it becomes more difficult to reach a mutually beneficial resolution.

The two-year hiatus is finally coming to an end. However, its ripple effects are still present in different business sectors. In times of uncertainty and fear, an automated solution or hiring a remote team is more than just a tool or a supplementary manpower team to help your business; it’s a lifeline. People worldwide are using remote work platforms to stay connected with their colleagues outside of their local community and participate in work-related tasks from anywhere. The impact of this shift is clear: businesses are thriving by tapping into new talent pools and building lifelong relationships between their businesses and their remote workers. The said shift brought into light why companies across the globe choose to build their remote teams in the Philippines. Here’s why. 

The Philippines is  considered one of the major remote team providers globally, with the business processing outsourcing (BPO) industry’s presence in the country since the early 90s. The industry has since opened great doors and created massive opportunities for Filipino workers to work in international companies without leaving the country. According to The Outsourcing Journal, the Philippines ranks 18th in the Top 50 Digital Nations, potentially reaching a revenue of $29B by 2022 in the IT-BPM or non-voice BPM-specific services alone. With these, economic experts predict that outsourcing will inevitably overtake the value of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)  remittances that are pegged at 10% of the annual GDP. 

In this quick read, let’s go through the top five reasons why the Philippines has gained its reputable rank as one of the buzzing remote team hot spots in the world and how Philippine remote HR  companies providing remote teams, like Penbrothers, can give the companies the edge they need in their business today. 

1. The Philippines Has An Impressive Talent Pool

The Philippines is home to one of the largest communities of talents and professionals from different industries worldwide. This influx of highly-skilled workers has driven rapid growth in digital enterprises, helping build tomorrow’s economy. The country has established itself as a remote HR partner global player through various training opportunities for remote workers through its numerous universities, mentoring programs, professional certifications, and conferences that bring together entrepreneurs, academics, and freelancers from all over the world.

In the IMD World Talent Ranking, the Philippines ranked 54th out of 63 economies, up three places from the 57th spot. In the 2022 report, the Philippines ranked 35th in readiness, a great leap from being 47th in 2021.

2. Filipino English Proficiency 

For Filipinos, education is one of the top priorities in life because education gives one the skills and knowledge needed to live in a world that is changing rapidly. On average, academic institutions produce at least half a million qualified candidates yearly. This has resulted in a massive supply of qualified workforce in the country, with a literacy rate of 99.6%. Statistics show that the young population is growing faster, overtaking the country’s dependent population, or the children and the retired workforce. 
In addition, the Philippines is the home of many different cultures that have been integrated into their language. Due to the country’s history of being colonized by the Spanish, Japanese, and Americans, English is notably the most prominent influence of US colonialism as 95% of Filipinos speak the language. 

With this comes the natural proficiency and affinity of the Filipinos to the English tongue. In fact, the Philippines has one of the highest English-speaking populations in Asia and is second only to Singapore in English proficiency. Manila ranks 26th out of 109 cities in the index with a score of 567, having “high proficiency” in the English language.  It was also hailed as the world’s best country in the Business of English Proficiency, according to Global English Corporation. 

Moreover, Filipinos have developed a neutral American accent that works extremely well English-speaking businesses. Due to this, foreign companies need not worry about language barriers, as qualified Filipino workers continue to strive to practice the use of the English language for them to seamlessly collaborate with their co-workers and perform their duties more efficiently. 

3. Quality Work at a Fraction of the Cost

Using a remote team in the Philippines will allow you to achieve lower operational costs yet maintain the quality and service levels of your organization. Foreign companies can expect at least 60% savings on operational costs and overhead expenses if they build their remote team in the Philippines without sacrificing the quality and efficiency of work. The low cost of living is one of the significant contributors to the competitive salary rates in the PH.

We provide scalable and cost-effective solutions that will save you the tedious processes of onboarding new employees and training them and lowers the risk of having to turn over to another new employee if it does not work out. Moreover, savings on operational & overhead expenses will allow you to allocate your capital to other potential capabilities and other areas of your business.

4. Uninterrupted Business Hours

Working in shifts and during holidays and weekends have been normalized in the Philippines, especially in the industry of outsourcing. Foreign clients are usually based abroad with extreme time differences, and most of the services they need require 24/7 supervision. 

This is why Philippine companies offering remote teams uniquely offer the luxury of uninterrupted quality service. Filipinos are extremely passionate about their jobs and commit to delivering only quality results for their clients and employers. Moreover, they are proven to be hard-working, and they are willing to conquer the curb of time difference to meet the expectations of business owners

Project Management Software

– Another powerful addition to help keep track of the team members’ daily to-do’s and progress of different projects, providing a clear record of actions done. Tools like Trello, Asana, Base Camp, and Wrike, among many others, help the team to work efficiently and be mindful of their deliverables and deadlines.

Meeting Management Tools

– Tools that help teams schedule collaboration sessions, meetings, brainstorming sessions, etc. Some of these tools also allow teams to exchange meeting notes. Good examples of such tools are Docket & Fellow, among many others.

5. The Unique Filipino Work Culture

Because of the cultural values and work ethic associated with Filipinos, they are considered some of the most sought-after talents in the world. Filipinos take pride in their hospitality, warmth, and their happy disposition in life. These basic values contribute to how they work and collaborate in the office, especially in culturally-diverse workspaces.

The colonization of Spain, the USA, and Japan in the Philippines has made it easy for Filipinos to adapt to the western ways, keeping a smooth & harmonious relationship with their foreign work associates. Filipinos value the same things as their onshore peers, such as time, integrity, and professionalism. Their strong work ethic will certainly match any on-shore team’s dedication.
Filipinos are also not afraid to ask questions, to admit when they know less about a particular task, and then show their eagerness to learn more. They won’t stop unless the work is properly done. These are just some of the main Filipino work ethics that they are proud to have and foreign companies continue to appreciate and enjoy.

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