The world has shrunk thanks to the practice of remote work. Right now, it is easier for the CEO from New York, the marketing manager from London, and the entrepreneur from Sydney to access the worldwide workforce by using a computer mouse. It has been many years since the Philippines proved to be the engine of the global digital economy.
Here comes the explanation for the success of the Philippines. No international business can find anything better due to the high level of education, outstanding fluency in English, service-oriented attitude and, last but not least, competitive costs compared to other developed countries.
However, in most cases, the relationship between international clients and Filipino workers can hardly be called anything else other than pure transactional nature. Clients appreciate results and savings, yet they never get the idea of what makes Filipinos tick from a cultural and economic perspective.
In order to break the stereotype, we need to stop considering Filipino workers as nothing but “outsourced resources.” Let us take a closer look at what Filipino remote workers would like international clients to know about working from the Philippines.
1. The “Infrastructure Anxiety” is Real (And It’s Not an Excuse)
The first thing that can be said about remote workers based in the Philippines is the underlying fear of the quality of the infrastructure. Despite being one of the fastest-developing countries in Southeast Asia, the internet and electricity supply in most areas other than business districts in Manila and Cebu can be unreliable.
As a Filipino employee may go offline unexpectedly during an important call or miss a deadline because of a “brownout,” the first instinct for some overseas employers might be to question their intentions.
The truth is almost always the reverse. In the event of an electricity failure or Internet outage, the average Filipino telecommuter will experience an acute feeling of dread. The stereotype of the “unreliable offshore worker” weighs on them heavily, and they struggle to not fall into this category.
Professional telecommuters spend much money on backup connections, pocket Wi-Fi routers, and costly generator units or hefty power banks to ensure that they have continuous connectivity. When they tell you that they cannot communicate with you because of technical problems, know that it is usually not for any reason but stress that might cost them their jobs. They would want customers to realize that it is a part of their daily routine, and they can use some understanding when something goes wrong.
2. Decoding the “Yes” Culture: Understanding Hiya
Miscommunication is definitely one of the most frequent sources of irritation on the part of Western clients towards their Filipino helpers. The classic example here is where a client assigns someone a difficult job to complete before the weekend and asks, “Can you finish this by Friday?” And the reply comes straightaway, “Of course, I will.”
The problem here does not lie in deception because there is an entirely different culture at play. It’s called hiya, which can be understood as shame, embarrassment, or saving face.
The Philippine culture is largely characterized by collectivism and a non-confrontational attitude. It is considered unprofessional to respond negatively to one’s boss or customer since such a response may lead to hiya not only on the part of the subordinate, but even worse, on the part of the customer. Thus, the hesitant “yes” actually means, “I will do my best to achieve this objective even though it seems impossible to me; I just don’t want to disappoint you.”
Filipino workers hope customers realize that they require a psychological cushion to voice disagreement with customers’ requests. Rather than posing questions that could be answered positively or negatively, for example, regarding deadlines, customers should ask questions of an open-ended nature such as, “What kind of a time frame should we have for this project considering your workload?”
3. The Economics of “Cheap Labor” vs. A Living Wage
But what always makes the biggest impact in outsourcing is cost. The fact is undeniable that the cost of living in the Philippines is considerably cheaper compared to America, Britain, and Australia. It’s all about economic advantages that make up the core of the business.
Still, there is a huge difference between “effective in terms of costs for the client” and “cheap labor.”
Filipinos are often left feeling unvalued and underestimated by customers who try their best to get the lowest possible rate for their services, offering even $2 or $3 an hour. Though it does not go below the country’s minimum wage, it is still a far cry from being a decent wage.
Moreover, the notion of “breadwinner culture” is ignored. The tradition in the Philippines requires people who earn a living – particularly the ones with “dollars” in their salary – to take care of relatives, such as parents, brothers, sisters, and occasionally nieces and nephews.
Filipino workers hope that they will receive recognition for the quality of their work and not only for its cost. Filipino professionals would like clients to realize that by paying reasonable money, they will be able to retain their employees and not lose them due to poor pay; moreover, employees can then concentrate on the task itself.
4. The Invisible Toll of the Graveyard Shift
In order to match the working hours of their clients in North America, millions of Filipinos work in the “graveyard shift,” working from 9:00 PM until 6:00 AM their time.
Although these workers willingly choose to work this shift, they experience severe adverse effects physically and mentally in the long run. They will always have jet lag in their homes. They will sleep through the hot afternoon in a very noisy neighborhood because everyone else around them is awake. They miss out on family dinners, events with their kids in school, and other regular social activities.
They can get extremely lonely at times, and they want their international clients to appreciate that they do so much for the company. Small things such as not scheduling them at the end of their shifts (when it’s 7:00 AM their time and they’re still fresh), and being accommodating when possible, would really mean a lot to them.
5. Highly Skilled, Often Overlooked
The last stereotype revolves around the assumption that Filipinos are suitable for repetitive and routine jobs such as data entry, basic customer service, and scheduling tasks.
However, while they are competent at performing such tasks, the reality is that they greatly underestimate these employees. A large number of university graduates enter the labor market annually in the Philippines. Many of these virtual professionals have degrees in fields such as accounting, engineering, marketing, nursing, and graphic design. They are CPAs, architects, content strategists, and even project managers.
They feel limited by being referred to as “virtual assistants” despite being qualified professionals capable of much more. They wish for clients to disregard their outsourcing reputation and focus on their qualifications instead. They crave the same opportunities for growth and development as any other employee working on-site. Given a sense of autonomy and trust, many of them can exceed all expectations.
Conclusion: Moving from Transactional to Relational
The secret to unleashing the capabilities of a Filipino virtual workforce is to transform the business relationship from being completely transactional into a more personal, relational one.
Once global customers begin to appreciate the realities of doing business in this way—with its challenges regarding the technological infrastructure, culture-specific forms of communication, economic considerations, and the strain of late nights—the equation is altered. The worker ceases to be an expense item and becomes an integral part of the team in another setting.
The Filipino workers are known for their loyalty, toughness, and commitment to hard work which is termed as Malasakit, the deep caring about the business. Through a little understanding and empathy towards the employees, international clients not only receive high quality work but also establish an enduring partnership.
