Onlinejobs.ph or OLJ as it is popularly called, is a prominent job marketplace that connects employers to Filipino workers. It’s an excellent way to start your career as a remote Filipino worker or to build your team as an employer. The platform has connected virtual assistants, writers, video editors, and many more Filipino professionals with companies around the world.
However, if you’ve been using the platform for a while, you’ll begin to see some of its limitations. So in this article, we’ll be covering the best alternatives to Onlinejobs.ph. Whether you’re a remote worker or an employer, it’s always good to have a variety of ways to connect professionally.
Table of Contents
The Problems with Onlinejobs.ph as a Remote Worker
Every platform, including Onlinejobs.ph, has its own strengths and weaknesses. This list isn’t to discourage you from using the platform but to help you understand its weaknesses so you can adjust your online application strategy efficiently.
- It’s Employer-Biased. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, not only is the platform foreign-owned, but its paying customers are from the employer side. So, most of its features and improvements are made with its paying customers, the employers, in mind.
- Most Jobs Are at a Beginner Rate. Onlinejobs.ph is marketed to employers as a way to decrease their labor costs by hiring skilled Filipino workers. Most of the employers posting jobs there will have this mindset. Thus, making it rare to find jobs there that pay above the beginner rate. So, if you want to grow into a six-figure earning professional, you have to branch out onto other platforms and find clients on your own.
- Increasing Amount of Scams. Unfortunately, as a popular job platform, Onlinejobs.ph is not immune to the presence of scammers. And due to their business model, OLJ management is not incentivized to make the experience on the side of applicants better. So, weeding out the scams on Onlinejobs.ph is something you have to do yourself.
For these reasons, it’s our opinion that OLJ is best for beginners as a stepping stone to their online careers. But moving forward, it’s best to explore Onlinejobs.ph alternatives to find better clients.
11 Best Alternatives to Onlinejobs.ph for Remote Work Applicants
1. VirtualStaff.ph
Website: https://www.virtualstaff.ph/
VirtualStaff.ph is an outsourcing marketplace that is exclusive for employers around the world who are looking for remote Filipino workers. It is one of the best alternatives to Onlinejobs.ph and a lot of the core features, like job search and secure payment processing, are also present in Virtualstaff.ph.
In fact, their listings have very similar job variety and pay ranges. However, as the platform grows, it’s going to attract more job opportunities from abroad. So, make sure to have your Virtualstaff.ph profile ready for when an excellent job opportunity arrives.
2. Upwork
Website: https://www.upwork.com/
Upwork is the biggest freelancing marketplace in the world with millions of freelancers and clients signed up to the platform. Now, that you have built some experience and a portfolio from your stint in Onlinejobs.ph, you should be ready to compete here in Upwork. This place is not for beginners as the competition is very stiff, but building a reputation here can land you a stable, long-lasting online career.
3. Fiverr
Website: https://www.fiverr.com/
On Onlinejobs.ph, you typically have an employee mindset where you are just looking for a job. That won’t work on Fiverr, where only those who treat the platform as a business can find success. Here, you need to be able to convince clients that your services are worth their money. And then, build up your 5-star reviews to get further clients. But once you do it well, you’ll find it very profitable in the long run.
4. Raket.ph
Website: https://www.raket.ph/
Raket.ph is what I’d call the Philippine version of Fiverr. It’s made by Filipino Freelancers for Filipino Freelancers who want to take their business worldwide. It’s still in it’s growing stage so you’d have to market yourself as well as the platform to potential clients. However, if you establish yourself there before it blows up, it can be a long-term source of clients for you.
5. Remote Staff
Website: https://www.remotestaff.ph/jobs/#/
Remote Staff is an employment agency that frequently updates its job listings on the website linked above. Started by an Australian founder, they can connect you with clients in both Australia and New Zealand. But it’s not uncommon to see job openings for US-based clients as well.
6. Freelancer.com
Website: https://www.freelancer.com
Freelancer.com is another popular job marketplace on a global scale. It’s definitely not for beginners as you need to compete for jobs through bidding and showcasing your portfolio. But for those willing to put in the work, it’s an excellent place to build your reputation and grow a stable online career.
7. Facebook Groups
There are two kinds of Facebook Groups that can help you find an online job. First, are the Facebook Groups that allow job postings, like Remote Jobs, Work Anywhere. Second, are groups that act as communities where you can network and promote yourself to people looking for help in the business. For an extensive list, please see “Best Facebook Groups for Online Job Seekers Philippines”.
8. Reddit
Reddit is another excellent social media website where you can find and connect with potential clients. For those unfamiliar, Reddit categorizes its groups by area of interest or topic, similar to old-school forums. So, you can either find remote work subreddits or find subreddits on a topic that your niche clients would be interested in. For an extensive list, please see “Where to Find Remote Jobs on Reddit”.
9. Remote.co
Remote.co is a job listing aggregator. The majority of the jobs there are for North American applicants only. However, you can find “work from anywhere” jobs too by simply clicking on the “International” filter when doing your job search. Make sure to read the description carefully before you apply so you don’t waste your time. There are openings for IT, design, copywriting, marketing, and similar professions.
10. We Work Remotely
Similar to Onlinejobs.ph, We Work Remotely is an online jobs marketplace but on a global scale. So, you need to filter out only the remote work opportunities applicable to Filipinos living in the Philippines. To do this, you just need to use the “Anywhere in the World” filter you can find on their job listings. There are opportunities in this platform for those in IT, design, video editing, and writing, among others.
11. Virtual Assistant Agencies
If you’re a beginner to the online job scene, then going through a virtual assistant agency for experience might be the route for you. They can train you about the ins-and-outs of becoming a virtual assistant and help you find clients too. However, they do take a cut from the client so you can expect a lower salary here compared to going direct. Check out “Best Virtual Assistant Companies to Work for in the Philippines” for an extensive list.
Why Employers Should Consider Alternatives to Onlinejobs.ph
Onlinejobs.ph is an excellent platform for finding your next Filipino online worker. But it’s not perfect by any means. Here are some reasons you might want to use Onlinejobs.ph alternatives.
- Onlinejobs.ph has a Subscription Fee. Onlinejobs.ph has some great features that make the subscription fee worth it, such as background checks and apply points. But if you’re not at the stage of your business that you’re comfortable with subscribing, then it’s best to find alternatives. After all, you can’t even reply to applicants if you’re not subscribed.
- Lack of Qualified Applicants. If you post a job on OLJ, you will likely get a lot of applicants. However, because of its reputation with Filipinos as a job marketplace for beginners, attracting experienced applicants might prove difficult. If you feel like you’re not getting any quality applicants, you might want to broaden your talent search to other platforms.
- You Don’t Want to Handle the Screening Yourself. If you have a booming business and are in dire need of help to lessen the burden, you probably don’t want to handle the screening and hiring process yourself. In these cases, hiring directly from OLJ and other similar platforms might not be what you need. Instead, you might want to go through a headhunting agency for assistance.
7 Best Alternatives to Onlinejobs.ph for Employers
1. VirtualStaff.ph
Website: https://www.virtualstaff.ph/
Virtualstaff.ph is one of the best alternatives to Onlinejobs.ph for employers who only want to hire Filipino remote workers. Like Onlinejobs.ph, it’s also a Filipino-only platform, so you don’t have to waste time screening out candidates from other countries. They also make it as easy as possible to find candidates and get started on the recruitment process.
It’s not as saturated as Onlinejobs.ph as well so your job listing might have more visibility. As long as you can provide an attractive compensation package, then you can find quality candidates here.
They also have secure payment processing, time tracking, and other useful features for employers like you.
2. Raket.ph
Website: https://www.raket.ph/
You can think of Raket.ph as the Fiverr of the Philippines. It’s a fast-growing freelance marketplace and is an excellent place to find talented Filipinos who can deliver the results that you need. They have graphic artists, web developers, programmers, content creators, voiceover artists, musicians, and so much more.
3. Upwork
Website: https://www.upwork.com/
Upwork, the largest freelance marketplace in the world, has a stronger review system compared to Onlinejobs.ph. So, when searching for capable Filipino online workers there, you can find them by looking through a robust list of positively reviewed pros. Of course, these pros usually charge a premium due to their experience, but you can rely on them if you need to get the job done right.
Moreover, Upwork has a secure payment system, assuring employers that their financial transactions are protected. The platform offers flexible payment options, allowing you to set up milestones or hourly payments based on your project requirements.
Whether you are a small business owner or a large company, Upwork offers a scalable solution that accommodates your hiring needs. You can post job listings, review proposals from Filipino online workers, and select the most suitable candidates for your project. The platform also offers features like time tracking and project management tools, enabling you to effectively monitor the progress of your Filipino online workers.
4. Freelancer.com
Website: https://www.freelancer.com/freelancers/philippines
Freelancer.com is another prominent online platform that connects employers with skilled freelancers from around the world, including a substantial number of Filipino professionals. You just need to use the country filter and choose “Philippines” from the list.
Like Upwork, it has a robust review system, a secure payment gateway, and seamless communication through chat and messaging. Freelancer.com also offers additional features to enhance the hiring experience. These include project management tools and time-tracking software, among others.
5. Facebook Groups
Groups: Online Filipino Freelancers | Freelancers in the Philippines (FLIP) | Freelance Jobs Philippines
There are tons of Facebook Groups where Filipino online workers hang out and discuss. It’s not surprising that some of these groups allow job posts since this helps their group members find jobs. But to get a good pool of applicants here, your job post must stand out from all the clutter you usually find in active Facebook Groups. That’s easily fixed by using a job post template from Canva.
6. Reddit
Subreddits: r/buhaydigital | r/classifiedsph | r/phclassifieds | r/onlineservicesPH | r/beermoneyph
For those unfamiliar, Reddit is a social media website/app that organizes posts into interest groups called subreddits, much like the forums from the 2000s. It’s become one of the most popular social media apps in the Philippines for finding people of similar interests. So, it’s not surprising that groups of Filipino online workers have come together to create their own subreddits, like r/buhaydigital. Just make sure to read the posting rules for each subreddit before making a job post.
7. Virtual Assistant Agencies
Philippine virtual assistant agencies can help remove the burden of screening, training, and hiring Filipino online workers from you. There are two kinds of agencies. First, are traditional VA agencies where they employ assistants that finish tasks for you. You are not directly hiring the virtual assistant per se, but they can get the job done under the agency.
The next kind are the headhunting agencies. As the name suggests, they do the recruitment for you and the applicant will work directly for you. This method is beneficial if you need a better direct relationship with your employee to build loyalty for the long term.
Both methods have their pros and cons. You just need to choose the one applicable to your current business objectives.
