5 Reasons Why Filipino Virtual Assistants are in Demand
In a world where everything moves at the speed of information, efficiency is the name of the game. You can always earn back money, but you can’t earn back your time. This is the crux of the matter and this is why Filipino virtual assistants are in demand nowadays.
Filipino virtual assistants have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their unique combination of skills, experience, and affordability.
This growing demand for Filipino virtual assistants is a reflection of the changing nature of work and the need for businesses and individuals to adapt to the fast-paced digital landscape. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that the demand for virtual assistants, including those from the Philippines, will only continue to grow.
If you are still hesitant, we listed 5 simple reasons why you should hire a Filipino virtual assistant for your growing business or professional practice below.
Table of Contents
Why should I hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines?
1. Improve Your Business's Productivity
Getting a virtual assistant works similar to getting a regular office assistant or secretary. They help you accomplish everything you need done in the fastest and most efficient way possible. You get to delegate your administrative work, your daily clerical responsibilities, and some of your daily tasks.
These tasks include but are not limited to creating your social media posts, managing your business schedule, and sending out email blasts to your personnel and clients.
More experienced and high-level virtual assistants are more akin to executive assistants who can be tasked to do much higher level work. In some cases, they can even be your personal sounding board for your business ideas and decisions.
All of these will vary depending on the level of expertise of your hired virtual assistant.
2. Hiring Filipino VAs Are Cost Effective
Filipino Virtual Assistants are especially sought after because they can do all of these tasks competently and at a lower rate than most professionals in your own region.
To give you a better idea, an entry-level Filipino Virtual Assistant would typically cost $1-$5 per hour. Workers of this caliber will be good enough to handle most kinds of administrative tasks.
Do keep in mind that you get what you pay for. It’s likely that you’ll find a Filipino who would be willing to accept VA work at $1 per hour, but you can’t expect much in terms of loyalty or retention.
Unless you’re extremely lucky, these types of VAs will likely work with you only to the point where they need to improve their resume, and then they’ll likely leave you for better opportunities.
3. No Language Barriers Due to English Language Proficiency
As of 2022, the Philippines ranks as #22 in the world in English proficiency according to EF EPI, beating all South East Asian countries except for Singapore. Aside from having good business English, Filipinos can easily carry out casual conversations if you’re looking for VAs to fill-up a customer rep type of position. Though most them have an accent, it’s common for them to be comfortable with using American idioms, figures of speech, and slang.
Chances are, if you’re hiring a person who is qualified to do your administrative tasks, they will be proficient in both written and spoken English.
This is mainly due to having English as the primary language for instruction in the Sciences and Mathematics for Primary to Tertiary schooling throughout the Philippines.
4. Cultural Familiarity with Western Countries
Filipinos are very familiar with Western cultures because of our constant exposure to American media. From a very young age, a lot of Filipinos have access to American movies, cartoons, and TV shows, which are regularly aired on local cable and Free TV.
It makes Filipinos easy to pick up on cultural references and nuances, which makes your communication with them much smoother in the long run.
This will especially come in handy if the kind of work you need to delegate has a lot of cultural references that may be lost on a foreigner who’s not exposed to your own media and cultural background.
This is not to say that every Filipino will be able to pick up on all cultural queues that you might have. But it will make the adjustment and cascading of any instructions much easier and smoother.
5. Social Media Savviness
Filipinos may be some of the most social media savvy people on the face of the planet. According to the Digital 2022 report, individuals in the age group of 16 to 64 in the Philippines have spent an average of 4 hours and 6 minutes per day on social media within the last 12 months. That’s more than 1/6th of the day spent on social media.
In a nutshell, most Filipinos know how to navigate through Social Media. That familiarity makes them more aware of what kinds of posts get more likes, clicks, and shares among peers.
Keep in mind, that this doesn’t necessarily translate to expertise in creating social media posts that will get the most traffic and engagement, but it will make training them a lot easier since they’re already extremely familiar with the platform.
Recommended Kinds of Filipino Virtual Assistants
There’s likely a Filipino Virtual assistant who can do whatever you ask them to do. But you need to know where to look for them and how much you should expect to pay to get quality work.
If you plan on hiring a Filipino VA without going through an agency, it would be your best bet to look for a VA in the customer service and social media management industries.
Most Filipino college graduates will be qualified to take on these jobs proficiently, even if they don’t have experience in the VA industry yet.
There are surely VAs who can tackle more advanced or technical jobs such as coding, advanced social media management, and website management with backend technical support. If it’s your first time looking for a VA in these spaces, it would be best hire one through an agency or through job posting on sites such as Onlinejobs.ph or Upwork.
Hiring through an agency will potentially cost you more because of the agency’s hiring and training fees, but you will likely have a higher chance of getting a competent VA who will be ready to work for you as soon as possible without you having to worry about scams.
Two Types of Philippine Virtual Assistant Agencies to Hire From
Down below, we listed two kinds of virtual assistant companies that can help you find an excellent Filipino VA. These are the headhunting VA agencies and the traditional VA agencies.
Regardless of the type of agency, their VAs go through proper screening and training so that they’ll have a much higher chance to be able to handle the types of work that clients, such as yourself, need to be done.
You can at least expect a certain level of competency from Filipino VAs that go through these agencies. But don’t get complacent, make sure you do some vetting yourself before you let them have big responsibilities in your business.
Headhunting agencies for Filipino VAs handle the recruitment process for you for a fee. These agencies also offer value-add services such as payroll, account management, and other HR-related tasks if you need them.
Unlike other VA agencies, MultiplyMii provides headhunting solutions – meaning they can recruit a Filipino VA that will work directly under you. Of course, they can also take care of the payroll and onboarding if you prefer to have those tasks taken off your plate.
MultiplyMii also prides itself on hiring, training, and retaining the top 5% of talent in the Philippines. They don’t just provide Filipino virtual assistants; their goal is to help you create high-performing teams. And so, the company’s recruitment process reflects this commitment.
As they understand every business has unique needs, MultiplyMii offers personalized virtual assistant solutions tailored to your requirements. While there are no upfront pricing terms on their website, they provide a free salary guide and encourage you to schedule a no-obligation discovery call to learn more.
WEBSITE: https://www.multiplymii.com
RATES: Custom Pricing Based on Your Requirements – One-Time Payment of 25% Annual Salary Plus USD 99 for Payroll & Admin
In traditional VA agencies, Filipino virtual assistants are employed by the agency and not directly by your company. This means that you don’t have to worry about their salary, benefits, and other HR-related concerns. But on the flip side, you won’t be able to hire the VA directly if you like them since they are bound to the agency.
Although the VA agency is relatively new, it has experienced rapid growth under the leadership of Jonathan Swanson, co-founder of Thumbtack.com, and the local management team.
The agency’s objective is to assemble a team of highly skilled Filipino VAs, and to that end, they have stringent application requirements and a comprehensive training program.
WEBSITE: https://www.athenago.com/
RATES: $3,000/month
Example 2: Hello Rache - VAs for Medical Professionals
In 2017, Dr. Mark Carnett, a family physician, founded Hello Rache as a better solution to the frustrating experiences he had been facing with his EMR and late-night work. He wanted to find a more effective way to manage his work, and that’s when he conceptualized Hello Rache, a healthcare VA company that partners with Philippine medical professionals. Since then, Hello Rache has been providing virtual assistant solutions to doctors, dentists, and veterinarians worldwide, with a focus on delivering quality services to clients.
One of the unique features of Hello Rache is its partnership with Philippine medical professionals, including nurses and dental assistants, to provide virtual assistant services. By tapping into the talent pool of these medical professionals, Hello Rache has been able to offer exceptional services at competitive rates. The company also provides free training and certification to their clients, ensuring that they have the necessary skills to handle their tasks effectively.
WEBSITE: https://hellorache.com/
RATES: $9.50 per hour flat rate
Example 3: Magic Virtual Assistant Services - General VAs, Data Entry, Research & Transcription
Magic is an excellent place to find general VAs who specialize in administrative-related tasks such as data entry, email management, project management, and online research.
If you’re not looking for anyone who needs specialized training, then this agency boasts that it can connect you with a suitable team within a week’s time.
WEBSITE: https://getmagic.com/
RATES: Starts from $1600 per month
There are many other VA agencies around where you can find well-trained and experienced Filipinos who can do almost any virtual job. Please see the article “Top Filipino Virtual Assistant Recruitment Agencies” for a more detailed list of recommendations.
Conclusion: Hiring Filipino VAs Are a Business Game Changer
Hiring a Filipino Virtual Assistant can be a game-changer for your business.
The Philippines is known for producing some of the most skilled and talented virtual assistants in the world, thanks to their exceptional communication skills, strong work ethic, and proficiency in English. It’s why Filipino virtual assistants are in demand by startup founders and entrepreneurs alike.
By hiring a Filipino VA, you can delegate tasks and focus on the core areas of your business, allowing you to be more productive and efficient. They can assist with a range of tasks such as ranging from general administrative tasks to specialized or high-level work.
Additionally, hiring a virtual assistant from the Philippines can be more cost-effective than hiring someone locally or from a developed country. This is because the cost of living in the Philippines is generally lower than in most Western countries.
Overall, working with a Filipino virtual assistant can help you achieve your business goals, increase productivity, and reduce overhead costs. With their skills, dedication, and professionalism, they can become an essential part of your team and help take your business to the next level.
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