Successful Outsourcing in the Philippines
Hiring a skilled and dedicated virtual assistant is the ultimate goal for management in all industries. Having someone reliable and dedicated oftentimes translates to enthusiasm which will evolve a role toward an employee’s strengths. This is a key attribute that many in the outsourcing industry not only hold in high regard, but it helps them motivate their staff accurately which in turn creates a truly successful working engagement.
Understanding cultural differences is paramount for strong motivation. For example, the most successful engagements are the ones in which the working relationship is one of understanding on both sides. Filipinos take things to heart so saying they did a bad job may cause irreparable damage to the working relationship.
When hiring looks for any attitude red flags. Skills can easily be learned as long as you’re interested and have the passion to learn. However, having a bad attitude can pose its challenges. Someone who thinks they have all the answers typically doesn’t last very long in their career so remember attitude.
From a cultural perspective, if you are looking for a long-term engagement with Filipino staff you must address the sensitivity. If not, ait can pose a barrier. Filipinos want to make sure their clients are happy with their work and if it’s not appreciated they will take it to heart. From both sides of the coin clients and staff may have to adjust their attitude if they plan on having a healthy working relationship, if one of the two parties is not willing to compromise then a discord will happen and the engagement will begin to go downhill.
Characteristics are important factors to consider. For example, if both the client and staff have a strong character this might lead to clashes. Where if one has a more dominant character and the other is more compliant then this could lead to a successful engagement.
At the end of the day, clients have to understand the responsibility that comes with hiring a virtual assistant. Understanding cultural barriers, having processes in place, delegating, allowing time for their staff to find their feet will ultimately lead to a successful engagement.