The article discusses how to hire employees in the Philippines from abroad.
As your business expands, it’s important to look for ways that will help you manage the additional load in your company’s operations. You can hire additional employees outside of your own country.
The Philippines, in particular, is an example of a great place to hire employees. Home to a large pool of young and talented workers, the country has become a top global choice for outsourcing in recent years. Known for their high English proficiency, Filipino workers are much sought after for their diligence, reliability, and skills.
While many companies are hesitant to send their jobs outside of their home country, hiring employees from the Philippines can be a great option for those who need to save money on labor costs such as start-ups.
However, hiring employees from abroad can be challenging if you’re not familiar with local laws and regulations. Additionally, employers that hire internationally must understand that there are clear distinctions between the rules governing hiring Filipinos to bring them abroad to work vs. hiring Filipinos from the Philippines to work for foreign entities.
To help make this process easier for you, here are several ways to hire employees in the Philippines:
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Hiring via Philippine Overseas Employment Administration-accredited agencies
To ensure Filipino workers secure for themselves fair and legal employment terms and conditions, the Labor Code of the Philippines prohibits the direct hiring of Filipinos for overseas work. Instead, foreign employers are required by law to recruit Filipino employees through POEA-accredited recruitment agencies.
However, there are exceptions to the overseas direct hiring ban:
- heads of state;
- members of the diplomatic corps, as well as,
- international organizations (e.g. ASEAN).
These parties can hire directly and are likewise subject to several guidelines regarding the registration of direct-hire Filipino workers.
Additionally, you would have to comply with US laws on the hiring of foreign employees.
Recruiting Filipino freelance contractors
Recruiting Filipino freelance contractors is another option to try out if you don’t want to go through the lengthy and costly process of bringing Filipino workers to your company.
Depending on your needs and services, there is an abundance of Filipino freelancers willing to take on projects from clients. In fact, the Philippines placed sixth in Payoneer’s 2019 Global Gig Economy Index for fastest-growing markets for freelancers. Hiring can be done through social media, traditional job advertisement sites, or platforms solely dedicated to freelancers.
This is the gig economy in action as there’s less commitment here from either party as these workers can be paid on a per-project basis. In turn, the freelancers may establish their own terms setting when they can work, their rates, and how they can be paid. They are not considered employees so the hirers aren’t obligated to pay for benefits such as health insurance or a 401 (k) plan.
While you can find trustworthy and hard-working workers in this setup, some freelancers may lack the commitment and loyalty that an in-house employee may have. Their investment may be lacking and can thus affect their performance.
Partnering with a business process outsourcing (BPO) company
You might have been wondering how to hire employees in the Philippines from abroad for a while now. You’ve already weighed the pros and cons and want to go about it in a safe, legal way. While the previous two are good options to consider, outsourcing to a local Filipino team with the help of a BPO company is your best bet.
If you’re looking to expand your business and increase profits, there are many benefits that outsourcing can offer. Outsourcing to the Philippines is especially beneficial because it offers high-quality talent at low costs. While there are some challenges involved with outsourcing, these challenges can be overcome by finding a reliable partner who has experience working with companies similar to yours and knows how best to handle any issues that may arise during the process.
Make sure you’re partnering with the right service provider by asking the right questions to your prospective vendor partners before committing to anything.
Connext Global Solutions deliver the best business process outsourcing solutions by helping companies grow and develop outsourced teams that fit their needs.
Industries Connext Caters to:
1. Healthcare Providers
2. Distribution
3. Telecommunications
4. Title and Escrow
5. Property Management
6. Accounting
7. Banking
8. Technology
9. E-Commerce
10. Retail
11. Construction
12. Professional Employer Organization
13. Insurance
The company takes on the hiring, training, and payroll processing for a client’s outsourced team in the Philippines, all while providing management and client support throughout the process. By providing a complete suite of solutions, companies are able to benefit from a talented team of Filipino employees to do jobs that help grow their companies.
If you want to hire employees in the Philippines, make sure to consider partnering with a top-notch BPO company.
The Philippines has a low cost of living and a large English-speaking population, which makes it an ideal place for outsourcing. It’s a great system to grow your business and get work done for less money, less time, and less stress.
Enhance your understanding of employing in the Philippines. Discover what is an employer of record in the Philippines in our blog post to navigate the complexities of hiring and managing employees from abroad effectively.
References
“Ban on Direct-Hiring for Overseas Employment 101 – Labor Law PH.” Labor Law PH, 1 June 2022, https://laborlaw.ph/ban-on-direct-hiring-for-overseas-employment-101/11439/.
“Gig Economy – Overview, Advantages, Disadvantages.” Corporate Finance Institute, https://www.facebook.com/corporatefinanceinstitute.cfi/, https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/economics/gig-economy/.
“Philippines Offshoring: How to Build Your Team in the Philippines | VirtualStaff.Ph.” VirtualStaff.Ph, https://www.virtualstaff.ph/employer-education/philippines-offshoring-how-build-your-team-philipp.
San Antonio, Jen. “REPORT: The 2022 Philippines Freelance Market.” Payoneer Blog, 23 Aug. 2022, https://blog.payoneer.com/freelancers/philippines-freelance-market-2022-report/.
velocityglobal. “How to Hire Employees in the Philippines From Another Country.” Velocity Global, https://www.facebook.com/VelocityGlobal, 6 July 2022, https://velocityglobal.com/blog/how-to-hire-employees-in-the-philippines/.
