Graphic designers are the unsung heroes of businesses. Without a graphic design team, how can companies establish a solid brand identity and create visually appealing social media posts? While some people underestimate design and visual content in general, there’s a reason they are now taking center stage.
According to 99designs, 49% out of 1,500 founders of startups and small businesses perceived the role of design as a “very important” contributor to success. In a report by Piktochart, graphic design is leveraged not just to communicate within the organization (19% of participants), but also to improve customer communication (55%), and encourage engagement on social media (24%).
To fully take advantage of the perks of good design, business owners like you must invest in a graphic designer who is creative, tech-savvy, and an excellent communicator. If you can’t afford in-house designers, then going the outsourcing route is a wise move. Before outsourcing graphic design services, here’s our detailed guide on hiring a Filipino graphic designer.
Located in Southeast Asia, the Philippines is a linguistically diverse country with an English-proficient populace. As the BPO and call center capital of the world, the country’s outsourcing industry has been the driving force of economic growth, creating numerous employment opportunities for Filipinos.
Although the Philippines’ outsourcing sector sparks images of customer service agents, its scope of services spans across industries, from accounting to graphic design. Let’s find out why foreign businesses outsource their design needs to a Filipino graphic designer.
The creative prowess of Filipino graphic designers is not to be scoffed at. With a strong background in the theoretical and practical application of design principles, their skills bring to life original designs that incite customer engagement, drive business innovation, and maintain visual consistency across different materials. As a country that values education, a college degree is seen as the ultimate goal of Filipino students. Because of college, students are exposed to different design concepts and projects, priming them for what’s ahead outside the classroom. Since the best BPO companies and top creative agencies require college degrees, Filipino graphic designers already have the edge when applying for work.
Hiring in-house graphic designers is costlier than hiring virtual graphic designers. When you hire in-house, you shoulder the cost of training, employee benefits, and additional office spaces and equipment. But when you outsource a graphic design to the Philippines — a country with a low cost of living — you spend less on labor and overhead costs as outsourcing companies take care of the recruitment and training process. Salaries are also lower in the Philippines, with Filipino graphic designers earning around ₱25,000 ($426) to ₱35,000 ($597) per month. Contrast this to the United States, where graphic designers earn $4,309 to $5,107 per month. While these don’t account for experience and skill level, it’s evident that graphic designers from the Philippines are a better option for cost-effectiveness.
Real-time collaboration and round-the-clock productivity are the advantages of working with an outsourced graphic designer: real-time collaboration and round-the-clock productivity. When you hire a graphic designer from the Philippines, they can work on projects at night — most likely, from 8 pm to 5 am local time — and collaborate with you as if they’re in your office, preventing delays and communication hiccups. You can also build another offshore creative team to cover downtimes. Either way, you don’t have to adjust your business’s usual working hours. Filipinos are adaptable and hardworking, so they’re more than eager to lend you a helping hand in your design needs — even if it means working at odd hours.
Like virtual assistants, graphic designers offer different services, from logo design to web design. Although there’s a misconception of graphic design being an “easy” job, or that a designer can do anything and everything you ask for, it’s important to understand that graphic designers have their own niche and specialization. Yes, some designers are jack-of-all-trades, whereas others choose to excel in 3D design, product design, and branding. So without further ado, let’s explore some of the most common graphic design services.
A logo designer creates a symbol representing the client’s business. It involves the use of visual elements — from imagery to color choices — to create a recognizable brand image that drives customer loyalty.
Social media design involves the production of visual content for social media platforms to engage users and solidify a business’s online presence.
A web designer focuses on conceptualizing and creating a visually appealing and user-friendly website. Web design is different from web development, where the latter centers on the technical side of website creation such as coding and debugging.
Illustrators create professional, beautifully rendered artwork for marketing campaigns and print or digital media.
3D designers use 3D modeling programs like Blender to produce high-quality 3D models according to the visual and creative requirements of the client. Because of the inherent complexity of 3D design, this graphic design service requires technical and artistic knowledge.
A motion graphics designer is responsible for producing captivating animations that enhance visual storytelling and communicate information. Motion graphics design also requires graphic designers to have expert knowledge of Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop, and many other programs.
Before you hire graphic designers and create your first job posting, it’s always important to learn the different hierarchy levels of the graphic design ladder. Doing so helps you gain a clearer goal and vision of the type of expertise you need for your project.
A junior graphic designer is a newcomer to the professional world. While they are degree holders, a junior graphic designer has little to no job experience. To build their experience and design expertise, junior designers are responsible for assisting other graphic designers in various design projects. On top of that, they can also design logos, edit typography, partake in design decisions, and the like.
Mid-level graphic designers have, on average, around three to five years of job experience under their belt. Unlike a junior graphic designer, a mid-level designer is expected to take on more complex projects with little supervision and execute innovative design solutions. Mid-level graphic designers also work with project managers and senior and junior graphic designers.
With over five years of job experience, a senior graphic designer is responsible for leading mid-level and junior graphic designers, providing creative direction, overseeing the quality of outputs, and collaborating with clients. Overall, a senior graphic designer must have the creative and leadership prowess to thrive in this role.
Being an art director and creative director is one of the highest roles a graphic designer can achieve in their career. An art director takes on more leadership roles than a mid-level or senior graphic designer. They visualize ideas, provide input on a project’s visual aesthetics, share design drafts with the client or creative director, and disseminate feedback to the graphic design team.
On the other hand, a creative director is the equivalent of a project lead. Their job responsibilities include pitching ideas to clients, supervising their graphic design team, providing feedback and revisions, and executing design ideas.
Hiring a Filipino graphic designer is not a complete cakewalk. Without a solid plan or a clear idea of your design project, your potential candidates will be left hanging and confused. If you want the best graphic designer for your creative team, here’s how to get your hiring process on the right track.
One mistake you should not make when hiring graphic designers is expecting them to do every task — from designing a website to creating a motion graphics animation. Remember, Filipino graphic designers are not superhumans; they have their niche too. If you’re having trouble identifying your design needs, these questions will serve as your guide:
Don’t forget to identify the scope of your design needs, as this will influence the position’s type of employment. If you’re outsourcing graphic design, your answers will be of great help to graphic design firms and outsourcing companies.
A job posting is like a resume but for businesses. Like resumes, job postings should be tailored to the position. If you’re hiring an art director, the job listing should include all the skills, qualifications, and responsibilities of that position.
To craft a compelling job description, begin with a catchy summary of the role. Briefly include how the role will impact your company and the Filipino graphic artist. This should answer the question: “Why should the candidate apply to my company?”
Next, list down the key job responsibilities of the role. Again, this depends on the position. Leadership responsibilities, for example, should be reserved for a senior graphic designer, art director, or creative director.
Then, write down the qualifications of the position — whether that’s a four-year graphic design or fine art degree, or experience working as a graphic designer in a related industry as your business. In addition, don’t just include “proficient in various design programs” without specifying the names of the software. List down the role’s salary range and soft skills, as well.
After reviewing your job posting, it’s time to put it where everyone can see it. You can post your job advertisement on LinkedIn, Upwork, and other online platforms. Optimizing your listing goes a long way, too. Use keywords and sprinkle them throughout your listing as needed, potentially reaching more Filipino graphic designers.
As your inbox gets swamped by cover letters, resumes, and project proposals, it’s time to shortlist candidates for the position. Read all your candidates’ resumes and curate their portfolios. Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself when screening Filipino graphic designers:
Shortlisted candidates are, of course, qualified for an interview. Ask the right questions — both icebreakers and open-ended questions — and you’ll know by the end of the interview if a Filipino graphic artist is the right one for the job, at least for now.
For candidates, a test task is the final battle. Test tasks should not only mirror real-world tasks, they should also be related to the job position and your company. They test a Filipino designer’s ability to think outside the box and solve design problems. Include the following elements in your test task:
Congratulations! Your Filipino graphic designer is now onboarded into your team. These tips to ensure a smooth onboarding process:
No matter the industry, graphic designers are always in demand. Because the creative industry is competitive, graphic designers must invest in their skills, widen their expertise, update their portfolios, keep up with design trends, and network with other creatives. With a rich pool of graphic designers abroad and in the Philippines, finding and hiring the right graphic artist is a job in itself.
Fortunately, foreign businesses love the creativity and resilience of Filipino creatives. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of hiring an in-house or freelance graphic designer, you can — instead — outsource to KDCI.
KDCI is a Philippine-based BPO with extensive experience in providing exceptional graphic design services to clients. Because of our dedication to success, we only hire and onboard the best graphic designers. Our graphic designers are not only equipped with creative and technical skills, they also have the grit and industry knowledge to scale your business.
Sounds exciting? Contact us to kick off your outsourcing journey with a bang!
For a typical workday, eight hours is a lot of time. Unfortunately, not all of those hours are spent on high-value tasks. Trafft reported that 80% of a workday is dedicated to accomplishing low-value or mundane tasks. That means only 20% are allotted to core tasks. Without additional manpower, it’s easy to get swamped with tasks — whether that’s managing emails, setting appointments, or creating social media posts.
Because there’s only so much you can accomplish in a single workday, hiring a Filipino virtual assistant will be a life-changing experience for your business. Thankfully, many Filipino assistants are active on freelance websites and virtual assistant companies, waiting to be hired by clients.
Filipino workers are well-sought out for their mastery of the English language, friendliness, and strong work ethic. Although a Filipino virtual assistant faces stiff competition from Brazilian, Malaysian, Mexican, and Singaporean virtual assistants, overseas companies have — time and again — shown their penchant for Filipino talent and labor. Still in doubt? Below, we’ll answer questions about working with a Filipino VA.
Filipinos place a high value on education. Most jobs in the Philippines also require a college degree. Because education is the door to a better future, Filipino families move mountains just so their children can finish school and enjoy the job opportunities that come with a college degree. Interestingly, some of these children are working students. By balancing school and work, students learn transferable skills, build a solid work ethic, and develop persistence. When you work with Filipino VA, you get the best of both worlds — their educational background and tenacity.
Yes! That’s why many foreign companies outsource work to the Philippines. According to Indeed, US virtual assistants make a monthly average salary of $5,792 (₱338,122), whereas Filipino virtual assistants earn $502.30 (₱29,323) a month. The affordability of Filipino labor brings significant cost savings, giving companies more budgetary leeway for key business investments. However, affordable doesn’t mean subpar work. Filipinos value quality and excellence, so they make sure all tasks are completed to their client’s satisfaction.
The timezone differences between the Philippines and the United States are literally night and day. For Filipinos, this is not a problem at all. They can work graveyard shifts and align their schedules with American clients for round-the-clock collaboration and productivity.
Respect is deeply rooted in Filipino culture. At an early age, parents inculcate the value of respect for elders and authority figures, teaching their children to use polite words “po” and “opo” as well as titles such as “ate” for older sisters and “kuya” for older brothers. In the Philippine workplace, it’s customary for employees to use “sir” or “ma’am” as well as “po” and “opo” when speaking to their superiors. If you work with a Filipino virtual assistant, do expect to hear “sir” or “ma’am” in your first few correspondences. Since Filipinos are adaptable, they’ll get used to calling you by your first name.
That depends on you. In the Philippines, employees receive their 13th-month pay every year before December 24, as stated in Presidential Decree No. 851. Unless you operate under Philippine jurisdiction, you’re not legally mandated to give your Filipino VA 13th-month pay. But should you choose to give 13th-month pay, your Filipino virtual assistant will be over the moon, as it shows how grateful you are for their virtual assistant service. Hence, they’ll be motivated to work harder and provide better services.
Now that you’re here, you probably have an idea of what kind of virtual assistant you’ll want in your company. Or maybe, you already have a rough estimate of how much it costs to hire a virtual assistant from the Philippines. But with so many websites and companies to check out, you might be wondering where to hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines. It’s easy to succumb to choice paralysis. Below, we compiled a list of platforms and VA agencies for finding the perfect virtual assistant for your every need.
Headquartered in Pasig City, KDCI is a Philippine business processing outsourcing (BPO) company that offers a wide range of outsourcing services to clients. These include customer support, graphic design, human resources, data processing, virtual assistance, and many more. The company also promises reduced overhead costs without the headache of low-quality virtual assistant services. KDCI’s virtual assistant roles are diverse, reflecting the variety of their client’s needs. Whether you need a virtual assistant who specializes in customer support or web development, KDCI has got you covered. With the company’s rigorous hiring process, KDCI only employs virtual assistants with the right skills and experience for your needs. Operating 24/7, this BPO ensures round-the-clock productivity and collaboration.
Formerly known as Elance-oDesk, Upwork is a classic freelance platform for many nationalities, including Filipinos. Home to more than 18 million professionals, Upwork has become a fertile ground for remote job opportunities in various industries — including customer support, engineering, finance, and the like. Clients can also post job listings, purchase projects, and book expert consultations. With the ability to filter talent by location, you can specifically browse for Filipino virtual assistants that offer the service you need. Plus, there’s a dedicated “Hourly rate” filter, allowing you to find Filipino talent based on your budget. Hiring a dedicated virtual assistant for your business doesn’t take a lot of guesswork either, as you can check their profile, view their portfolio and work history, and conduct interviews in a few clicks. Thanks to Upwork’s secure payment system, you and your freelance virtual assistant can enjoy safe, worry-free transactions.
Virtual Staff Finder (VSF) is an online platform created by Chris Ducker, the website’s CEO and founder. Since 2010, its clients have enjoyed reduced workload and increased free time for family bonding and key business activities. However, it’s important to note that the Virtual Staff Finder works differently from most freelance and remote work websites. Let’s say you’re looking for an experienced virtual assistant with customer service skills. First, you’ll sign up for a Virtual Staff Finder account and pay $595 for its one-off service fee. You’ll then receive a Job Description document from Virtual Staff Finder. In that document, write all the qualifications of your would-be virtual assistant. Then, Virtual Staff Finder will source candidates based on your requirements, which can take one to two weeks. Next, the platform conducts online tests and background checks of all candidates, following up with a face-to-face or phone interview until three candidates have been shortlisted. From here, you can interview all three candidates and select the right remote worker for your business. Despite the hefty one-off service fee and the long wait time for candidate sourcing, Virtual Staff Finder is a great choice for hiring and working with the most qualified virtual assistant talent.
Founded by John Jonas and co-founded by Dan Goggins, OnlineJobs.ph grew into the platform it is today thanks to its humble origins. After Jonas and Goggins recruited a Filipino staff, they realized the life-changing effect of hiring workers from the Philippines; they could focus more on their business and spend time with their loved ones. Another realization hit the founders: More and more individuals are turning to Filipino workers for help. This leads them to create OnlineJobs.ph. This platform enables clients to recruit Filipino professionals through a job posting or a resume search. While account creation is free, the perks of your free account are limited unless you upgrade to the Pro and Premium tiers. For example — if you want to talk to a virtual assistant and check their reviews— you’ll have to purchase either of the paid tiers. However — unlike Virtual Staff Finder, the burden of candidate sourcing falls on your shoulders.
Established by Braden Yuill, Virtual Coworker stands as another go-to virtual assistant company for Filipino workers. With its dedication to finding the perfect candidate for businesses, Virtual Coworker serves as a backdrop for developing long-term and fruitful professional relationships between clients and their Filipino staff. It is the perfect platform for business owners who value the talent and contributions of Filipino virtual assistants. The platform’s hiring process works similarly to Virtual Staff Finder. First, you schedule a free consultation with Virtual Coworker and specify what you’re looking for in a Filipino virtual assistant. Next, the website sources and shortlists candidates for you. Shortlisted applicants can then be tested or interviewed by you. Once the best candidate has been chosen, they will be onboarded into your business with the help of a customer success manager. If you don’t want to spend too much time sourcing virtual assistants, choose Virtual Coworker.
With offices in India, the Philippines, and the United States, 7 Virtual Assistant Services brings local and overseas talent to overwhelmed businesses around the globe. As the name implies, the platform provides virtual assistant services in various niches, such as digital marketing, healthcare, and real estate. The best part about 7 Virtual Assistant Services is its commitment to client success, only partnering you with the most qualified Filipino virtual assistant to ensure they can accomplish all tasks with utmost care and precision. By requiring its virtual assistants to sign a non-disclosure agreement and undergo rigorous background checks, there’s no doubt that 7 Virtual Assistant Services is built with your safety and privacy in mind.
Pepper Virtual Assistants, or Pepper VA, is a Philippine virtual assistant company with offices in Makati and Davao City. The platform employs college-educated Filipino virtual assistants with native-like English writing and verbal communication skills. They also know how to work with foreigners, bridging the cultural gap between your home country and the Philippines. VA rates vary according to the assistant’s skill and expertise, ranging from $600 to almost $2,000. This makes Pepper Virtual Assistants an attractive platform for small businesses with tight budgets.
Want only the best freelance virtual assistant for your team? FreeUp has you covered. Launched in 2015 by Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, this platform carries the brunt of screening freelancers, providing clients with a space where they can only work with the most reliable and talented Filipino virtual assistant. If this excites you, you must first submit a request containing the skills required for your project. In just 24 hours, FreeUP will recommend a virtual assistant that best matches your requirements. After interviewing your assigned virtual assistant and deeming them compatible with you, you can onboard your freelancer and enjoy a successful partnership.
Coconut VA follows a tough screening process, with freelance virtual assistants undergoing a pre-qualifying exam, an initial interview, a client screening and interview, and a trial period to determine they’re the best for the job. As such, clients like you have access to skilled, high-performing virtual assistants who can adapt to your local time zone and drive growth to your business.
Wrapping up our list is every professional’s favorite website: LinkedIn. While LinkedIn is the odd-on-out in this roundup, we must not forget to look into our own network. This professional website is not just a place to find job opportunities and network with strangers, but also to scout for virtual assistant talent. Most professionals post on their feeds asking their network for candidate referrals to fill a vacant role. Chances are, these referrals are already vouched by their former employees, colleagues, and clients — increasing the likelihood of a successful hire. In addition, consider joining virtual assistant or freelance groups to find a potential hire, or even better, a BPO or virtual assistant company.
No matter how promising a Filipino VA is, staying grounded and watching out for red flags are the best ways to avoid bad hires.
Bad reviews are a turn-off for clients. And bad reviews and low ratings mean one thing: The virtual assistant can’t do their job well. Steer clear of them and go for highly rated virtual assistants.
Candidates put their best foot forward during interviews. Unfortunately, this can lead to applicants inflating their skills and promising unrealistic outcomes to impress you. If it’s too good to be true, or their portfolio and work history don’t reflect their current skills, it’s better to move on to the next candidate.
Virtual assistant companies, Philippine BPO companies, and freelance platforms have opened opportunities for Filipino VAs and overseas clients to work together through a screen. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of vetting virtual assistants, we recommend working with KDCI. KDCI takes care of the hiring process, so you can have a team of qualified Filipino virtual assistants by your side. With the company leveraging technologies and conducting frequent training, you can count on KDCI to provide the best virtual assistant service for your business. Want to make your business goals into reality? Contact us today!
The skills of a Filipino virtual assistant (VA) are as important as their virtual assistant rates, as these rates reflect their experience, knowledge, and expertise in their niche. It’s common knowledge that a Philippine VA — or even those from Latin America and other parts of Asia — is cheaper than VAs from the West. However, problems can arise if businesses don’t know how much to pay a Filipino virtual assistant, or are unaware of how much the average virtual assistant services cost.
Whether you’re researching competitive salary ranges or preparing a budget for hiring a freelance virtual assistant, this guide contains everything you need to know about the costs of investing in Filipino virtual assistants.
From the United States to the Philippines, the world is abundant with talented virtual assistants, with as many as 40 million individuals working in this profession. As the digital world evolves and more businesses outsource work to the Philippines and other countries, competition can be tough. That’s why virtual assistants continuously upskill, so they can provide specialized services and stand out in their target client’s industry.
In addition to skill, clients also factor in work ethic, cultural and timezone compatibility, and English proficiency. Fortunately, a Filipino virtual assistant ticks all these boxes.
You’ve probably heard of the hardworking nature of the Filipino people, especially overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). When hiring a Filipino VA, you can expect them to put in the work to provide an exemplary virtual assistant service. This equates to stellar outputs that produce real results and the best value for your money. If there are urgent tasks and tight deadlines, Filipinos are willing to work overtime just to complete them on the dot.
Filipino professionals also demonstrate high respect for authority, addressing their superiors as “sir” or “ma’am” instead of their first names. When working with talented virtual assistants from the Philippines, inform your team that your workplace is on a first-name basis. Overall, Filipino talent is a top choice if you seek the right balance of skills, work ethic, and value.
English is a global language, and it is also the official language of the Philippines along with Filipino. Interestingly, in some Filipino households, parents teach their children English — giving them a linguistic advantage in school where the language of instruction is mostly English. Media is another contributing factor, so it’s not surprising that kids can learn and mimic the pronunciation of many English words.
Because of such factors, Filipinos have a masterful grasp of the language. If you’re hiring Filipino virtual assistants for your customer support team, they’re a great choice as they can speak in a neutral accent, ensuring smooth communication between agent and customer. Even if you’re working with a general virtual assistant, there will be no gaps in communication due to language barriers.
There’s also no denying the effects of colonization on the present-day Philippines, making it a melting pot of Western and Asian cultures. This means a business owner outsourcing to the Philippines will encounter fewer cultural clashes with their Filipino VA.
Moreover, with 1.3 million skilled professionals working in the Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, working mid-shifts and graveyard shifts is not a foreign concept for them. If you partner with the best BPO in the Philippines and onboard multiple virtual assistants into your team, they won’t have problems adjusting their schedule to your local time zone. This then leads to better communication and collaboration between you and your remote staff.
As you grow your virtual assistant team, a strong payment method helps simplify transactions. There are various payment methods, and finding the right one boils down to not just security and cost of transaction fees, but also your team’s preferences and needs.
With services crossing borders, online payment platforms are the go-to payment methods for service providers, especially freelancers. When choosing a payment platform, go for platforms available in the Philippines, such as Payoneer, PayPal, and Skrill.
Online payment gateways also have transaction fees. If you have a large team of Filipino virtual assistants, choose one with lower transaction costs. Most importantly, opt for platforms that employ strong fraud and malware protection.
Upwork is one example of a freelance platform with an integrated payment system. Although payment processing can take time, built-in payment systems offer unmatched security for clients and virtual assistants, giving them much-needed peace of mind. Not to mention, these systems are also designed to make payment disputes easier for a Philippine VA.
Another common payment method among freelancers and employees, bank transfer lets you transfer money from your account to your Filipino virtual assistant’s bank. This means requesting their bank details before sending payments.
Despite that, bank transfers promise convenience for virtual assistants, as they can easily access their funds using a banking app. However, this payment method brings some caveats, namely long processing times and high transaction fees.
You’ve done your research on what a virtual assistant is and what they do. You even brushed up your knowledge of Philippine culture and performed a needs assessment.
As you prepare your job posting, one question remains unanswered: How much is a virtual assistant in the Philippines? This is a tricky question as factors to consider when calculating the cost of Filipino VA.
Based on your needs assessment, will your Filipino virtual assistant work full-time or part-time? A full-time work arrangement follows the standard hours of 8 hours a day (40 hours) from Monday to Friday. Alternatively, a part-time arrangement means your Filipino VA will work fewer hours, say around 20 hours, and take on fewer tasks. This also gives your virtual assistant more freedom in terms of when they can take on work.
However, consider paying your Filipino virtual assistant per project if you only need temporary virtual assistance. For this work arrangement, you can make a downpayment or pay in full once the VA completes the task.
Like any job position, skills and experience are important when paying a virtual assistant in the Philippines. Whether you’re hiring an entry-level Filipino VA or a highly experienced one, here’s what you need to know about the tasks and estimated monthly rates for virtual assistants of varying experience levels.
If a Filipino virtual assistant has the experience to back these skills up, expect a higher rate. Generally speaking, a specialized VA costs around $1,000 to more than $1,600 a month.
Hiring a mid-level virtual assistant comes with the expectation of deeper industry insights and faster task completion. The cost of a mid-level Philippine virtual assistant is approximately $600 to $800 per month, with some going as high as $1,000 each month.
Due to the nature of the tasks and lack of experience, newbie virtual assistants are the most affordable out of all experience levels. Rates for entry-level Filipino virtual assistants sit at around $600, with salaries going as low as $300 to $400.
Because the above rates are just estimates, rates can differ between virtual assistants. You can check individual rates of virtual assistants on a freelance platform or virtual assistant company to give you a clearer idea of how to create a competitive salary structure.
According to Livingcost, the average cost of living for a single person in the Philippines is $615, versus $2,454 in the United States. For families, these figures skyrocket to $1,589 in the Philippines and $5,738 in the United States. Because of the Philippines’ lower cost of living, foreign countries see it as a more affordable option for hiring virtual assistants.
In the United States, Zip Recruiter reports that the average monthly rate of an entry-level virtual assistant is $4,229. Compare this to the Philippine monthly rate of $300 for virtual assistants with the same experience level. Cost-wise, there’s no doubt that Filipino virtual assistants trump US virtual assistants. Before deciding on virtual assistant rates, always take into consideration the cost of living in the Philippines.
Presidential Decree No. 851 enshrines that the 13th-month pay must be given to rank-and-file employees by employers every year. This bonus augments the financial stability of Filipinos during the holidays, improving their welfare. To calculate your virtual assistant’s 13th-month pay, simply calculate the total of the base salary based on the number of months rendered and divide the total by 12.
Let’s say your virtual assistant’s rate is $400 (₱23,000), and let’s also say they worked for you for 12 months. The total will be $4,800 (400 x 12). Divide $4,800 by 12 and your Filipino virtual assistant will receive $400 as their 13th-month pay. If they’ve only been with you for six months, their total base salary will be $2,400 (400 x 6). When divided by 12, your virtual assistant’s 13-month pay will only be $200.
Foreign clients outside the Philippines are not obligated to provide 13th-month pay, but your Filipino virtual assistants would appreciate it if they received one from you. Think of it as your token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication.
A job well done deserves a sweet performance-based incentive. For virtual assistants, incentives drive them to keep improving and provide you with the highest quality service possible.
It can even lead to a fruitful, long-term working relationship. Will your Philippine VA receive incentives after a performance review? Are the incentives only for achieving key business milestones (ex: boosted sales by 5%)? Regardless, incentives also add to the cost of hiring a Filipino VA.
Time is gold, and time is money. Much as you’re investing in your team of skilled virtual assistants, they’re also investing their time in you. Below are two tips to ensure payment processes go smoothly on your virtual assistant’s end.
Contracts are the foundation of a working partnership between the client and the service provider. Furthermore, a payment contract holds the same importance as a job agreement contract.
In addition to underscoring the duties and expectations of both parties, a payment contract not only opens room for negotiations, but also fosters mutual trust between you and your Filipino virtual assistant. This document can also serve as a point of reference in case of financial disputes. When writing a payment contract, include the following clauses:
Quality isn’t cheap. Worse, low rates for virtual assistant services can ward off talented virtual assistants and result in low-quality outputs — and the latter is every client’s nightmare! Before hiring the right virtual assistant, provide competitive rates.
A competitive salary potentially attracts a Filipino VA with the skill level you’re looking for. Plus, on the virtual assistant’s side, it makes them feel valued as a human being and service provider. Remember, if you want premium Filipino virtual assistants, set premium rates.
No matter their industry or experience level, virtual assistants are worth the investment — especially if they’re the cream of the crop. For clients looking to outsource to the Philippines, virtual assistant costs differ among service providers. In this case, it’s not a matter of who can provide the cheapest virtual assistant services, but who can provide top-quality services and the best value for your money.
Looking for a virtual assistant agency or BPO? Choose KDCI. KDCI promises reduced operational costs while maintaining quality, with Filipino virtual assistants excelling in administrative assistance, customer support, SEO, research, and many more.
If you want to get started, don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to meeting and working with you!
Versatile and adaptable, virtual assistants (VA) are the jacks of all trades of the digital world. They’re full-time, part-time, or independent contractors who offer administrative and data entry services, with some even providing specialized virtual assistant services such as graphic design, research, social media management, and web design. Because of their diverse and niche skill sets, virtual assistants are an asset in every company. Much like any outsourcing staff, virtual assistants help reduce annual costs by as much as 78%.
This means a company doesn’t have to allocate funds for additional equipment and office space, as virtual assistants work remotely and have their own computers. When it comes to qualifications, anyone can become a virtual assistant provided the individual possesses computer literacy and administrative skills.
With virtual assistants from across the world waiting to be hired, sifting through applications — or even finding the right virtual assistant from job platforms — can be a tough call. Don’t worry, our detailed guide on how to find virtual assistants in the Philippines will help you hire the best virtual assistant that offers the services you require and drives business growth and efficiency.
Globally, around 40 million people are working as virtual assistants. For business owners, this is good news as they can extend their hiring pool from local to international, which means more options for hiring virtual assistants in addition to round-the-clock productivity.
Companies hire virtual assistants from Asia and Latin America. While these regions outsource high-caliber virtual assistant services, there are reasons why businesses are opting to partner with a skilled virtual assistant from the Philippines.
According to the EF English Proficiency Index (EPI), the Philippines exhibited a “High Proficiency” in the English language. Such a high proficiency level boils down to early exposure to English, thanks to the prevalence of English-language media and the use of English as a language of instruction in schools. Not to mention, Filipinos are well known for their neutral English accent.
While English fluency is not required to be a virtual assistant, it’s still an asset in the workforce. As such, Filipino virtual assistants can leverage their mastery of the language to ensure proper verbal and written communication between them and their clients. In addition, English-language skills are also helpful in certain virtual assistant services, including research, customer support, and content creation.
Outsourcing to the Philippines is a cheaper venture. In general, hiring a Filipino virtual assistant in the Philippines costs between $3 and $12 per hour, lower than the average of $24 to $50 per hour in the United States. However, the hourly charge may be higher or lower depending on the task and the individual’s experience and skills.
Don’t mistake this for cheap labor. Filipino virtual assistants boast college degrees or certifications and value quality. Whether you’re hiring an entry-level or specialized virtual assistant, rest assured you’ll get your money’s worth.
The Philippines has a long history of colonization, thus making it culturally compatible with Western countries like the United States. Because the average Filipino virtual assistant is familiar with English slash and exposed to foreign media at a young age, they can acclimate to your business’s work culture and meet your expectations.
Filipino remote workers also have experience working with US- or UK-based clients or foreign businesses, so they’re most likely familiar with your country’s local holidays and time zones.
Virtual assistants from the Philippines are hard workers. A Filipino VA can go beyond the call of duty, taking their client’s needs to heart and delivering more than what is expected of them. Filipinos are also respectful and professional, using “sir” or “ma’am” when addressing a superior.
For Western companies, this comes off as a surprise. But think of this as a sign of respect for your authority. However, you can always let your Filipino VA team know it’s okay to call you by your first name. Filipinos are known for their flexibility, too — adjusting their working hours to accommodate your local time zone, so you can prevent downtimes and enjoy round-the-clock virtual assistant services.
Before you learn how to find virtual assistants in the Philippines, you must define your needs and goals, so you can identify the skills required for the job and set realistic expectations for your Filipino virtual assistant. Here are some questions to help you out.
Identifying gaps in your business lets you zero in on the tasks you can delegate to your Filipino virtual assistant. Without a clear set of tasks, you’ll be wasting your virtual assistant’s time.
Remember, virtual assistants typically wear many hats. From the tasks you identified earlier, you can determine what skills your Filipino virtual assistant should possess.
Setting goals gives you a clearer picture of your expected outcome. Is it to improve efficiency through calendar management, or to ease the load off of your customer support team? Whatever those goals are, list them down.
Hourly or monthly rates vary between virtual assistants. Experienced and specialized VAs, for example, command higher rates unlike entry- and mid-level VAs. Before going through the hiring process, ask yourself the following questions:
13th-month pay is another concern. In the Philippines, the provision of the 13th-month pay is mandated by Presidential Decree No. 851. While Philippine companies are obligated to give this annual bonus, you can still pay your Filipino virtual assistant their 13th-month pay to boost their morale and express your gratitude for their hard work.
The timezone of the Philippines favors Western time zones, especially the United States. When you hire a virtual assistant from the Philippines, chances are, they’ll be working the night shift to cover downtimes. Filipinos can work mid-shifts, too. Before finding a virtual assistant, identify which times of the day require the most coverage, as this will be the basis for their working hours.
You’ve done your homework of identifying business needs and gaps. That means you’re ready for the next step: Finding the best virtual assistant. If you don’t know how to find virtual assistants in the Philippines, below are three tips to get you started:
Job search sites are the modern classified ads. These websites are not just for job seekers, but employers as well. Here’s a short round-up of the best job search platforms for finding a skilled virtual assistant in the Philippines:
Upwork is a treasure trove of freelance virtual assistants and clients — all based in different parts of the globe. Here, you can avail a quality virtual assistant service from a freelance virtual assistant, or post a job listing like any employer would. The best part about Upwork is the abundance of top-rated Filipino virtual assistants, complete with their work history, rates, and bio.
Unlike Upwork, this job search platform is reserved for Filipino professionals. You can browse through thousands of Filipino virtual assistants, each bringing unique skills to the table. The skills and their respective star rating are listed on the profile, making it easier to gauge mastery and proficiency. In addition, you can filter virtual assistants according to employment type, availability, and other parameters.
Virtual Staff Finder is a great alternative to Upwork and OnlineJobs.ph. It streamlines the search process, sourcing potential virtual assistants for you to interview and hire. However, take note that Virtual Staff Finder requires users to pay a one-off service fee of $595.
Virtual assistant services are offered in BPOs. These companies conduct rigorous screening processes, which include interviews and background checks to ensure the candidate is an asset to both the firm and the client. Virtual assistant roles may vary from company to company. For example, KDCI offers roles from administrative virtual assistant to SEO specialist. Rates differ as well, so consider requesting a quote when trying to find a potential outsourcing partner in the Philippines.
Don’t underestimate the power of your personal network, including your LinkedIn contacts. Reach out to industry experts, colleagues, friends, and acquaintances for recommendations on the best BPO companies in the Philippines. You can also post on LinkedIn that you’re looking for a Filipino virtual assistant, so your contacts can refer a virtual assistant to you.
Whether a friend referred a potential virtual assistant, or you found one while browsing Upwork, evaluating potential virtual assistants is more than reading their well-written resumes and viewing glowing portfolios. It’s about maintaining a delicate balance of assessing their skills, personality, and cultural fit.
Although a perfect virtual assistant doesn’t exist, these steps will help you better evaluate a potential virtual assistant, so you can hire the best one for your company.
A solid resume and portfolio help virtual assistants get their foot into the hiring door. Depending on the task and role, you’re going to look for specific skills and experience in a potential candidate. For an administrative support role, for example, you’ll want someone with experience in email and calendar management as well as proficiency in Microsoft Office products. You may also prefer candidates who have worked in industries similar to yours.
A portfolio, on the other hand, is proof of a candidate’s skill. It should contain their best works, and projects along with positive client feedback and testimonials. From the testimonials alone, you can gauge whether the candidate is equipped with the grit and skills for the job. Measurable outcomes and metrics are also a plus, as they showcase the impact of an applicant's VA service.
This step is a background verification process. It gives you in-depth insights into the candidate’s character and performance, including how they maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) and address conflicts and downtimes.
Interviews are a critical part of the hiring process. The right interview questions shed light on a candidate’s thought processes and oral communication skills. Here’s a list of questions you can ask your potential Filipino virtual assistant:
Aim for situational questions or questions that illuminate a candidate’s virtual assistant journey on a deeper level. Tailor your questions according to the required expertise and skills you listed in the job description. If you’re a first-time interviewer, keep these tips in mind:
Steer clear of applicants who overpromise results or lie about their qualifications and work history. An honest and skilled virtual assistant knows their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, always cross-check for inconsistencies between their interview answers and resume.
Test tasks are the equivalent of a practical exam. These test tasks are aligned with the roles and responsibilities of a virtual assistant. If your job listing includes calendar management as a skill, the task should test the candidate’s ability to organize and prioritize events, meetings, and tasks. Likewise — if a potential virtual assistant is responsible for writing content — make them complete a writing test to assess their research skills, grammar proficiency, and quality of writing style.
The results of the tests give you a sneak peek of a potential virtual assistant’s caliber in fulfilling their responsibilities. These tests are considered paid tasks, so don’t forget to compensate your candidates for their time and effort — regardless of whether they pass the test.
Some clients propose a trial period with a BPO to test the partnership. You can do this with your Filipino virtual assistant, too! During this period, you can assess your virtual assistant’s performance, work ethic, and competency and provide feedback as needed. By the end of the trial period, you should know if you want to continue working with your Filipino virtual assistant.
If you do, congratulations! You can now onboard your newly hired virtual assistant. When onboarding, set expectations, get them up to speed with company rules, and provide access to communication channels and resources.
Virtual assistants can make or break a business, and that’s why it’s important to find the right one. If you don’t want to do the extra legwork of searching and screening applicants, consider outsourcing virtual assistance to KDCI. Based in Pasig City, KDCI boasts over a decade of outsourcing experience, backed by positive client testimonials and a strong portfolio of case studies and design solutions.
Best of all, the company takes care of the hiring process, meticulously screening its virtual assistants to ensure their educational background, employment history, and skills match your preferred virtual assistant role.
What are you waiting for? Contact us today, and get ready to build and meet your offshore outsourcing team of talented Filipino virtual assistants.
Small businesses and large corporations leverage outsourcing for a number of reasons. For example, most business executives (81%) rely on third-party partners for their cybersecurity needs, whereas over half of global firms (59%) choose to reduce costs through outsourcing. While India, Malaysia, and Poland are some of the top outsourcing destinations, the Philippines is still the cream of the crop.
As the business processing outsourcing (BPO) capital of the world, the Philippines boasts not just hundreds of the best BPO companies, but also a wide talent pool of English-speaking professionals who can provide high-caliber services and adapt to Western culture.
However, companies must remember that evaluating potential outsourcing partners in the Philippines is like evaluating an applicant for a particular role. You assess their background, qualifications, cultural fit, track record, and experience to ensure that your outsourcing partner is the right one for your needs and goals.
Outsourcing to the Philippines may be a gamble, but it doesn’t have to be a daunting experience. If you don’t know where and how to begin your search, we’ve got you covered with our comprehensive guide on how to evaluate potential outsourcing partners in the Philippines.
Before you scour the internet or your network for a potential outsourcing provider, it’s first important to know the qualities you should look for in an external provider. This way, you can narrow down your choices and find the best outsourcing company for your business needs.
BPOs in the Philippines offer a wide range of services in various industries, such as data engineering, game development, graphic design, and many more. Knowing all the services a potential Philippine outsourcing company offers is key to ensuring your specific outsourcing needs will be met throughout the partnership.
A BPO’s experience and track record in delivering your required services is a critical aspect of your future partnership. Without a solid track record, how can your future outsourcing provider in the Philippines drive growth to your business?
Check for certifications, accolades, or testimonials that showcase their competence in providing high-quality outsourcing services. Most importantly, find out how long the service provider has been in the outsourcing industry. This gives you an idea of the company’s ability to identify your needs, provide specialized expertise and solutions, and scale your business.
Your potential outsourcing company’s workforce is a determiner of whether their employees are equipped with the skills and experience needed for the tasks. It’s also vital if the company’s employees are abreast with current industry trends, or if there are training programs for upskilling its workforce.
Whether you’re outsourcing accounting or customer service, working with the right outsourcing provider comes a long way. Some clients even become long-time partners of BPOs, with the local staff consistently providing high-quality services. Others, however, choose to terminate their partnership with a BPO due to breaches in contract or any circumstance.
Although there’s no perfect BPO partner, carefully evaluating your potential outsourcing partner in the Philippines makes the difference between a successful outsourcing partnership and wasted time.
Outsourcing in the Philippines is not a spur-of-the-moment decision. Much like any business venture, it requires deliberate planning and decision-making. Deciding to outsource services boils down to identifying inefficiencies in your business:
Such insights help you gain a clearer picture of your company’s status and workflow, thus making it easier to set goals and draft a contract when you evaluate potential outsourcing partners in the Philippines.
You can check LinkedIn or do a Google search of Philippine-based BPOs. If you’re resorting to the latter, here’s how you can make the search process easier:
Don’t underestimate the power of your own network, too. Sometimes, your friends and colleagues can point you to outsourcing service providers in the Philippines.
Business owners who frequently outsource services will notice a common marketing ploy among BPOs: Significant cost savings for quality work. While the overarching goal of outsourcing is to lower overhead costs, it doesn’t mean you should accept the cheapest offer. Ask for detailed price quotes and go for outsourcing packages that bring the best bang for your buck.
A company website tells a thousand stories. By thoroughly exploring your potential outsourcing partner’s website, you’ll have an idea of its services, values, and workplace culture. Case studies and design portfolios showcase the quality and the impact of a BPO’s services to its client as well as the expertise and competency of the offshore outsourcing team.
Client testimonials and success stories — though they only highlight the positives of the partnership — are also a good way to assess its level of professionalism. If the testimonials on the company website don’t convince you enough, reach out to the clients themselves for a more objective and nuanced perspective.
With the prevalence of cyberattacks in this digital age, keeping your company’s data safe is always a must. When finding the right outsourcing partner in the Philippines, make sure the company is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and upholds the Data Privacy Act of 2012.
For your peace of mind, ask about your potential outsourcing company’s disaster recovery plans for cyber attacks as well as how the company encrypts, stores, and deletes sensitive data. This is to ensure that all information will remain secure and confidential throughout your partnership.
Timezone compatibility is an important factor when you evaluate outsourcing partners in the Philippines. But with BPOs operating 24/7 and Filipino workers being flexible, your offshore outsourcing staff can adapt to your timezone and provide seamless, real-time services just like your in-house employees.
While big time zone differences can be intimidating at first, such gaps can be addressed with regular communication between you and your outsourcing partner. So before closing a deal, find out how often your future BPO partner maintains an open line of communication with its clients.
Clients like you deserve a competent Filipino offshore team that meets your standards and expectations. When you evaluate potential outsourcing partners in the Philippines, you must have an idea of how the company conducts its hiring process and assesses a candidate’s portfolio, so you can be sure your Filipino staff possesses both the hard and soft skills to do the job.
Having the right number of staff helps ease your workload while providing ample assignments for each team member. When assessing potential outsourcing providers in the Philippines, ask the company if they have — or can onboard — enough staff members to meet urgent deadlines without compromising quality and avoid heavy workloads or droughts in task assignments.
With an adequate number of Filipino team members working for you, do expect achieved goals and a greater soar in productivity and efficiency.
There’s only so much research and discovery calls can do. For some clients, nothing beats requesting a trial period or a pilot project when evaluating outsourcing service providers in the Philippines.
A pilot project gives you ample time to see if your Filipino team’s outputs and professionalism are up to standards. If the trial did not work out as expected, it’s best to terminate the partnership and move on to your next prospect.
Outsourcing services is no walk in the park; it’s a major business move that requires a balance of risk and investment. Because evaluating potential outsourcing partners in the Philippines involves background checks and discovery calls, it should be treated like hiring the right person for the job.
While it’s easy to get swayed by cheap outsourcing packages, it shouldn’t be the sole basis for working with an outsourcing company. There are other factors to consider as well, including cultural fit, workforce expertise and knowledge, data privacy policies, track record, and many more. Once you know what to look for in the right BPO partner, it becomes easier to learn how to outsource work to the Philippines.
If you’re on the hunt for a BPO with a strong portfolio and a large client base, choose KDCI. Established in 2011, the company offers a whole suite of services — from customer service and sales to software development. As an extension of your business, we deliver round-the-clock work with passion and competence.
Ready to streamline your day-to-day operations? Contact us today and get ready to embark on a productive outsourcing journey with us!
From content creation to software development, many services today can be outsourced to a third-party company. As surprising as it seems, businesses can outsource payroll and have every right to do so. On average, 120 hours are dedicated each year for payroll alone, according to G2. For a business owner like yourself, that’s a lot of time!
After all, payroll is a complex process of not just calculating your employees’ monthly salaries and factoring in their overtime pay, taxes, and benefits. It is also ensuring that all calculations are error-free and payslips are received by employees on time. Businesses that outsource payroll enjoy lower labor and overhead costs and more streamlined payroll processing.
If outsourcing payroll to the Philippines sounds daunting, this detailed guide gives you a glimpse of the country’s culture and outsourcing industry. Later, we’ll teach you how to outsource payroll to an outsourcing company.
Payroll is essential in every business, but it is also a time-consuming process. Typically, companies have in-house payroll specialists who take care of payroll processing. Because some companies lack the resources to employ specialists, they outsource payroll to BPOs for high-quality services without the added cost of hiring locally. Below are five common FAQs businesses have when they outsource payroll to the Philippines.
From the names of employees to bank account numbers, payroll processing involves working with personal data. Given the surge in data breaches in 2023, data protection remains a top priority for companies who plan to outsource payroll.
Thankfully, data privacy and protection are taken seriously in the Philippines. The country’s Data Privacy Act of 2012 — or Republic Act no. 10173 — underscores the need for organizations to ensure sensitive data is safeguarded from unauthorized access and disclosure, lest they face fines and imprisonment.
The country has a lower cost of labor, making payroll outsourcing to the Philippines a cheaper venture than employing in-house payroll specialists. However, outsourcing rates may vary between BPOs as they factor in the salary of payroll employees — which depends on their skill level and experience — the cost of employee benefits, taxes, and many more.
Not at all! Filipinos are fluent in English. They’re exposed to the language through media and the country’s education system — where most subjects are taught in English. As such, Filipinos can write like native English speakers and communicate with a neutral accent. They’re also knowledgeable in common English slang and idiomatic expressions.
Indeed, they can. Many BPOs in the Philippines have worked with clients in different countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Since the Philippines is a melting pot of Eastern and Western cultures because of its colonial past, you won’t face cultural clashes with your offshore Filipino team when you outsource payroll.
Yes! Because BPOs operate 24/7, Filipinos can adapt to your company’s working hours to ensure real-time payroll processing and timely delivery of payslips to employees. When you outsource payroll to the Philippines, you won’t have problems holding virtual meetings and exchanging correspondence with your Filipino team.
Your plan and decision to outsource payroll to a BPO depends on your current company’s payroll workflow and needs. Before you draft a contract and outsource payroll to the Philippines, make sure you have clear answers to the following questions:
Whatever your answers to these questions, they give you an idea of which payroll tasks you need to outsource to the Philippines and help set expectations for your future outsourcing partner.
A contract is always a must when you outsource payroll to the Philippines. It is a document outlining the responsibilities of your business and the BPO company, so both parties know what to expect from each other during their partnership.
List down the scope and limitations of the payroll services you’ll outsource, expected deliverables, and turnaround times. Include the performance metrics in your contract’s service-level agreements (SLA) clause to give your outsourcing partner an idea of how their payroll employees’ performance will be assessed.
Furthermore — in addition to the implementation of security measures and compliance with data protection laws — the data protection and privacy clause must have provisions for the storage, return, and destruction of employee data. Finally, the termination clause includes the conditions and circumstances for ending the partnership.
While writing a contract from scratch is intimidating, you can look up templates online and use them as a reference. Before looking for a BPO to outsource payroll services, consulting a legal professional is recommended to ensure every clause is written clearly and there are no potential conflicts of interest.
Searching for the right BPO to outsource payroll projects is like scouting for the most qualified candidate for a role — it takes time and vetting. If you have a LinkedIn account, ask your network if they know a BPO you can outsource payroll services to. Don’t just stick to LinkedIn, though. Do a Google search for the best BPOs or the top payroll outsourcing companies in the Philippines and read the articles at the top of the search results.
If you’ve found a couple of Philippine-based BPOs you can outsource payroll to, do a thorough background check of each one. Browse their official website for portfolios, case studies, and client testimonials. All these paint a picture of how a BPO processes payroll and works with sensitive employee data.
If the client success stories on a website don’t convince you enough, you can take it a step further by reaching out to an outsourcing company’s previous clients. This method is the most holistic and foolproof way of vetting a company to outsource payroll projects. You can ask the client about their experiences with working with their offshore staff as well as the strengths and weaknesses of their outsourcing partner.
At this point, a few of the BPOs you plan to outsource payroll passed the initial screening. Now, it’s time to inquire and schedule a meeting with your soon-to-be outsourcing partner. Articulate the scope and goals of your payroll projects, and use the meeting to gauge your compatibility with the company. If possible, request a trial period to assess the company’s performance in delivering payrolls.
Unfortunately, not all initial meetings end in contract signing — either there’s a mismatch in values and goals or the BPO doesn’t have enough manpower for your payroll projects. Keep searching and inquiring until you close a deal with a company to outsource payroll.
Welcome your offshore payroll specialists like you would welcome a newly hired in-house payroll specialist. Introduce your company’s payroll processes and payday schedule, inform your new team of your country’s federal or national holiday pays, and provide them access to employee information — including their timesheets, bank account name and number, benefits, overtime, incentives, and PTOs (personal time off).
You can also share your business’s payroll software and provide training materials on how to use it. This way, your Filipino team can accurately calculate your employees’ paychecks using said software and reduce payroll errors when you outsource payroll tasks.
Payroll performance is key to streamlining payroll operations and making employees happy. Use performance metrics to assess whether your Filipino payroll specialists meet your expectations. You can answer these questions too:
In processing payroll, there’s always no room for mistakes so make sure feedback is provided to reduce inaccuracies and errors.
It’s easy to neglect the intricacies of payroll processing. Payroll specialists calculate not just the hours rendered in a day, but also overtime, absenteeism, incentives, and PTOs. From slashing costs to streamlining payroll processes, businesses outsource payroll for many reasons. Thankfully, there are plenty of BPOs in the Philippines that companies abroad can outsource payroll to. One of those BPOs is KDCI.
KDCI onboards payroll specialists with an eye for detail and excellent mathematical skills. In addition to their nuanced understanding of payroll laws to ensure legal compliance, they can juggle multiple tasks and safeguard employee information. With the help of AI, we can optimize your business’ payroll workflow and ensure employee satisfaction across the board.
If you’re looking to outsource payroll in the Philippines, KDCI has what it takes to take your business’ payroll processing to the next level.
Want to outsource payroll and kick off your outsourcing journey with a bang? Contact us and start building your finance and accounting team now!
Did you know that the world has around 7.21 billion smartphones? In China alone, 974.69 million out of 1.43 billion people own a smartphone, with India and the United States following suit at 659 million and 276.14 million users. With people using their phones online for almost four hours, attracting them with a beautifully designed mobile app from the brand itself or mobile app design agency becomes even more crucial.
At this time and age, you’ve probably enjoyed using an app because of its user-friendliness or visually striking interface. You can thank the app designer or a mobile app design agency for that, but you should also give credit to their expertise in mobile app design. Also called mobile UX/UI design, mobile app design refers to the creation of an interface that’s accessible, responsive, and easy to navigate for on-the-go users.
This is no easy feat for any designer or mobile app design agency, as designing a mobile involves not just the placement of the visuals, but also the platform and target demographic. Before we share our roundup of the best mobile app design agencies and exclusive guide on finding a mobile app design agency, let’s tackle the benefits of good mobile app design.
Good design is the foundation of any mobile app. How many times have we uninstalled or left bad reviews on an app because of its clunkiness or unprofessional design? As users, we want a mobile app that gets the job done. After all, any mobile app design agency or freelance mobile app designer knows that mobile app design is not just an art; it’s a practice.
Like people, brands have their own identity. A brand’s identity is reflected in its logo, communication style, choice of colors, and history. All of these are present in the applications developed by in-house designers or a mobile app design agency. Remember, a beautifully designed mobile app integrates such elements well, from the layout of the user interface to the style of writing.
Outside of visuals, ease of navigation is also a critical aspect of mobile app design. If a mobile app is too clunky or cluttered with unnecessary elements when navigating from one page to another, users are more likely to stop using it out of frustration. In addition, accessibility features such as text-to-speech, auto-fill, and one-hand operation help create a better app experience for users with disabilities.
When shopping online, we check reviews to gauge the product’s quality and durability. The same principle applies to mobile apps. When a mobile app design agency or a business designs an attractive app with an accessible user interface, users are compelled to recommend it to their loved ones and leave positive reviews on its app page — greatly boosting your brand image.
Mobile apps are the epitome of convenience, and all the better for a business or a mobile app design agency to integrate mobile features into an application. If you’re designing a shopping app, for example, implementing a visual search functionality that uses the phone’s camera or gallery helps simplify the tedious process of finding a product. Hence, by leveraging smartphone features, there’s less need for customers to use their computers to perform a certain action.
A mobile app design agency is a company that offers app design services to clients. It doesn’t program a mobile application. Rather, a mobile app design agency creates unique, compelling user interfaces, taking into account the colors, placement of the tabs and navigation bars, and screen size to provide a seamless experience for customers. If you’re unfamiliar with mobile app design and don’t have the time to learn the tools of the trade, these mobile app design agencies will take care of your design needs.
Located in Pasig City, Manila, Philippines, KDCI is a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm established in 2011. It has partnered with clients such as Art Brand Studios, Nielsen, Softonic, and many more, offering cost-effective, high-quality graphic design, content creation, and many other services. Like any reputable mobile app design agency, KDCI designs mobile applications across various platforms with user-friendliness, creativity, and originality in mind.
The company also trains and onboards employees with excellent complex problem-solving skills and a solid grasp of UI and UX design. With KDCI’s team of mobile app developers and designers, businesses can provide their customers with functional, well-designed mobile apps that make a long-lasting first impression and maintain brand identity.
Founded in 2009, DottyStyle Creative is an independent company that excels in digital product creation. Working with clients from and outside the Philippines, the digital production agency boasts a diverse portfolio of landing pages, website design, mobile app development, and design projects. All of which reflect the unique identity of each brand and the web and the team’s competence in UI and UX design. Dottystyle Creative has offices based in Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand.
Pixelmojo is a Makati, Philippines-based website and mobile app design agency founded by Lloyd and Marc — referred to as Pixel and Mojo, respectively. With clientele consisting of Saas (software as a service) businesses, the development agency has helped these clients establish a customer-attracting brand identity, convert leads from a landing page, and improve customer satisfaction and retention, to name a few.
Thanks to Pixelmojo’s expertise in mobile app and UI and UX design and intelligent use of analytics to make optimal design choices, a SaaS company's mobile app will not only be more functional and eye-catching, but it will also retain and adopt more users. The website and mobile app design agency’s forward-looking approach enables its clients to scale and ensure their business’s competitiveness and relevance in the future.
Based in Cebu City, Philippines, Symph is a company founded by three men: Dave Overton, Dan Pantinople, and Albert Padin — who are CEO, CDO (chief design officer), and CTO (chief technology officer) of the web and mobile app design agency, respectively.
Since its founding in 2010, Symph has partnered with local and overseas clients in various industries to deliver services in design, website and e-commerce store creation, and web and mobile application development. The web and mobile app design agency’s human-centered approach to mobile app design ensures that the needs and expectations of clients and users are at the forefront of their applications.
Headquartered in Muntinlupa City, Philippines, 1902 Software Development Corporation is a long-standing website and mobile app design agency founded by Dane Peter Skouhus, the agency’s president. Since its inception in 1998, 1902 Software Development Corporation has collaborated with clients based not just in the Scandinavian region, but also in Asia, Oceania, and other parts of Europe.
The website and mobile app design agency’s foray into mobile app development started in 2012, beginning with the creation of the company’s own Mobile App department and the provision of native development for two platforms: Windows and iOS. Native development for Android and Xamarin-based cross-platform development followed suit in 2013 and 2015, respectively.
1902 Software Development Corporation’s Android and iOS app design process follows a collaborative approach and meticulous project planning. User experience and Baymard Institute’s research insights are successfully interwoven into the company’s mockups and prototypes, boasting their design prowess as a reputable mobile app design agency.
Operating in the capital city of Manila, VenderIT Information Technology Solutions’ product catalog mainly comprises digital products and services — which include graphic design, video creation, and mobile app UI/UX design — and comprehensive mobile app and website solutions for businesses. The IT and mobile app design agency offers a subscription-based e-commerce package, too.
Any mobile app design agency can promise quality outputs, higher ratings, and improved customer retention rates. When searching for the right mobile app design agency to work with, you can’t go wrong with a background check.
Browse the company’s website and portfolio or services catalog. Client testimonials also give insights into a mobile app design agency’s professionalism, quality of work, and the results and impact of their design services on the business. You may also contact the client for more insights on their relationship with the mobile app design agency.
It’s not just the portfolio and testimonials you must factor in your search, but also the compatibility of your business’s goals and values and that of your preferred mobile app design agency.
If you’re looking for a mobile app design agency or creative agency in the Philippines, it’s recommended to familiarize yourself with Filipino values. This way, you have an idea of how Filipino employees work with their peers and foreign clients. If you’re lucky, you can find a Philippine-based mobile app design agency that accepts trial periods.
Mobile apps are the technological staples of everyday life. Without them, we won’t be able to shop, initiate transactions, stream music and videos, or communicate with our loved ones at our fingertips. Unfortunately, the competition to stand out from the sea of aesthetically and poorly designed mobile apps is an uphill battle.
This is why working with the best BPO company, app design agency, or mobile app design agency is worth the investment. A BPO and mobile app design agency is equipped with the technology, background, skills, and mindset to design a captivating yet functional app.
At KDCI, we offer software development services for mobile applications for different platforms and work with QA testers to ensure your app is free of technical issues.
Don’t let your mobile app remain a dream. Contact us and let’s make it a reality!
Trends refer to patterns that emerge, develop, and fade over time. Of course, no industry is spared from the power of trends — including customer support. Customer service is essential to any business, hence why it’s the backbone. Without customer support, people won’t be able to get the help they need.
With the ubiquity of AI and other advanced technologies, customer support has metamorphosed from a “must-have” into a pivotal element of any business strategy. Presently, customers have high expectations for a brand’s customer support. Most of them (73%) are ready to jump ship to another competitor if customers have repeatedly experienced low-quality customer support, as reported by Zendesk.
As customer needs evolve and new trends emerge, businesses must keep up to ensure their delivery of customer support remains timely, responsive, and satisfactory. Below are six customer support trends every entrepreneur must know.
Omnichannel customer service support provides a seamless, consistent, and integrated customer care experience through various communication channels. For example, if you talk to a customer service agent via phone and suddenly have an urgent meeting, you can continue the conversation through live chat without repeating your query.
Omnichannel customer support, though, is different from multichannel customer service. Although the latter offers multiple ways to contact customer service, it doesn’t provide an integrated experience compared to omnichannel support. This means you’ll have to repeat your query every time you contact customer support through any of its communication channels. In other words, you can’t continue where you left off. For many customers, it’s frustrating — and rightfully so.
That’s why omnichannel customer support is superior to multichannel support. Not only is the former more interconnected and personalized, but it’s also more customer-centric. Of course, with customer-centricity comes increased customer satisfaction and retention. According to Invesp, 89% of a company’s customer base is retained due to omnichannel support. On the other hand, businesses without omnichannel support can cost them a 10% loss in revenue.
Messaging is also a rising trend in customer support. While messaging has had a profound impact on customer service — especially with the surge of customers using WhatsApp — during the COVID-19 pandemic, it will not go away anytime soon. In fact, most customers (74%) who contacted companies via messaging in 2020 expressed their intent to use this medium of communication moving forward.
Besides the popularity of instant messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, they also help reduce the hassle of customers finding your business’s email address or enduring long wait times. Plus, the ability to send media files ensures ease of communication and resolution of issues for both the customer and the customer service support agent. Because messaging is a form of asynchronous communication, customers can take their time crafting a response, and customer support agents can attend to other queries and maintain their productivity.
Despite the criticisms surrounding the use of AI, there’s no denying its role in our lives and even customer support. For customer service agents, AI is a huge productivity boost designed to streamline operations and minimize manual tasks; for customers, AI is a tool that provides them the much-needed convenience of instant customer support. One popular AI tool is AI agents.
Though AI agents and chatbots are powered by AI, It’s important to differentiate between the two. Chatbots involve decision trees and follow scripted responses. This means they’re designed for routine customer support tasks, such as answering simple FAQs or providing order updates. If you try to go off-script and converse with a chatbot like a human agent, it will not understand what you’re saying. Unfortunately, a chatbot can only be improved manually.
AI agents, on the other hand, are the more sophisticated versions of chatbots. Unlike the latter, AI agents are more capable of understanding the complexities and nuances of human conversations. They also utilize a combination of large language models (LLP), natural language processing (NLP), and machine learning to deliver human-like conversations. Not to mention, AI agents improve and become smarter with every interaction.
As such, AI agents make a great addition to a business’s customer service. These AI-powered agents not only deliver instant, round-the-clock customer support, but they also leverage customer data to add a layer of personalization and provide data-driven insights to optimize agents’ workflow. Since AI agents are faster than human agents, it’s no surprise that the former is preferable to the latter (51%) for immediate services, according to Zendesk’s CX Trends Report 2024.
Calling a brand’s customer support team is easy as pie: dial the hotline, wait for an agent to attend your call, and you’re all set. For email, you can send videos and pictures related to your query. However, there are instances when you can’t describe an issue well without a real-time visual aid. That’s where video-based customer support comes in.
With businesses adding video-based communication to their customer service arsenal, video support has become the new face of customer care. In fact, between phone, email, and live chat, video-based customer support trumps them all. Although video-based support retains the personal touch of customer service, it offers more visual and verbal clarity for both the agent and customer — thus eliminating the struggle of explaining certain details orally or in written form.
Through video customer support, agents can perform a live tutorial on how to perform a certain action or troubleshoot an issue, making it easy for the customer to follow the tutorial. On the customer’s side, they can also share their screen to show what the issue is and how it’s triggered, so the agent understands how to help them better. Besides live demonstrations, video-based customer service includes sharing short pre-made video tutorials on common FAQs and customer concerns. Not only can customers pause and watch the tutorials at their own pace, but they also free up customer agents’ time to resolve more pressing inquiries.
Social media may be a hub for posting status updates, photos, and videos, but it has now evolved into a customer support channel. This makes sense as billions of people are active on social networking platforms, and what better way to provide high-quality customer support than to take advantage of the convenience of social media?
It’s a space where customers can ask questions and receive answers from the brand itself. Since customer queries are made publicly — either through a comment or a separate post tagging the brand — your brand’s quality of customer support is for all the world to see, potentially affecting your customers’ perception for better or worse.
As such, it’s easier to call out and hold brands accountable for faux pas or inappropriate content. If acknowledged, it shows how much you care for your customers and reputation. Conversely, failing to acknowledge and apologize for such mishaps can erode customer trust and loyalty.
Other ways to leverage social media for customer support are requesting customer feedback, uploading video tutorials and other customer-relevant content, and holding livestreams and webinars.
Did you know that FAQs, community forums, and help portals are examples of self-service customer support? As the name implies, self-service customer service means the customer is responsible for finding the answers to their questions. With self-service customer service, customers can explore a brand’s FAQ page and read help articles before contacting a customer service support agent. Think of self-service options as the main source of assistance and human agents as the last resort.
However, unlike customer service agents, self-service options are available 24/7. No hold times either waiting until the next business day. Because customers are preoccupied with their own research, agents can dedicate time to more complex and urgent queries. Overall — while the idea of implementing self-service customer support options is promising — businesses must ensure that their FAQs and knowledge portals are regularly updated to reflect the current and emerging needs of customers.
Customers deserve top-notch customer support. With a plethora of digital technologies at our fingertips, businesses have no excuse to upgrade their customer support. Hopefully, the above-mentioned trends in our article have helped you determine which ones to improve or implement into your business’s customer service.
Whether you’re forming your dream team of customer service agents or optimizing digital customer service channels, KDCI has got you covered. We are a Philippine-based BPO with over a decade of experience in outsourcing. Since 2011, we have provided clients with services ranging from administrative support to customer service.
When you outsource customer service to KDCI, you’re getting high-caliber talent possessing all the soft and hard skills of an experienced customer service agent. With our company’s onboarding process, our agents are more than equipped to adapt to your business’s workflow and provide the best possible customer care at a lower cost.
Start your outsourcing journey with KDCI today! Contact us for inquiries, and we’ll help you reach the pinnacle of success in customer service.
Businesses in all industries live and breathe data. From improving performance to gleaning customer insights, data is a powerful asset that helps brands make wise decisions and achieve success in a fast-paced, data-driven world. While data entry is commonly associated with mindless typing, it is a critical back-office task that requires organization and precision. With brands wanting to save time on data processing and management, the decision to outsource data entry to a foreign country like the Philippines becomes a promising decision from a time and business perspective.
The Philippines is a bustling hub of call centers and business processing outsourcing (BPO) companies. With this in mind, you have a wide pool of companies you can outsource data entry to. If this is your first time dipping your toes into outsourcing, you might have some doubts about your decision to outsource data entry jobs. Below, let’s debunk four myths about outsourcing data entry to the Philippines.
On the contrary, the Philippines has a robust data privacy and protection law, and it’s called the Data Privacy Act of 2012. This law underscores the responsibilities of organizations to safeguard sensitive data from tampering and unauthorized disclosure, giving you that much-needed peace of mind when you outsource data entry to your Filipino team.
Both onshore and offshore data entry professionals are capable of producing high-quality work. But if you want to cut costs without sacrificing quality and productivity, choose to outsource data entry to the Philippines.
Because many Filipinos are educated and fluent in English, you can expect your offshore team to follow and execute instructions and minimize errors — especially when data entry involves transcription.
The decision to outsource data entry to a foreign country means facing potential communication mishaps due to cultural differences and varying levels of English proficiency. Thankfully, Filipinos are exposed to the language at a young age through media and education, so their English writing and speaking skills are honed to perfection. Their affinity and familiarity with Western culture are also a plus, which makes communicating with your Filipino team a pleasant experience.
Likewise, time zone differences are not an obstacle when you outsource data entry tasks to Philippine-based BPOs. This is because BPO employees align their working hours to their client’s time zone to ensure real-time collaboration and submission of deliverables. Hence, if your business operates in the USA, your Filipino team will work at night to overlap with your business’s operating hours.
Outsourcing data entry to the Philippines doesn’t necessarily mean laying off your onshore team. In other words, an offshore team complements, not replace your onshore team. When you outsource data entry to your Filipino staff, your in-house team can enjoy a lighter workload and improved well-being and job satisfaction.
This means they have more time to complete tasks appropriate to their skill level and area of expertise. Most importantly, you don’t have to deal with all the hefty costs of hiring and training new staff when you outsource data entry to Filipino employees.
Choosing to outsource data entry to a foreign country is a risk. However, outsourcing doesn’t have to be a liability if you work with one of the best companies for data entry outsourcing. If you’re new to this venture and consider the Philippines your outsourcing destination, look no further than this tutorial on how to outsource data entry to the renowned BPO capital of the world.
It’s easy to be blinded by success stories of outsourcing. While your decision to outsource data entry does wonders for your brand and employees, knowing your whys is key to a successful outsourcing experience. These questions help you identify the whys behind your choice to outsource data entry — and at the same time — paint a clear picture of your business needs:
It’s also important to know which types of data entry work you want to be outsourced to the Philippines. Here are some examples of data entry tasks:
Numeric data entry involves accurately encoding statistical or financial data on a database or worksheet. Finance industries often outsource this task to an offshore staff.
Employees are responsible for updating or removing outdated information, such as phone numbers and emails.
Transcribers listen to audio or watch videos, converting all data into accurately written text.
A product data entry specialist inputs product information on a retailer’s official website or e-commerce platform to update product pages or boost cross-selling rates.
The employee reviews emails and categorizes them based on urgency and other factors.
A contract is a legally binding document detailing the responsibilities and expectations of your outsourcing partner. Hence, when you outsource data entry to a Philippine-based BPO, be sure your contract has the following clauses:
This section lists all the services to outsource to a third party, giving your BPO partner a clear idea of the required deliverables.
SLAs include the performance metrics and benchmarks for assessing the quality of work rendered by the outsourcing partner.
This clause highlights the expectations and compliance of the outsourcing partner in ensuring the protection and non-disclosure of customer data when you outsource data entry tasks to an offshore team.
This clause includes all the conditions and circumstances for terminating the partnership. After drafting your contract, go over your document and see if all clauses are concise and easy to understand. You can then search for a BPO firm to outsource data entry assignments to.
With hundreds of BPOs all over the Philippines, finding the right BPO firm to outsource data entry is like finding a needle in a haystack. You can start with a Google search of the best BPO companies in the Philippines and shortlist from there. Another way is to type “how to outsource data entry” or any industry- or service-related keyword followed by “outsourcing” or “outsourcing companies” (ex: data entry outsourcing) — which may yield articles written by BPOs about data entry. Platforms like GoodFirms or LinkedIn are a good place to start, as well.
In addition to checking a BPO’s website and portfolio, reaching out to its former clientele is a good idea, too. This way, you can better assess a company’s professionalism and reliability in delivering high-quality data entry services within a specified time frame.
While reputation is important, it’s also worth checking out your future outsourcing partner’s values, mission, and vision to see if they’re compatible with yours. Likewise, knowing how the company stores and protects sensitive data is paramount given the inherent risk of working with data.
Even if a BPO offers the cheapest data entry services, or has worked with a big client, don’t just close a deal with any BPO you find online. Take your time and consider your options before you outsource data entry projects.
At this point, you’ve probably shortlisted one or a couple of BPOs. Before you close a deal and outsource data entry tasks to your chosen BPO, be clear about your expectations and goals. Because outsourcing entails a little risk to your business, BPOs willingly offer a trial period to see if the delivered results are up to your standards, or if the partnership benefits your business. Once everything is settled, you can start to outsource data entry projects and work with your Filipino team!
Your Filipino data entry specialists are newcomers to your business, so expect them to overcome a little learning curve when you first outsource data entry tasks to them. Get them up to speed with your business’s in-house policies and workflow, and provide them with training manuals and resources.
If your organization uses Microsoft Teams, Slack, or any communication platform, you can set up accounts for your data entry specialists and their team leader. Creating a dedicated group chat or channel for your offshore staff makes it easier to outsource data entry projects and report technical issues. Weekly virtual catch-ups also help establish a stronger professional bond between you and your offshore team.
Feedback is key to improved motivation and performance. Before you further outsource data entry jobs to your staff, it’s recommended to appoint the team leader as a quality control checker to speed up the validation process and provide a daily or weekly performance report.
Through this report, you’ll be able to identify trends and patterns in your team’s performance. Here are some guide questions to kick off a feedback session with your data entry specialists:
Whatever the outcome of the feedback session, share practical tips on how your team can improve their typing skills and accomplish tasks faster without compromising quality and accuracy. Hence, the next time you outsource data entry projects, your team will know how to maintain optimal performance.
Data entry is commonly associated with mundanity and endless typing on a computer. However, what some people don’t understand is it demands precision, organization, and technical know-how. Because of the influx of data, many businesses outsource data entry assignments to the Philippines.
KDCI onboards data entry specialists who exhibit ample technical knowledge, keen attention to detail, and excellent typing skills. By availing of our data entry services, you’re getting high-caliber work at a fraction of the cost.
Ready to outsource data entry projects to KDCI? Contact us for inquiries, and start building your team of Filipino data entry specialists today!
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