As a business owner, you probably heard of outsourcing or perhaps you are already doing it. Hopefully, you are looking at the Philippines for your outsourcing needs. This Asian nation is a haven for driven, dedicated and diligent workers eager for long-term, full-time work opportunities. Many business owners have had positive experiences hiring Filipino Online Specialists.
However, there’s more to outsourcing in the Philippines than what you’ve heard of. It’s not just about hiring freelancers for a task. Because of this, a lot of people make critical errors when they outsource.
To avoid making these mistakes, it’s best to know what they are before you start outsourcing. Let’s look at some mistakes people typically make when they work with Filipino Online Specialists.
Mistake 1: Complicating the process
Think of KISS—no, not the face-painted, heavily costumed rock band. For you, KISS should mean Keep it Simple…Seriously.
Chances are, you have several needs for your business. Depending on what products and services you market, you may need any of the following (or a combination of several of these):
- web designer
- programmer
- copywriter
- editor
- social media manager
- SEO specialist
A common mistake is the misguided decision to hire a Filipino VA to perform all of these (and other) duties from day one. This happens all the time, and it’s a recipe for disaster.
Sure, it looks good on paper—hire one person to knock out a laundry list of different responsibilities. But this just isn’t realistic. You wouldn’t hire an American employee and expect him or her to be a web designer, copywriter and coder. So why expect this from a Filipino worker?
Instead, start out with your most urgent need and hire one person. Give them tasks associated with that role. It’s simple, and it makes sense. This way, your programmer, your writer, or whomever you’ve brought on can focus and perfect that job without getting overwhelmed and frustrated.
Mistake 2: Being vague
Be specific. Spell it all out. Clarify. Fully and clearly explain each step of every process you are asking the outsourcer to do. Vague instructions will lead to incomplete or insufficient work. And guess what? If you didn’t provide adequate instruction, poor performance on the part of the outsourcer is on you, not them.
You wouldn’t hire someone locally, ask them to build your website and not tell them what you want on your site. People need instruction and information to get things done. And when outsourcing to the Philippines, this is even more crucial. Tell them what to do, how to do it, why they’re doing it, and when you need them to accomplish it.
Mistake 3: Lacking patience
When outsourcing to the Philippines, you can’t afford not to be patient. If you expect perfection from day one, you’ll be sorely disappointed — and justifiably so. Don’t forget, these online specialists are just starting out. Did you make mistakes in your business when you were starting out? Of course you did. So why expect perfection so early in the process?
Provide the training and then watch for continued, steady improvement and performance. There are many ways to conduct training. You don’t have to be with them the whole time. You can provide learning videos or reading manuals, do test projects or practical exercises.
Mistake 4: Being aloof
Ever work for someone that you never saw (you can’t answer “no” if you worked remotely)? Ever have a boss that didn’t even know your name, even after several months or years? How much do you think that person valued your contributions or even your existence? How much do you think they cared about you?
Zero.
If you outsource to the Philippines, you might be tempted to give your VA a list of assignments to complete and then disappear for a few days. You don’t have to hold your VA’s hand and give step-by-step instruction on everything. You do need to let your VA make some decisions, come up with solutions and figure things out.
But you also have to create a culture of trust. Your VA needs to know they can come to you if they have questions or need help. When you develop this relationship, not only will they be more comfortable reaching out to you for help. They won’t be afraid to develop their own ideas to help your business and share them with you.
Mistake 5: Expecting too much from the get-go
A common error people make when outsourcing to the Philippines is to expect their VA to turn in the quality of work one would see with a seasoned veteran. Sure, many of these VAs have some experience but a lot of them likely don’t have the same level of expertise you would find with U.S. employees.
Don’t expect perfection right out of the gate. There will be some hiccups. There will be some setbacks. Your VA is going to make some mistakes. That’s a given.
But that’s all right. Remember, you’re establishing a long-term business relationship. This isn’t a one-time project. This is meant to be a long-lasting engagement. They will improve and get so much better.
Mistake 6: Hiring too many people at first
Can you imagine hiring dozens of people at once to help you? Think of the difficulties in training and managing a staff of new employees of this number all by yourself. What are the chances that you’ll have all of them working with minimal mistakes as soon as possible?
Believe it or not, people make this big mistake all the time. If one virtual assistant can solve one problem, maybe more is better! The idea is enticing. Makes sense to get a lot of people so you can eventually replace yourself in your business several times over.
But the key word is eventually.
Start with hiring just one person to handle one task. Why? When you’re just starting out, it’s going to be hard to manage multiple people at once. Get used to working with Filipinos first. Get a good feel about how they work, how they act, how they communicate and how they respond to you. Once you know you can rely on your first hire to work with minimal supervision, hire another one and repeat the process.
Over time, you’ll have an entire team. But for now, stick with the one-on-one relationship.
Mistake 7: Neglecting the teaching and training
This is your business. You’ve invested time and money to make it work. Now you have a VA to help you out. Shouldn’t you make sure they do things right? So why in the world would you not want to take the time to give them proper training and instruction?
Sadly, it happens.
Failing to adequately train your Filipino VA is a sure recipe for failure. Mistake 2 talked about being vague; this mistake is probably even worse. In this case, you’re simply not telling your VA anything. Instead, you’re throwing them in the middle of nowhere, expecting them to reach a destination without a map.
Without teaching and training, your VA will be confused and discouraged. Soon, you’ll lose them.
Saving up-front time by omitting training is not worth the trouble of a disgruntled VA. Make the effort and invest the extra time to get your VA off to a good start.
Mistake 8: Failing to build on what your VA has learned
We’ve urged you to start simple with your VA, to be patient, expect a learning curve, and to provide sufficient training. These are all critical steps. If you can do these things, your VA will succeed and grow. Then they’ll be ready for more.
Too many times, business owners forget to take the next step and teach their VA more skills and to give them more responsibility.
Filipinos are loyal. Once you hire them, they almost certainly won’t quit. Teach them more about your business without worrying they’ll take that knowledge elsewhere. Chances are, as you teach them more about business, they’ll start picking things up on their own. The more they know, the more they can do for your business.
Mistake 9: Delaying the hiring process
You’ve identified a need in your business. You’ve decided to outsource to the Philippines. You’ve searched Onlinejobs.ph and found what appears to be the ideal candidate. They did the test task and passed it with flying colors.
So why wait? Make the hire.
Some business owners contact the prospective employee and make the hiring conditional upon successful completion of an initial assignment. This is unnecessary. Hire your new VA. Tell the person that you’re excited about this long-term association. Give the VA clear objectives and let them know that after a probationary period you’ll raise their salary if they are producing solid work.
Requiring work before employment will scare off your Filipino Online Specialist. Filipinos are hesitant to accept assignments like this because they aren’t sure whether they’ll actually be paid. Make the hire, set salary and payment terms, and let them get to work.
Mistake 10: Forgetting to send the initial email
It’s essential to set the tone of your relationship from day one. This happens through your first email to your Filipino Online Specialist, which you should send at the time of hire.
In this email, express excitement over this opportunity to work together. Then, give them an assignment. Explain the assignment and what they will need to do to complete it. Also, include the following:
- Express confidence in the VA that you know they can be successful.
- Express sympathy that you realize the task may be difficult and that it might take them some time to grow accustomed to working together.
- Acknowledge that they might get stuck or confused while working on their first assignment.
- Invite them to contact you if they have questions.
For some businesses, the standard practice is to send an initial email that extends an employment offer and nothing else. Then, there is silence for several days. No first assignment has been given. Nothing else related to the job has been communicated.
What do you think the consequences of these actions might be? Most likely, your Filipino Online Specialist will think you’ve forgotten about them. They might even move on and seek other employment.
The lesson here is to make the hire and get the VA working right off the bat.
Mistake 11: Not knowing how to manage your business yourself
Who knows how to run your business better than you? No one.
There’s nothing wrong with hiring a Filipino project manager to help you with most of the work but that’s not an excuse not knowing how to manage your own business.
In the past, I’ve discouraged hiring VAs to work as project managers because I’ve noticed that some people use this as an excuse to not manage their own business. You need to know how to do project management. You need to know how to manage your VA team to understand how they work. So when the time comes that you need to hire a project manager, whether you promote someone from your team or you hire a project manager, you’ll know exactly how you want things to operate.
Being the CEO of your business, that’s your job as it should be. Your VA is filling one important role. When the time is right, the VA will move on to more challenging roles or additional roles. But the VA shouldn’t be the one running the show.
Learn to avoid these mistakes and you’ll be on your way to success in your business. These methods have been proven effective by thousands of business owners who hire Filipino Online Specialists.
It’s your turn.
About John Jonas
John Jonas is a long-time outsourcing expert and the creator of OnlineJobs.ph.
Since 2005, John has taught hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs how to profitably delegate to VAs in the Philippines (and get their lives back in the process).
With help from his own VAs based in the Philippines, John has created an outsourcing empire that allows him to work 17 hours/week and to spend most of his time with his wife and 5 kids.
Find John at JohnJonas.com and Facebook.
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Some great points to remember. I would just add two more.
1. Avoid hiring a VA if your a first world arrogant jerk. Filipinos are intelligent, social and resourceful people. With the quality training, development and management they can shine.
2. Read “The E-Myth by Michael Gerber. Are you working in your business or on your business?
Hi, I am first timer here in this web site. Someone with a good heart could help me to find work.
We have resources here that might be helpful in increasing your chances of getting hired:
http://www.onlinejobs.ph/blog/category/jobseeker-tips
I have seen lots of job offerings that are completely absurd! Jobs with lots of description but with very low offer. What the heck having an offer of $2/hr and do a certain task that requires a bachelor degree with long years of experience! Be reasonable.
Good points you raised in this article.
I agree!! On top of that! We would get deductions as soon as you send the money like bank charges etc.. How about healthcare? Life insurance? We have to get our own and that would be deducted on our salary as well. We understand that you want to cut labor costs but please be reasonable on your offers and requirements. we are dedicated workers. Take care of your workers and they would take good care of the business
completely respect the comment. We treat all people the same, and with respect, honor, and dignity. Its either nobody wins, or we all win together!!!
Yes! Agree. Hope this comment makes sense to the employers..
Team work makes the dream work! I just found this website and I am waiting for my requests to be reviewed. I am confident that I will find the right marketing team on here… and we will GROW TOGETHER!
I am urging people that is looking for jobs here not to treat themselves as slaves being paid less with multiple work and skills to provide. We are just being exploited by some of this small business entrepreneurs who cannot pay premium or even a decent salary to a worker in his own country. Guys, Be not afraid to tell to their face that we are professionals that can help them. Offer the services you can provide to them. Sell yourself as your own company or business to let them feel that you are not part of his company’s pay check but as a business partner. B2B deal is possible and for sure you will be surprised to closed a deal for $2500 per month. It is not a joke, for I am now starting to follow the steps of my wife and other real freelancers that has a mindset of business rather than employee type of work.
Hello
I understand you’re concerns and the point you are making, but please understand the situation from some employers, me for instance, I own a business and struggled to get recognised in my country so I outsourcing it to Philippines to get recognised there and attract clients, it’s a 6 month old business with no customers, it still cost me money I need to work a full-time job just so I can afford to keep it active, every penny I earn is spent on business and bills, sometimes we can’t afford the pay the good wages cause we pay everything we can into the business if it don’t succeed all that money is lost with nothing to show but trust me if it became a success we would all benefit from it, it shouldn’t be about money but about belief in each other that we can succeed together and share the spoils, cause that’s what a owner wants to see from his staff someone who is willing to face poverty just like the owner because they believe in each other, Thanks.
I am a filipino, whenever I joined in any company I always give them the assurance of my full effort and dedication.. Just in case If the company seems like going fall I always encourage the employer to keep going and have faith that future success is going to happen just believe dont loose hope, even willing to give my free service until the company can stand again to much stronger situation. I believed having good relationship between employer’s and workers, will have a big impact reaching both goals in the future
A good read and good/valid concerns above. I would love to see more inputs on this article.
yes i can see
i have no coment.because ineed ajob
You can apply for any of the jobs posted here or on our website by signing up for an Onlinejobs.ph jobseeker account. It’s completely free and takes only minutes to apply. Having a jobseeker account also gives you access to thousands of new online jobs daily.
To start the registration process, just follow this link ===> http://www.onlinejobs.ph/register
Once you’ve completed your profile, you can start searching for the job that you want here ===>http://www.onlinejobs.ph/jobseekers/jobsearch/
You can find a wide variety of jobs there, from data entry, design, writing, programming, and more!
The job posts would contain all the information you need to apply for that position.
Can you help me find a job? Thank you.
You can apply for any of the jobs posted here or on our website by signing up for an Onlinejobs.ph jobseeker account. It’s completely free and takes only minutes to apply. Having a jobseeker account also gives you access to thousands of new online jobs daily.
To start the registration process, just follow this link ===> http://www.onlinejobs.ph/register
Once you’ve completed your profile, you can start searching for the job that you want here ===>http://www.onlinejobs.ph/jobseekers/jobsearch/
You can find a wide variety of jobs there, from data entry, design, writing, programming, and more!
The job posts would contain all the information you need to apply for that position.
Hi Ms. Julia,
I followed the steps, registering and having an account on OnlineJobs.ph . I started searching for Part time and Freelance Jobs. I was able to apply one position ” Bookkeeper”
then after, I uploaded Profile picture, connect my facebook link, upload a resume through dropbox and supposed to upload Government Issued ID, then I clicked the “my account” button to edit my personal information and resume. Suddenly, This was displayed in the webpage ” Oops! Maybe you need a Rock Star Virtual Assistant to help you find what you’re looking for!” What does it mean? I thought it is a site completely FREE. Need your assistance. Thank you.
HI Grace,
We had some minor technical errors last night. But not to worry, everything is fixed now. So you should be able to login without any problems. We apologize for the inconvenience.
I followed all the instruction. I did all the tests needed. But then whenever I try to apply on a job it always say “Your ID Proof is lower than required to apply to this job.” How will I boost my ID Proof? It’s only 24…NEED HELP!!
ID Proof is about providing lots of information to help determine your identity. If you only provide a small amount of honest information, then you’ll have a low ID trust score.
Make sure that you have everything filled out…..facebook url, government id, picture, skill descriptions, etc. The more information that you provide, the easier it is for an employer to determine that you are who you say you are. Your ID proof score will be higher too.
After updating your profile, the ID Proof score does not get updated right away, but will be automatically rechecked by the site in a day or so.
Thank you for your service. I am using this website to outsource my work. However, do you have any feedback section so that I can leave positive and constructive feedback against freelancers account.
Regards
Yes, you can leave reviews on jobseeker accounts. But you must have a monthly pro account or higher to access our review feature.
************* MODERATOR PLEASE DELETE MY PREVIOUS POST. ERRORS ****************************
Guilty.
I tried hiring Filipinos – even had three on the go. Now I have none. Why?
First, I will say I plan on giving it another try, but to change my expectations a little. My first mistake is looking at education. A degree is the Philippines may not be the same as a degree in the US, Canada or UK. For example, for those with a degree in computer science, I would expect that they would know a thing or two about setting up a web site. Not so. Same with finance. An accountant may not know anything about bookkeeping.
Don’t take things personally. My first hire always seemed to have financial problem. Sure, I understand that things are tough in the Philippines, but gee, to be constantly asked for advances was getting a little too much. VA’s that do this certainly don’t help others get hired.
Then again, it goes the same for the employers. Some are simply taking advantage of the cheap labour.
The other issue I found was time zones. I am in Canada, far West. PST, That means it’s wee hours of the morning in the Philippines. A bit of a challenge for those living there to stay motivated during those hours I feel.
I have no problem paying professional rates for professional services. When posting an resume, look the part please – a photo of you in the back seat of a car won’t cut it. How are you setup at home? Stable Internet connection, backup computer, desk, monitors, headset. A private place free from distractions? You should also have the abilty to video conference as well.
Don’t waste time by simply throwing up an resume hoping you will catch a big fish. You do not help anyone by doing so. I am sure there are employers who want to hire professional, dependable and trust worthy candidates like I do.
I will look at entries. I will look at your photo. I will look at tests. I will look at how you have rated yourself and compare ratings in various categories to see if you are inflating your score.
I will search the internet about you. I will check your website and Facebook pages. Are you a professional? Do you have what it takes to be a professonal VA?
I am not going to hand over the inner workings of my business to you, so that you can help me only to find that there are mistakes. Mistakes will cost me a lot more than I am paying you.
Remember, how you present yourself reflects how others will be considered too. Be professional please. Present yourself well. That is how you will get hired.
Be firm with your employer upfront. Discuss concerns quickly. Ask for direction or suggest a direction you can take that will help your employer.
If your employer if vague, pays late, tries to renegotiate with you, belittles you or treats you badly then move on.
And a word about handling multiple clients. As a contractor, not an employee, you are free to do as you will. In the US and Canada you must be treated as a contractor. We pay you according to an agreement. However, we want your full attention. We do not want to pay you full time wages only to have you serve multiple clients at the same time. Be upfront if that is what you want to do. In that case, then the engagement scope will reflect that. You will be required to use screen sharing and other time accounting applications.
Anyway, I can go on and on. As mentioned. I have learned from past experiences and will be looking forward to working with real professionals. I will be looking for a core person that can handle others. A person with strong business skills to start, then add website, graphic and other specialties as I move along.
Hi Rick. I just had a good read. While the above article raises the Filipino workers’ concerns, you raise those of the employers’. I have played both roles in the past, so I understand perfectly how it is to be on either side.
I actually just wanted to react on that Facebook bit being required here on OnlineJobs.ph. Maybe this is just me, but Facebook is personal for me, and I’m not all too well on sharing mine out here. My “real” FB is on deactivated status for months now – for personal reasons – so I gave out to this site my other FB account, an older one that I’ve used for playing Farmville.
My question is, would sharing a impersonal Facebook account compromise my getting a job?
Hi Raquel,
We understand your concern. Here at Onlinejobs.ph, your FB profile won’t be shared with anyone. The only reason we require an FB account is to verify that the worker is a real person and not someone creating a fake account. We also verify the accounts submitted to make sure that the FB accounts are real and not spam account.
So yes, it might affect your profile if you provide a fake or inactive account. But we do allow some jobseekers to have an active jobseeker account as long as they are able to submit requirements that verify the validity of their identity. You can email support@onlinejobs.ph for information on how to have you account verified even without an FB profile.
Hi Julia,
That particular FB account showcases my polite exchanges with co-players of Farmville, which I think passes for a decent representation of my communication abilities. But then again, it is still a “not me” FB account. So yes, thank you for the clarification.
Hi Raquel
“My question is, would sharing a impersonal Facebook account compromise my getting a job?”
Facebook is simply a piece of the puzzle. I give more weight to LinkedIn, but also want to know more about you too, and you should know about the employer also.
Facebook would though, provide me with some idea of how you interact with others, comments between friends and family. Then again, it depends on the level of access to corporate information.
An employer looking for someone to update a spreadsheet, or type letters is different from someone like us who would be assigning responsibility in addition to tasks. The level of access increases the amount of vetting.
Personally, if someone walked into my office and told me that that had researched my company, they have seen my weaknesses, or places where help was need, and was offering to provide a solution, I would hire them on the spot to help start solving problems – that is after I vetted them..
Hello Rick,
Job seekers like me would definitely work for an employer who has extensive know-how on what to require on a particular task, from the conventional ways to acquire manpower, down to the sharp “nose” to identify the “right” person for the job.
I know this response is old but I just read it today and I’d like to say it deserves to be posted as a stand alone article. Thank you for your input. It raises valuable points on how a VA should conduct himself or herself. In my 5 odd years working as a VA I never thought asking for advances is possible. One gets paid for services rendered given that this employer/contractor relationship is online. I’ve never heard of virtual colleagues asking for advances as well. Definitely paints VAs in a bad light.
Just adding in my ten cents. Cheers!
Thanks Lyn!
im new in this platform but I’ve been a lead gen for 4 years on other site(Upwork). just asking how can I be sure of a legit client if we don’t have any contract? he just tell me when to start .and that’s it.
A lot of good points raised. I love that you’re setting the bar for virtual employees in the Philippines! There is no doubt that we can meet your expectations and exceed them. We’re a hard-working and resourceful people, and I’m surprised that you’ve mostly had bad experiences. I’ve just stumbled onto this site and it makes me feel confident that you can find all the right people you need.
Thanks for the input and good luck!
Hi, Rick. I think you could change a few things.
I’m a web developer myself and I’ve hired several amazing people here.
If you didn’t even ask if they know how to set up a website or how to use bookkeeping, I think you should try to learn more about your candidates before hirnig them.
By the way, my partner has a bachelor of computer science here in the States and he’s a great programmer who works for google, but he does not know much about how to set up a website. So I guess having a Bachelor’s degree in CS has nothing to do with knowing how to set up a website or now even in the US.
For me myself, I did not look at tests. I did not look at how they rated themselves. I gave them several tests, interviews, even chat about their life and their ideal jobs. I try my best to really learn about them before I decide on anything. And all my VAs are amazing. I really care about them and give them a lot of choices and they never took it for granted.
It really wasn’t easy, spend tons of time looking for and interviewing, but it’s definitely worth it. Good luck. 🙂
Hi,
I have encountered serveral VAs ask for money in advance but turned out excused on the asssignment unfinished on time and not able to work 8hrs as agreed.
There are also agents who pretend to be VAs and tried to get deal.
From my rich experience with VAs, they are possibly working for serveral emplyers when no timetracking app and webcam capture is welcome.
You will find out a task that can do easily make takes VAs 3-5 times more effort.
A percentage of VAs acturally not looking for employers with professional mangeament, and they prefer bosses who have no idea for their business success and therefore, no much control in VAs low performce. So they can live easy.
I have taken very kind and easy-going attitude with VAs And wish they could be touched and can be honest, but all turns out they just take advantage on your kindness.
I got VAs took 2 computers and refused to pass the other VA, and I met VAs did wrong thing on my website, even I always pay more than less when they leave.
Also VAs normally excuse on sudden health issues of family members to avoid telling the truth of not being able to continue working. The truth is they are looking for less “knows what is what” bosses. So they can be lazy and not really doing what should do at promised working hours.
I make put a “long list’ on post, just not sure what skills I may get from VAs and I don’t want to miss them.
In conclusion: Time doctor App is so good that you can easily catch the lier in the shortest peiod. So as employers, we should not be lazy to check it. More importantly, set up webcam, you may find out the reason why your VAs are so unproductive is because they are not at working station, but was chatting with visitors.
Be I do believe they are good ones …take invest more time and patience!
Good luck employers!
Thanks for tip Angela!
Thought I would come back here and re-read what I had wrote. My feelings are mostly the same. But, as another poster stated, I should develop my own scoring tests and try people out.
I will be posting soon, but first I will need to get organised. My company is completely cloud based from our accounting to our phone system. So, it is perfect for the type of work that people here can do.
I will be looking for a VA with comprehensive bookkeeping experiences to maintain the books and records of two companies. But, having searched the database, I don’t find that many people experienced in SAGE 50, for Canada.
One question I will ask is about equipment.
My requirements will be for someone with two screens (because we use multiple systems (bookkeeping on one screen, invoices and records on the other), stable and fast internet connection for data and voice communications.
Where is the best part of the Philippines to hire from that would have these things?
Hi Rick. I have spent a good 30 minutes reading John’s write up and the comments as well and I can sympathize with the employers’ sentiments. Due to the unpleasant experiences they have had in the past, employers are now being wary of hiring VAs. There are a lot of amazing Filipino freelancers here but we also have numerous freelancer-wannabes who think that they can just have it easy when they land a contract. They promise you the moon and stars during the interview and after training, they tell you or you find out that they aren’t capable or aren’t even willing to learn to do the tasks you require.
I really do hope you find someone who will be a good fit for you. I would apply if I know Sage 50 but I’m a CCH Engagement person. Too bad as I actually meet your hardware requirement. I still haven’t found a job here as I don’t apply to posts that seem too far off from my skill set and some that actually are, are offering very low rates. Some say that’s being too picky but hey, I got a reputation to save.
this site connects employers to employee i tried hiring staff my self it was a headache.
Hi five!!! best article ^_^
Amhmm.. How to say this.. It’s kinda off but just want to ask a question how can i defend myself in negative reviews please? I got 1 but found out that i can’t reply to it to depend myself, and I can’t read it too.. I just know that when some employers told me about it. 🙁
Regards,
Marvin
Hi Marvin,
If you have proof that would allow you to contest the negative review, you can email support@onlinejobs.ph and ask to have it removed.
I’d like to know if its possible that I can read the reviews that my past employers gave. And if not, please tell me why. Its not that my new employers complaint that I have a bad review but I just want to know if have some reviews at all.
To know about whether or not a review was left on your profile and what that review is, please email support@onlinejobs.ph
If you want to know about your review, please email our support staff support@onlinejobs.ph
Nice point John! Love reading your post, sometimes it just sad to hear clients complaining some unqualified contractors being hired.
What I love most about your site, eventhough my profile wasn’t complete yet but I am proud to say that somebody hired me. Unfortunately, I decline the offer because of different timezone. Anyways, thanks for your great site and more power to all of us here!
Mabuhay! Go OnlineJobs.Ph!
Good Point!
Hi. I just wanna ask, can I use my school ID as govt Id or not? I’m in college by the way. If not, what other can I use? Hope you notice this. Thank you
Can I ask other business houses do you have a lot of trouble getting replies from job offers on this site.
We have posted many times made a short list and contacted up to 10 applicants but nothing, or then just out of nowhere you get a reply you answer it and again nothing.
Hi Dale!
Sorry to hear that. If you want we can also share your job post on social media so you can get more applicants for your job post. Just contact us on our Facebook page to have your job post scheduled: https://www.facebook.com/onlinejobs.ph
i don’t think this is the right place to ask these questions. but let me try ^_^, I really want to work as a virtual worker,i’m a programmer, but don’t know where to start? Is there any useful tips that applicable to Filipino workers? I tried to read blogs on the internet but it sounds vague to me. Any help would be much appreciated.
PS. I often checks here for any possible position that fits me 😀
You can apply for any of the jobs posted here or on our website by signing up for an Onlinejobs.ph jobseeker account. It’s completely free and takes only minutes to apply. Having a jobseeker account also gives you access to thousands of new online jobs daily.
To start the registration process, just follow this link ===> http://www.onlinejobs.ph/register
Once you’ve completed your profile, you can start searching for the job that you want here ===>http://www.onlinejobs.ph/jobseekers/jobsearch/
You can find a wide variety of full-time, part-time and project-based jobs there, from data entry, design, writing, programming, and more!
The job posts would contain all the information you need to apply for that position.
Hi I’m looking for a job like a home base due to I’m a full time mom and while my kidz at their school I can do like typing job or any kind of job.
You can apply for any of the jobs posted here or on our website by signing up for an Onlinejobs.ph jobseeker account. It’s completely free and takes only minutes to apply. Having a jobseeker account also gives you access to thousands of new online jobs daily.
To start the registration process, just follow this link ===> http://www.onlinejobs.ph/register
Once you’ve completed your profile, you can start searching for the job that you want here ===>http://www.onlinejobs.ph/jobseekers/jobsearch/
You can find a wide variety of full-time, part-time and project-based jobs there, from data entry, design, writing, programming, and more!
The job posts would contain all the information you need to apply for that position.
I have a friend in the Philippines I would like to hire as my VA. I’m patient and have time for the learning curve. The work isn’t difficult; it’s just boring and takes time (researching and maintaining a database of contacts). I work in the USA, and I’m not sure how the financial transfer works. I want to pay her through XE or a similar currency conversion company, but what do I have to do for records-keeping? Taxes? Can I just pay her with a cash-exchange, or is there some additional paperwork/taxes I need to be concerned with? Do I send her a financial statement for her taxes at the end of the year? Where do I find out the proper procedure? Thanks in advance
Hi Tim!
Great question. We actually wrote a blog addressing this exact issue. Hope it helps: https://www.onlinejobs.ph/blog/simplified-taxes-another-way-outsourcing-saves-your-business
Thanks, Julia-that was a huge help and a good read!
You’re welcome!
Very helpful article. i read it before hitting send on my job posting. I found myself going back and correcting a few things, like adding some details that I hadn’t thought of before that.
I have hired several VA’s in the past. All were lovely, but as my vision gained clarity I discovered I needed different skill sets.. They were each (3 of them) understanding and did not seem resentful because I was honest with them. Although I still feel bad about it.
I also became friends with a couple of applicants when I posted a test task of my Facebook. Now one is a close friend. I hope to get to meet her soon.
I look forward to the next group of people I meet. Thank you for providing such a resource. I love having friends on the other side of the world…..and I love the fact that with my limited American income, my money is very much appreciated in the Philippines and I can help provide a job for someone, here I can’t afford to.
I am hired fulltime. I believe my client is legit because he’s veery responsive about the job. We agreed weekly payment and every end of the week he doeesn’t contacted me. What should I do?
Have you tried contacting him? You can email us at support@onlinejobs.ph. We might be able to help.
Hey, I just want to ask. Can anyone send me a bad review even I didn’t contact a job for them or worked with them in timeproof?
Hi Renz,
Yes, is possible employers can post a review even if you were not hired or contacted. But if this does happen, you can contact us at support@onlinejobs.ph and have the review removed.
It was 3 months ago when my husband hired a female VA in site and the job that she only did was to tempt my husband to have sex with that whore VA. I know that she is already married and had 2 kids and still not want to stop her evil doings here in your site . I hope you can address this professionally. She uses different kind of names in her social media.
The whores name is *Klaudette Santos Esguerra
* Klaudette Esguerra Aquino
You can report this jobseeker to support@onlinejobs.ph
Thanks for the response and I will take a legal action about this matter on that Whore Virtual Assistant Klaudette Santos Esguerra
aka Klaudette Esguerra Aquino
aka Klaudette Esguerra
There is also money involve in this issue that she also promise to pay us back and its been 4 months already and she already blocked me and my husband in her facebook account.
Hi Cristy
Hi! This is my first time work as a VA. I chose this path and sacrificed my work from office because I believe I could learn more than the office work. I just started my training but it didn’t go well. From the very beginning, we already had some miscommunications with my employer but I keep on doing her task. Until recently, I already reached my boiling point, she gave me another vague instruction in phrases and I keep on reading them between the lines and asking some clarifications and she got mad at me telling me that I did not understand the training. I couldn’t voice out my opinion as I am afraid that she would give me a bad rating and could affect my application in the future. But it made me sad knowing that these type of employer do exists. I do not know whther or jot to continue my training. How would you know from the start these instructions when she always gives instructions in phrases?! I didn’t know being a VA requires you to be some kind of a fortune teller or magician.
Mistake #2, #3 and #7 suits her well.
Hi Ms Julia Jasmine,
Good day!
How do I know if the employer is a legit employer. Would it mean that all employers that posted job hiring on this site have undergone your verification? Does it mean all of them are legit and safe to work with?
Please give light to this matter.
Thanks & Cheers!
Hi Catherine!
I wrote an entire blog post about that. This might be helpful: https://www.onlinejobs.ph/blog/how-to-avoid-scam-jobs-and-get-a-legitimate-online-job
I found this article very good and I had follow all points to not make any mistake when I hire my VA. I recently found Online Jobs and I have hired already 3 full time VA. I am offering a salary over the average advises by Online Jobs and all my VA are very happy. They started with a 3 days trial, paid of course, and they bitted my expectation. I am also going to offer them to pay for their health insurance within the next weeks. BUT, my last VA was a different one. I have hired him last week to start last Monday. His interview went very well and his skills were outstanding. However, on Monday morning, it’s where everything went down. He started to ask me if he can change his hours from 8:30am-5pm to 6pm-2am. During the interview, I have been clear I needed someone full time with same hours as me to be able to contact him any time during the day. He agreed with it, then change on Monday he started start. I did agree if the job was done and he promises me it will be. The next morning, absolutely no work was done. When contacted, he told me he needed to have some rest because of the hours he was doing during the day, which I conclude he has a second job. I was fine with that if the job I could have been done. He promises again that the job will be done during the day. Then still nothing, and even worse, no contact at all from him. I also lost my client due to this delay. Very bad experience with this VA (1 out of 4).
So sorry to hear about that Patrice. You can report this employee to support@onlinejobs.ph or leave a review on what he did in his jobseeker profile.
what kind of job are you offering patrice, i am willing to work with commitment as well.
I am willing to work Patrice. I been hired as VA last month but I stopped because I think my salary is not enough for 5 to 8 hours research.
This article shows a good example for a encouraging a person looking for online jobs/remote/home-based. This article makes workers more interested to contribute and work in our society and not to be lazy.
Am looking forward for that new job
I looking a great job that i love and that is writing ghost stories..
Hello Gie
If you have a chance to write a ghost stories what is the title?
Ive been hired as VA in one online re seller in amazon uk. Working 24 days but I got only $60 salary. I am very dissapointed because I’ve worked in the night everyday and more work for almost 5 to 8 hours, less slept. what shoul I do?
Hi Jeramie,
What was the work agreement that you had with this seller? Were you hired through our platform?
This is a very helpful article and I hope every employer will be able to read this.
I just want to share a recent experience I had with an employer who was guilty of mistake #4.
So I got hired part-time as a content writer for this employer. Things started out pretty well, he agreed to pay me my preferred rate (which is a surprise considering the employers I see here offer about $2 and a stick of gum), he was very impressed with my work, and I personally enjoyed the topics I was writing about. Things were looking up. I had high hopes that I finally found a job that I could see myself working on for a long time.
However, as the saying goes, good times don’t last long. Or in my case, it didn’t even last more than a week. You see, we had an agreement that I be paid after every article I submit. After completing my first article, I was then given a second assignment without having yet received compensation for the previous written work. I thought to myself “Oh okay cool. I’ll just remind my employer about my pay and work on the next assignment.” No biggie. There was a VERY specific instruction that I complete the article in 24 hours, to which I did and successfully submitted within a few hours. You’d think that given such an instruction my employer would be there ready to review the article at the specified time and give me further assignments in order to move forward. Well, that isn’t what happened sadly.
A day passes, two days, then three. Not a single word from my employer, even after asking for updates. I have no idea where he is and have nothing to do with my time. At 6 days of being left in the dark without pay, the only option I could think of was to email my situation to support@onlinejobs.ph and seek help. Then lo and behold my employer finally shows up and contacts me the very next day. Apparently he went on a week long vacation and didn’t bother to inform or notify me at the very least. I wouldn’t have any problems with it if he just informed me in the first place about his leave. I wasn’t asking him to help me write. I wasn’t asking him to hold my hand. I just needed him to be there as he said he would.
To conclude this story, I did receive my fair compensation but lost my job. My employer didn’t want to work with me after what happened due to “how I handled the situation”. Quite frankly, I just wished he showed more effort in communicating with me so that this whole situation wouldn’t have happened.
Could I have been more patient and simply waited? Yes, perhaps. But the fear of not having my work compensated was there. I’d like to believe that my actions were indeed justified. If ever an employer happens to stumble upon this comment, could you tell me what I could have done in that situation? Was I in the wrong after all?
Communication is key to having a good employer-employee relationship. I hope everyone, be it an employer or worker, will be transparent with the people they’re working with/for about their plans in order to avoid hiccups on the job such as mine.
Hello, just browsed on this…i am actually looking for a part time job, as i am presently employed (in the government). A jod that would not conflict with my present.
Thank you.
I find this site intriguing yet as great as it is, at first I got very frustrated in trying to connect the dots around making sense of what the ad I was reading here in Canada was offering me. Yes I got it within the first minute or two but then it took about 20 minutes of wondering what does VA’s stand for.
Suggestion; why not from the beginning use VA’s in your ad headline at the very beginning of your advertisement reach such as; why not consider hiring a VA for you business (spell out what VA stands for) once I understood what a VA is, your site got that much more interesting.
Never assume always help[ the reader in an ad reach out understand.
Good Read. At first when I read the article, I already have an idea of the person. When I check his blog. Jackpot he is indeed a mormon. Glad to know that the founder of jobsonline is a mormon. Because I’m a member of the church as well. No wonder this person is very successful.
Good information ahead of hiring and grea comments that lend even more insight. Questions for prospective VAs:
1. Read where some are dissastisfied with $ offers. So, assuming good job, good person to work for, what is a rate that a “good” VA will be interested in getting to do great work? Be realistic, please. We come to this site to get good rates for good help.
2. When working for U.S.A employer (east coast time), what are the best hours for VAs to work, and to communicate?
3. What would give a good VA incentive to do their best? Hourly Rate? Good “boss”? Long term hire (how long is long term?)?, Other?
Thanks for any insight you are will to share about your individual preferences.
I am new here ?
Please suggest for me suitable position,where I can do job well.
learned technology at school and boost my skills on it through out my journey as I enable myself working on it, In fact I wrote school articles way back then and know basic Microsoft applications. If you will give me a chance to work in your company I will give my utmost self to give you the job needed for the work.
I have found VA’s thinking they are full time and billing me as employer when they are not working. This happened several times. There is a belief they are owed the money. But they are not saying they need more work.
That is very different that the US.
I am totally gutted; I broke a couple of rules because I’ve had my VA for 4 years now; I checked in weekly with him, asking if he was getting on with the work while I was dealing with bereavement in the family. This took 6 weeks. I’d give more work each week, and at the end of the week, I’d get a report saying it was complete. Paid as usual at the end of the month. 6 weeks later, after dealing with all the family stuff, the VA, whom I had hired for 4 years, had not done a single day of work the entire time; when I asked him, he said if I was taking a break, so was he. Lost for words and gutted at the same time.
We’re sorry to hear that. In regards to that, it will be your call on what actions you will take base on what happened to your tasking. Since both of you have a contract in which both parties should follow and honored. Thanks.