Nowadays, it is quite easy to find people who can do a certain job for you. In fact, you do not even have to meet them face-to-face to gauge whether they are the perfect employee for your business. You can hire people over the internet and let them do your tasks while keeping track of their progress through management tools.

Many small-time entrepreneurs, and even larger companies, outsource some of their staff through this method, especially if the work entails something that can be done either through cyberspace or is only needed for a short time. From writers, SEO, graphic designers, and social media managers, to digital support, you can search for freelancers online that are experts on your outsourced job. You just have to look.

Virtual assistants are everywhere in the world. They are like the typical personal assistant or secretary, minus seeing them every day and providing them with their desks, supplies, and computers. That alone should give you an idea of how convenient hiring a virtual assistant is over in-house digital support, especially if you are just starting as an entrepreneur or you have yet to achieve great success in your business. Virtual assistants from the Philippines come highly recommended. In fact, plenty of entrepreneurs prefer hiring Filipinos for other mundane tasks because of their reputation. The Philippines is only second to India, in Tholon’s top 100 list of prominent IT-BPM destinations. Post-pandemic, the Philippines expects even more growth in the BPO sector as investors plan to transfer business to the country.

Here’s why you should consider Filipinos first when hiring a virtual assistant:

• Communication problems are inexistent. A lot of employers complain about language barriers when communicating with people from different parts of the world. While you may be well versed in speaking and writing in English, it is difficult to communicate when the other party is not. Fortunately, you will not have this problem when hiring a Filipino virtual assistant. Filipinos are generally bilingual with a neutral accent. Aside from their native language, they can speak English fluently.

• They are a hardworking bunch. One thing that employers love about their Filipino workers is that they are willing to go the extra mile. You don’t have to worry if your virtual assistant is doing the job or not because you can rest assured that they are without you wasting time checking on them every minute.

• They are creative thinkers. Filipinos know how to think outside the box. You might be used to following a conventional route but don’t be surprised when they come up with innovative ideas to improve or add insights to certain tasks. Filipinos are bursting with millions of ideas, this is especially useful when you outsource jobs that require creativity. Over 40% of Filipino freelancers are content creators with over 1.5 million Filipinos working on several freelancing networks. Their skills in photography, design, and vlogging are in-demand in the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan.

• Independence is synonymous with them yet they know how to follow instructions. You can leave them alone yet be certain that they will do the tasks exactly how you want them to be done. You just have to give them detailed instructions and wait for them to finish the tasks. They may ask a few questions now and then, especially for new hires, but it is because they want to give you the output you expect of them.

• Work doesn’t seem like work at all when you talk to them. Some employers prefer adhering to strict formality when it comes to work, while some prefer to have a casual and relaxing atmosphere. If you are one of the latter, you would enjoy collaborating with a Filipino virtual assistant. It is widely known that Filipinos are generally fun-loving and charming and this can also extend to work if you allow it. You can share stories, trade jokes, and barbs, and talk about anything under the sun. This can lessen work-related stress and have a relaxed atmosphere without compromising the quality of work.

These are some of the numerous reasons why Filipinos, in general, are a favorite hire of many, not only as virtual assistants but also for other positions as well. This does not mean that all of them are flaw-free when it comes to working but this list will at least give you an idea of what to expect when you hire a virtual assistant.

For a quality off-site employee, check out your prospective hire’s feedback from previous clients. If you want them experienced, looking at reviews and requesting an interview is a great help. But you should not disregard those who seem to be starting in the industry. Many of them are experts in other fields even if they’re starting online. Filipinos are easily trained and they have the innate skills to do the job well. If you have the time and resources, training them on lower pay is possible.

I’m not saying that other freelancers from other countries are substandard compared to them, as there will always be great freelancers everywhere, but Filipinos, in general, have a great reputation when it comes to working and this is known worldwide.