The transition from office to home may have been a little abrupt, but remote work is here to stay. Businesses are reaping the benefits of hiring remote workers — and we don’t see this trend slowing down anytime soon.
Remote work was already a thing even before COVID made its unwelcome appearance, but the number of remote workers rose exponentially at the height of the pandemic. Reports show that remote employees in North America jumped from 17% to 44% in April 2020 alone.
Now, even with restrictions being less severe and workplaces opening up, more companies are realizing the need to offer remote positions.
Here’s why:
You save a lot of money when your staff doesn’t report to a physical office. You won’t have to worry about costs like:
Plus, if you decide to employ remote staff from the Philippines, you can enjoy up to 80% in savings.
The average rate for a full-time virtual assistant in the Philippines is only around $9,000 per year, which is significantly less than a local counterpart. If you’re hiring a team of 5, you can save up to $189,000 a year in labor costs. Imagine what you can do with that money instead.
Learn more: Salary guide for remote staff in the Philippines
Limiting your team to local hires prevents your business from reaching its full potential.
You may have to put new projects on hold because you can’t find great talent in your area. When you’re unable to hire assistants, you’ll lose important opportunities and experience bottlenecks in your business.
Enter: awesome remote team members.
By hiring them, your business can grow sustainably. You can build a team faster by hiring more people, delegate more tasks, and pursue projects that have been on the backburner. Ultimately, you’ll be able to expand your business without wasting resources or feeling overwhelmed.
Back when strict lockdowns were imposed, remote work used to be limited to the four corners of an employee’s home. Today, they can work from anywhere.
Some could stay at their favorite spot in their local coffee shop, alternating between sipping a cappuccino and scheduling Instagram posts.
Others may prefer visiting the park to get a dose of fresh air and vitamin D while working.
There are also remote workers who continue doing their job even when they’re on an out-of-town trip.
Well, you can now hire staff from anywhere in the world, too.
If you've been struggling to find quality hires in your area, this opens up a world of possibilities.
Hiring remotely means you don't have to be limited by geography. Instead, you can tap into a bigger, more diverse talent pool in countries like the Philippines — at a fraction of the local cost.
Filipino virtual assistants are the best choice when you want to create an efficient remote team. Here’s why they stand out:
We get it — measuring your remote team’s productivity can be tricky, but don’t worry. You can easily solve this problem through time-tracking apps like Hubstaff or Time Doctor.
Or, you know, you can create a solid delegation process, work asynchronously, and measure their performance based on the quality of their output instead of the hours they clock in. That works, too.
Related: Here’s how you can solve the top challenges of hiring remote workers
Studies by different organizations say the same thing: folks who work remotely get more stuff done than those who have to report to the office.
A 2-year study by Great Place to Work® revealed that out of a group of over 800,000 respondents, the majority experienced either consistent or higher levels of productivity when they began working remotely.
Owl Labs also reported similar results, with 83% of respondents saying they’re just as productive working at home vs. working at the office—if not more.
It’s actually easy to see why:
Office politics can be incredibly draining for an employee, to the point where their mental health and quality of work are affected.
That isn’t much of a problem with remote work. Since employees won’t be in the same physical space, they can avoid unnecessary drama and focus on doing their jobs.
But the obvious downside is that this can affect your team’s rapport.
Even if they don’t report to an office, being part of a community still matters to remote workers. They don’t have the ability to form organic bonds the way people working under one office do, so they may find it hard to connect with others.
Luckily, you can do something—a few things, really—to create a healthy work culture for your remote team.
Most remote workers don’t have to follow a strict schedule. Since they don’t have to commute to the office or move to be closer to one, their time is more flexible.
They can create efficient routines, feel more comfortable, and manage their energies better. They also have more time to bond with their family and friends, do chores, or have fun.
This work-life balance helps an individual feel like they’re more in charge of their life, which empowers and motivates them to give their 100% at work.
A better work-life balance means happy employees. And happy employees mean they will stick with you longer.
It’s a win-win situation for everybody.
On your end, you avoid wasting the energy—and money—it takes to hire and onboard another set of employees. Your assistants, on the other hand, get to enjoy more flexible schedules, spend less, and work without distractions.
Employees value remote work so much that they’re willing to give up benefits like paid time off or even a cut of their salary, according to a report by GoodHire.
Does finding remote workers sound like a lot of work? We’re not gonna lie, it is — if you’re doing it yourself.
But if you use a headhunter agency like Shepherd, it’s easy. Here’s a quick look at our process:
What’s your ideal candidate like? Fill out this form to let us know what experience and skills they should have. The more detailed the job description, the more we can help you pinpoint the best one for the role.
We’ll jump on a call and iron out the details with you. We’ll then let you meet a project manager who will serve as the go-between throughout the hiring process.
The search begins right after, with our talent assessors and scouts narrowing down the candidates based on their skills and qualifications. All candidates go through an intensive screening process to ensure they have what you’re looking for.
We’ll give you profiles of the most qualified candidates. You’ll then pick the individuals that you will interview.
Once you’ve decided which person to hire, we’ll hand off the relationship to you and you’ll be free to start giving them things to work on.
Over the past couple of years, we’ve helped small businesses hire top remote talent from the Philippines. Here are some of our favorites:
Need your own remote assistant? Let’s work together to hire the best one for your company.
It may sound like a huge gamble to hire remote workers from halfway around the world, but it’s really in your company’s best interests. Remote virtual assistants from the Philippines are dependable, have lower rates than local counterparts, and can help your business take off.
Can’t wait to hire your first remote Filipino worker? We’ll be stoked to help you find the best fit. Leave us a message now and be one step closer to hitting your business goals.
A big number of individuals prefer working remote jobs because they get to:
Hiring remote employees can give your business serious benefits. Here are some examples:
All you need to do is use our headhunter agency.
With Shepherd, you can focus on running your business while we handle the candidate screening. Just share some details about the position you’re looking to fill here, be present for the interviews, and hire the best one for the job.
We'll find you amazing remote employees in the Philippines.
