Filipinos are well-rounded individuals. They are renowned all over the world for their friendly and respectful traits. Most often than not, these remarkable traits are overlooked by the rest of the world. As an employee, most Filipinos feel they’re not worthy and believe they do not qualify. Their inferiority complex makes them believe that there is always something wrong in what they do. They think they are not good enough for whatever it is. They want to do things perfectly and his is because Filipinos are known for their sense of honor, dignity, and credibility in their work.
As an employer outsourcing to the Philippines, you will need to set your expectations beforehand and you must set this right. Remember, Filipinos want to do everything right for you and if you don’t set expectations, they will have no means to measure their progress. Your Filipino Virtual Assistants will have no idea of what you want, how you want it, and if they’re doing it correctly or not.
Also, most Filipinos when embarrassed would rather disappear than have to deal with confrontations. They call it being “shy,” mixed with a feeling of losing face. Maybe it is because of their culture ingrained from the start that they have to work hard to receive what is due them. It’s crazy to think but the truth is, although they have been doing an awesome work for you and they feel that it is still not enough, they will highly likely never talk to you again. It’s just how they react to things so it is highly recommended to set the cards down for everybody.
Let them know what you aim for. Let them know the results you want. Let them know what you expect from them. Most Filipinos do not come to you and ask about figuring things they cannot do. So it is best to tell them that it is okay to ask questions. Tell them that it is okay not to know things. Tell them that this is a learning process and asking questions is part of learning.
When misunderstanding happen say a task has not been done and delivered correctly, you can send them an email saying:
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Hey, what happened?
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Are you having problems?
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Am I a problem for you?
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Did you run into something you didn’t know how to do?
It is best that you tell them that you can help sort out their work problems. Say something like, “I know I’m going to give you work to do that’s difficult for you, you probably don’t know how to do it. I expect you to figure it out upfront or try to figure it out and when you can’t figure it out, come back to me and ask me and I’ll help you figure it out.”
If you have these all laid down clear and crystal from the beginning, you will enjoy long term relationship with your Filipino employees. Setting your standard rights is definitely one of the best tools to effective outsourcing to the Philippines.