In many companies, there is an opportunity to free your senior staff from mundane tasks, so that people in critical positions can concentrate on growing your business. By making the best use of their time for targeted pursuits, they are able to focus on their core competencies. Relieve them from the daily tasks of entering data, completing routine financial transactions or researching background information for expansion. Outsourcing can also provide you with expertise that you cannot afford to hire full time such as IT specialists, web designers, data analysts, AI specialists or even administrative assistants. Perhaps your enterprise is expanding so quickly that you do not have time to intensively train the staff you require.
One of the most astute areas in the world to direct your outsourcing is the Philippines for six strategic reasons. This area is now widely regarded as the trusted hub for digital process innovation.
1. Expertise: A Large, Talent Pool
Outsourcing in the Philippines began in the 1990s and has grown steadily since that time. For the last 6 years, 17% growth was the norm. The long history of this enterprise has meant a well-developed industry with a proven track record.
Since outsourcing is such a significant contributor to their economy, it is supported by a variety of government initiatives. The Philippines’ Department of Education has a focus on producing graduates trained for the BPO workforce. Over 95% of the BPO professionals are college graduates with degrees in sciences, engineering, healthcare, communication, IT, marketing, financing or business. The workforce is comparatively large at 1.15 million people working in the industry, with 42.5 million people from which to select.
With the median age of the population is 23, familiarity with technology is assured. This young workforce is highly adaptable to the fast pace of change in our modern world.
2. Refined English Language Skills
Since English is the official language of business in the Philippines, you can rest assured that the staff you hire will have excellent skills in English. They are ranked third in Asia for proficiency, with over 90% of the population having English as their second language. You can expect to see English on product labels, traffic signs, in business operations and in educational materials from the preschool age group. In addition to the facility with language, the Philippines’ close association with the United States over the years has rendered a close affinity in culture as well. For over fifty years, the Philippines was a protectorate of the United States and benefitted from the influences of American movies, literature, music, and advertising, providing strong compatibility with Western culture. The Filipino population is known for their neutral accent and in many cases are viewed as native English speakers.
3. Time Zone Advantage: Night Shift for the US, Day Shift for Australia
Imagine sending an email at the end of the day for a specific task to be accomplished and then arriving at the office the next day with all of the work completed. In the United States due to the time difference, this scenario is a reality. As you are retiring from the day’s work, the staff in the Philippines are beginning their day. For those companies situated in Australia, they have the advantage of coordinating projects in real time.
4. Cost Effectiveness
Labor costs in this part of the world are significantly less than it is in the western part of the world due in no small part of the lower cost of living. Saving as high as 60% in some areas can be realized through careful planning.
As many of the outsourcing businesses in the Philippines move from the congested high-cost urban locations into the outlying, lower cost areas, this trend will ensure the continued cost savings for its clients.
It is with pride that the Philippines acknowledges that it has currently usurped India for the number of call centers.
5. Modern Infrastructure
The outsourcing companies have worked diligently to keep astride with the latest technology and software programs to present cutting edge performance in many areas of the trade.
Besides, the Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 brings its data protection policies in line with international standards. So that the privacy of information is safeguarded using the most exacting standards.
It must be noted that many major multinational Corporations and GICs (Global International Corporations) have their worldwide headquarters in the Philippines.
6. Dedication: A Hard-working Culture
Cultural norms in the Philippines promote such admirable character traits such as concentrated effort, perseverance, hospitality, respect, and humility. These qualities work well in a business that has as its primary focus, customer service. It is also well known that the culture in the Philippines favors long relationships with employers, thus reducing the costs for training for businesses in the country.
However, the working landscape is rapidly changing. The Filipinos realize that many of their current jobs may be subsumed through AI (artificial intelligence) solutions. As a nation, they are proactively facing this challenge. The government is well aware of this shift and is taking steps to bring the educational focus in line with these new trends. An emphasis on artificial intelligence, robotics training, big data analytics, and app development has been planned to prepare the workforce to meet your needs.
Key Concepts
In short, in the Philippines, you will find
- Staff with excellent English skills
- A large, young and highly skilled talent pool
- Cost-effective approaches
- Time zone advantages
- Modern infrastructure to meet your needs and
- A mindset that is dedicated to ensuring your success.