Why Does Culture Affect Your Offshoring Success?
With its stunning natural landscape and busy cities, the Philippines has a lot going for it. You will soon realize that the most valuable asset of the Philippines are its people once you have spent some time there.
offshoring solutions We'd love for you to learn more about the Filipino tradition, their distinctive values, and the reasons they are such great team members. If you're looking for incredible customer service, warm, kindness, and more... you'll meet your ideal team right here.
What are the distinctive cultural characteristics of Filipinos?
The Philippines is an advanced country, with the majority of Filipinos speaking fluent English. One in three Filipinos have a degree from a universities. Since the culture is similar to yours, offshoring is a possibility.
On first sight, Filipinos have a very similar culture to Australians as well as Americans:
Most Filipinos speak fluent English
They're very friendly
They are hardworking and dedicated.
They tend to value their jobs highly
Understanding cultural differences is key in making your offshore business an enormous success.
We're pleased to let you know that you're in great company. Because the Filipinos' most endearing characteristics are those that make them excellent offshore employees.
English proficiency
English is the primary language of the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos are fluent in English. Everyone is taught English at school, and it's also the main language in every professional workplace, plus the government, the legal system and higher education.
So, speaking to an Filipino is like speaking English to an English native speaker. It feels natural and flows naturally.
Due to the history of American influence in the Philippines Their accent is Filipino-English, and it is easy to misinterpret as American.
The Philippines has a lot of American influences. It is also close to Australia and New Zealand. Filipinos are familiar with speaking English. This means that everyone can understand the other's accent, which definitely helps a lot.
Culture of hospitality and customer service
Filipinos are famous for their warm and friendly culture, and their positive approach to life. They're proud of their hospitality, that is a part of their national identity.
They are accessible to visitors from all over the world This is a plus given that the Philippines is a popular business and holiday destinations for Americans, Canadians, Australians and many others.
It's not a surprise, in fact that the Philippines is a thriving location for offshore providers. Filipinos have been able to cultivate warm, friendly characteristics over the course of thousands of years. This has given them the ideal culture for customer services roles.
Filipinos are very respectful. Out of respect, customer service staff will often call bosses or customers "Sir", "Ma'am" or "Ma"am. They naturally show empathy for the situation of the customer which is why they are ideally suited for call center and service jobs.
When younger Filipinos talk to someone that is older or more Senior, they'll add the word "Po" at the end of their conversation to show respect. People may say, "Salamat Po", which can mean "Thank you, with respect." Another instance is "Opo" which could translate to "Yes, with respect." This delightful cultural trait shows how respect Filipinos have for their elders.
Young adults and children often bless their parents by reaching out to their elders and placing the hand upon their foreheads. It's an act of respect, and also an opportunity to thank their elders.
Importantly, they are proficient in conversational English and have an education in informal English. They are able to instantly switch into a formal tone and more honorific tone if the customer gets upset. It's easy and natural.
You are hardworking
One of the things that you will appreciate the most about Filipinos is that they're incredibly dedicated. They are highly efficient and have a strong commitment to work.
The offshore personnel who have experience are great problem solvers, and can frequently anticipate your needs prior to you even ask.
Furthermore, Filipino workers are very open to feedback. They are always striving to do a better job for their boss, so they thrive with positive reinforcement as well as constructive feedback.
Family ties are strong
Filipinos have close-knit families, often with three generations living in the same house. The majority of the time, teens are employed full-time in city, and their older parents work part-time to care for their grandchildren before and after school.
They see it as family members supporting one another.
These English-speaking, young workers are paid an adequate living wage working in foreign cities for foreign companies. As a result, they can help their families by contributing to the household income - typically, they can send up to 60% of their earnings back home.
These family bonds are an excellent way to make loyal and committed workers. People want to remain in a job that pays well, so they want to keep the role for their families. The entire family also is supportive of their work and will do everything they can to ensure it continues.
Team bonds are formed with coworkers.
The culture of strong family ties is evident in the workplace, with a lot of Filipinos treat their coworkers like extended family. It is common for colleagues to talk to each other with the same words of affection and names that are familiar to them, as they're just as close to you as your family.
It will be easy to feel as if you are part of the team when you meet them.
You can work with the time difference
Many Filipinos are planning to work for an offshore operation company on a rotating basis. This is because they consider it an essential part of their job. A good offshore company will arrange for your team so that they are working hours that will provide the greatest value.
If you would like your offshore team be able to work your local business hours:
If you're located on the eastern coast, 9am-5 pm Manila's 7.30 am-3 pm.
The hours of New York's 9am-5pm are Manila's.
San Francisco has 9am-5pm, Manila is open from 12am to 8am.
If you're in London 9am-5pm is Manila's 4pm-12am.
However, there are many options to make time change work for you. A Filipino team might be employed by an American firm to handle customer service calls outside of business hours. It allows you to provide 24/7 support for less than the cost it takes to hire night staff in America. A Australian manager can email a list of tasks of his Filipino team by 5pm, and they will discover the completed tasks in their inbox the next day.
Your Filipino staff is flexible and accommodating, so whatever solution you require they will be able to assist you.
Another advantage to the Filipino family unit is that many Filipinos can work flexible hours in customer service positions offshore. Since grandparents stay home to take care of young children, it becomes possible for employees to work in line with Australian or any other country's working hours by working night shifts or early shift starts.
How to deal with the cultural diversity in a practical way
If you are aware of what you can expect from Filipino workplace style, here are some ideas for getting the most effective business results from these characteristics.
Visit your Philippines team
You'll be able to see the Filipino culture and experience it in person if you go to the work place of your offshore team. It will be a surprise at how much you learn about your team's culture and workplace when you are immersed within the culture.
To get the most out of your experience, work from their office for a few days or a week, at least once each year. In that short amount of time, you'll build solid relationships with your colleagues. You'll be able to resolve all the little problems and come away with some great suggestions about how to make your offshore operations run efficiently.
Do not forget to think about work. A shared meal is a great way to get to know your team better and bond with them as individuals. Your team should go out to lunch with you so they can share their favorite national food items. You'll be laughing as old friends at the end of your lunch.
If you are really blessed? The team member may invite you to stay home to an authentic Filipino meal. This is a genuine gesture of respect and Filipino hospitality, so be sure to accept the opportunity to get to know them better.
It will be different after you visit the Philippines. You'll feel more energetic every time that you talk with your team from overseas. It's that spark of personal connection you can achieve in just a few days of working in the same place. It is priceless.
Choose an onshore champion
Designate one of your local personnel to serve as your 'onshore champion', to oversee and coordinate with your offshore team. They'll act as the bridge between your business, allowing your offshore team to access information within your business.
The person who that the Filipino team can turn to for help or advice is the onshore champion. To ensure that this process is easy, you can set up a team chat platform like Slack, or use regular Skype catch ups for any queries they may have.
Contact an office in the Philippines with a representative from the home office.
A manager may be assigned from your home office to manage the offshore staff. This manager will bring all of their previous knowledge about the company's operations and serve as a link between your office located offshore and the home office.
A good offshore provider will make the transition smooth by helping the manager and their family members settle to their new residence in the Philippines. They can help you find the best school and accommodation and even help you share your local knowledge about where to find the finest coffee. What ever the individual wants to feel comfortable in, they can help.
Appoint an offshore 'local champion'
Instead of sending an offshore manager to Manila to oversee the team, you could appoint an ongoing Filipino local champion from the offshore.
The local champion will assist you in negotiating with the employee regarding sensitive issues should they occur. Two important ways the local champion can help are:
The local champion can talk to employees in Tagalog if that is their primary language. Although most Filipinos can speak English well in the Philippines, it's recommended to discuss complex subjects in your native language. A worker may say that they are English as "taking more brain power" or "being more demanding". Filipino employees are more comfortable speaking their native language to managers in the event of an emotional or sensitive workplace performance problem.
The local champion is aware of the background of the employee, so that they can determine whether there are any cultural miscommunications or issues with work performance. If the problem is an issue with the culture, then your local champion will be able to help both of you and your employees understand each other.
Check in regularly
Offshoring, even when you have offshore and onshore leaders in place is not a "set and forget" solution. It's an integral component of your company that has to be protected just like the onshore department.
In the initial three to six monthly ensure that you communicate regularly with them, in person if possible to demonstrate that they are valued as part of your company. As the offshore team becomes more adept and knowledgeable of their roles, you can scale back your visits. However, you should never stop checking in on them altogether.
A successful offshore team may encounter cultural differences that could be a problem. However, there are many beautiful cultural traits in the Philippines that outweigh any difficulties.
Make your offshore team a valued part of your company Make time to learn about their culture, and visit them often. Soon, you'll be able to build a strong offshore team.
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