How Does Culture Affect Your Offshoring Success?

The Philippines is a country with a lot to offer, from its lush natural landscape to its bustling cities. It will be clear that the greatest benefit of the Philippines are its people after you have been there for a while.

offshoring solutions We would like to share the Filipino culture and unique values with you. The perfect team will be found when you're looking for outstanding customer service, warmth, and helpfulness.

Which cultural traits are Filipinos are most famous for?

The Philippines is a modernized country with most Filipinos fluent in English. 1 in 3 Filipinos are educated at university. The culture is similar to ours and it is simple to move offshore.

At first glance, Filipinos have a very similar culture to Australians and Americans:

• Most Filipinos speak fluent English

• They are extremely friendly

• They are dedicated and hardworking.

• They are extremely proud of their work.

To make your offshore operations a great success it is essential to comprehend the cultural differences as well as the commonalities.

We're pleased to let you know that you're in great hands. Because the Filipinos are among the most charming characteristics are those that make them wonderful offshore employees.

English proficiency

English is one of the country's two official languages, so most Filipinos speak fluent English. Everyone learns English in high school and is the primary language used in every job, as well as the government, the legal system, and even higher education.

Also, talking to a Filipino is just like speaking English with other English native speaker, in that the conversation feels natural and flows easily.

And because the Philippines has a history of American influences, they've got a particular Filipino-English accent that's easy to mistake for an American accent.

The Philippines is a country with lots of American influences. It is also close to Australia and New Zealand. Filipinos are used to speaking English. That means that everyone can understand each other which is a great benefit.

Culture of hospitality, customer service and hospitality

Filipinos are known for their warm and welcoming lifestyle and optimistic outlook. They are proud of their hospitality that is a part of their nation's identity.

They're open to visitors from all over the world which is significant considering that the Philippines is a very popular holiday and business destination for Americans and Canadians.

It's not a surprise, in fact that the Philippines is a highly popular destination for offshore service providers. Filipinos have been able to cultivate warm, friendly characteristics over the course of thousands of years. This has given them the ideal environment for customer service jobs.

It's clear that Filipinos are extremely considerate. Customer service staff often call their bosses and customers "Sir" or "Ma’am" outof respect. They are naturally compassionate and are able to relate to customers' situations and situations, which is why they are well-suited for customer service and call center roles.

To show respect, young Filipinos will add to show respect, young Filipinos will add the word "Po" in the end of the sentence when they speak to senior Filipinos or older people. For example, people might say "Salamat Po" which is "Thank you, with respect." Another similar phrase that you'll be hearing is "Opo", which is "Yes, in respect." It's a beautiful characteristic that shows how many Filipinos appreciate their elders.

It is common to observe children and young adults bless their elders when they are in a family setting. They extend their hand to the elder and place it on their forehead. This is a gesture of respect to their elders, and is an important part of greeting them.

Just as importantly, they're educated to speak informal English and skilled in conversational English and can use the level of appropriate language to the context. They can instantly change into a formal tone and more honorific tone if the client is angry. They're seamless and effortless.

Work-hard

Filipinos have a unique characteristic that you will appreciate: they're hard-working. They show a strong dedication to their work and are extremely efficient in their daily tasks.

The offshore personnel who have experience are great problem solvers and often anticipate your needs before you ask.

Filipino employees are very willing to receive feedback. Filipinos are constantly striving to be better than their bosses, and thrive with constructive feedback and positive reinforcement.

Family bonds are strong

Filipinos are known for their close-knit family structures that typically have three generations living in the same house. Most often, the young adults are employed full-time in city, and their older parents work part-time to take care of their grandchildren in the morning and evenings.

They view it as family members helping one other.

Young, English-speaking workers who have university degrees make a good living by working for foreign firms in cities. They can help their families and also contribute to household incomes, sending often as much as 60% of their earnings home.

Families can help you become an incredibly loyal and committed worker. When an employee is able to secure an attractive and lucrative customer service role They want to hold the position for a long time, to the benefit of their families. The entire family also supports their job and does everything they can to keep it going.

Collaboration with coworkers is a bonding experience for the team

The tradition of family ties carries over into the workplace, with a lot of Filipinos treating their colleagues just like extended family members. You'll often see colleagues talking to one another using the same terms of endearment and familiar names, as they're just as close as a family.

When you get to know your colleagues, don't be surprised if they treat you like members of their family as well.

Make use of the time difference to your advantage

Many Filipinos are looking for an alternating work schedule within their offshore operations company. A good offshore company will organize your team so that they are working hours that will offer the most value.

If you'd prefer your offshore team to work during your office hours:

• If you are on the eastern coast, 9am-5 pm is Manila's 7.30 am to 3 pm.

• The time zone of New York's 9am-5pm is Manila's 9pm-5am.

• San Francisco's 9am-5pm time zone is Manila's 12am-8am.

• There is also Manila's hours of operation from 4pm to 12am if you're in London.

There are many ways you can make use of the time difference to your advantage. For instance, a Filipino team could be hired by an American company to handle customer service calls during non-business hours. This provides 24-hour customer service at a fraction the expense of hiring night staff in America. An Australian manager can email a list of tasks of his Filipino team by 5pm, and they will discover the completed tasks within their inbox the following day.

Your Filipino staff is flexible and accommodating, so whatever solution you require, they can help.

Another benefit of the close-knit Filipino family is that many Filipinos are able to work at a flexible schedule in positions of customer service off-shore. Employees are able to be able to match Australian and other country's work hours by working late shifts, or even early shifts as grandparents are there to take care of children who are young.

Strategies for managing cultural differences

Here are some suggestions to assist you in getting the most out of Filipino work culture.

Visit your Philippine team

If you are able to go to the Filipino workplace of your offshore company You will experience the friendly and warm culture. Once you have a chance to get acquainted with your team and their culture, you will be awestruck.

If you want to achieve the most effective results, it is recommended to be in the office for some days or weeks, at most once per year. You'll make strong connections with your colleagues within a short period of period of time. You'll solve any niggling small issues and leave with a wealth of ideas on how you can make your offshore operations run as smoothly as clockwork.

It's not just about work. A meal out together is a great way for your team to know each other as individuals, not just as employees. Your team should go out for lunch together so that they can show you their favourite national dishes. You'll all feel like old friends after you've finished lunch.

And if you're really lucky? You may be invited home by one of your team members to visit their families and have a meal cooked by their family. This is a sign of respect and Filipino hospitality. So, accept the invitation to visit their family.

Your trip to the Philippines will change your level of energy each time you speak to your offshore team. It's that personal connection that you reach within a couple of days of being in the same place. It's priceless.

Choose an "onshore champion"

Designate one member of your local team to be your "onshore champion" to manage and communicate with the offshore team. They'll act as the bridge between your business (and the offshore team) and let them access your data.

Your champion on the other side is the dedicated person whom the Filipino team can turn to for help, questions and advice. This makes it simple to create an online chat system for your team, such as Slack. You can also make use of Skype to keep up on any questions.

Home office representative from the Station in the Philippines

The manager can be chosen by you from your home to supervise the offshore staff. This manager is a person who brings all the knowledge they have about the company's main operations and serves as an intermediary between the offshore team and the home office.

Managers as well as their families can easily transition to the Philippines by utilizing good offshore providers. They can help you find the right accommodation and schools, or even provide local information about where to find the best coffee. All the things a person requires to feel comfortable and at home.

Choose an offshore "local champion"

Instead of sending an onshore manager to Manila to supervise the team, you could appoint an offshore permanent Filipino champion.

If there is a sensitive issue, your local champion can assist in discussing the issue with the employee. There are two methods that your local champion can assist:

1. The local representative can talk to your employee in Tagalog the language they speak as their first. Although the majority of Filipinos speak English fluently, it's always recommended to talk about complex subjects in your native language. An employee may describe the experience of speaking English as "taking more brain power" or "being more demanding". Therefore, when an emotional or sensitive workplace performance issue arises, Filipino staff feel more at ease speaking to a local manager in their native language.

2. The local representative will share the same background in culture and will be able to determine if the issue is work performance related or cultural misunderstanding. And if it turns out to be an issue with your culture the local champion will assist both of you and your employees be more in tune with each other; a 'cultural translator' kind of.

Be sure to visit frequently

However, even with offshore and onshore winners It's not an easy task. Offshoring is an essential aspect of your company and should be handled in the same manner as an offshore department.

It is recommended to visit them every other day during the first three to six months. If you can, get them to get together with them in person. This will show you appreciate the contribution they make to your company. Then, you can reduce the number of visits as your offshore team becomes more skilled and knowledgeable about their role. You should not let them go without monitoring.

For teams operating offshore which are successful, cultural differences can be difficult to deal with. However, there are many beautiful cultural traits in the Philippines that outweigh any difficulties.

Consider your offshore team as a valuable part of your company. Make the effort to get to know their culture and visit them often. Soon, you'll be able to build a strong offshore team.

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