When it comes to outsourcing, one of the top destinations that comes to mind is the Philippines. There’s a good reason for it: workers in this Southeast Asian country deliver high-quality work at a fraction of the cost. 

On top of that, you get to enjoy other benefits that go beyond price. This article will uncover everything you need to know about outsourcing in the Philippines–from its pros and cons to the job functions where you might want to consider it.

What is outsourcing?

Outsourcing is a business strategy where companies hire third-party companies or individuals to do specific job functions. Both small and large companies opt for outsourcing to eliminate or minimize operational costs without compromising the quality of output.

One of the most commonly outsourced services is related to Information Technology (IT). A new survey revealed that the global IT outsourcing market is expected to reach $397.6 billion by 2025, from $333.7 billion pre-pandemic. This upward trend was due to the rapid digital transformation of many organizations as they swiftly transitioned to remote work.

In the Philippines, outsourced jobs were mostly related to Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). A recently published article reported that the country’s BPO scene has evolved over the last two decades. Currently, the BPO industry employs more than 1.3 million Filipinos and is eyed to generate at least $29 billion by the end of 2022.

Aside from that, the Philippines is one of the leading destinations to hire virtual assistants, freelance writers, graphic designers, and other online-based jobs.

Why is the Philippines the best for outsourcing?

With the proliferation of digital tools and many professionals preferring to work from home, now is the best time to hire outsourced talent in the Philippines. Here are the reasons why you should put the country at the top of your list.

1. English literacy, both in written and oral communications
   
   While Filipinos are speaking their mother tongue, Tagalog, their second language is English. English is being taught to children as early as kindergarten, with the language heavily used in their day-to-day conversations. Some Filipino households use English as their first language, making them native speakers even before they get their formal education.
   
   According to the English Proficiency Index 2020, the Philippines placed 27th worldwide and 2nd in Asia, just behind Singapore. This shows that global nations wouldn’t have a problem communicating their needs to Filipinos given their level of proficiency in the English language.
   
   
2. Source of Great talent
   
   Filipinos are naturally gifted in their strengths and capabilities. You will find expert IT consultants, prolific writers, and digital artists who have acquired their education from prestigious schools. 
   
   Most Filipino professionals also have experience working with huge corporations and have pursued work-from-home careers during the pandemic. You can hire these remote workers for specialized projects or long-term contracts.
   
   
3. Friendly and easy to work with
   
   Filipinos are known for being hospitable and kind. At work, they are easy to work with; they are hardworking and open to new ideas. They are always up for a challenge and seek opportunities to improve their craft.
   
   
4. Adaptive to change
   
   History tells us that Filipinos have been tested time and time again when Spain, America and Japan colonized the Philippines. Throughout the decades, Filipinos have adapted to change and endured wars, making them more formidable than ever. 
   
   Up to this day, Western culture is entrenched in their everyday lives, and they continue to adapt to foreign cultures through music, entertainment, and food.
   
   
5. Cost savings
   
   The Philippines’ cost of living is lower than their counterparts in Western countries. To give you an idea, the average cost salary of an IT fresh graduate is P25,000 or around $280 per month, compared to $3,600 in the U.S. This is favorable to many small businesses in the U.S. and Europe because they get to hire professional workers in the Philippines while saving on costs.
   
   
6. Can work in shifting schedules
   
   Many Western countries are getting offshore outsourcing services in the Philippines because Filipinos are open to work based on their client’s timezone. For example, the U.S. and the Philippines have a 12- to 16-hour difference, so most Filipino workers would have to work the nightshift to meet the requirement. Rotating shifts–as well as weekend schedules–work for Filipinos given their vast BPO experience.

What can you outsource in the Philippines?

If you’re ready to get outsourcing services in the Philippines, you can practically hire someone or a team to work on various job functions. Note that both products and services can be outsourced to the Philippines, saving you both time and money.

1. Marketing
   
   If you need writers, graphic artists, web designers and social media managers, you can hire these professionals from the Philippines. Having an extra pair of hands to help you run your marketing department gives you more time to focus on core business functions such as finance and building client relations.
   
   
2. Accounting
   
   Accounting is one of the most common areas being outsourced nowadays. Hiring someone else to work on your bookkeeping and prepare your tax documents ensures that you are on top of your cash flow, and prevents you from any legal liability. Just make sure to find someone who knows about the accounting policies, laws and best practices in your country.
   
   
3. Sales
   
   If you’re running your business by yourself, you can outsource salespeople from the Philippines to do sales calls on your behalf. They can also help you set up sales funnels geared towards closing deals.
   
   
4. Customer Support
   
   Every business needs someone to ensure that customers are satisfied with your products or services. The Philippines is rife with BPO professionals who can help you attend to your customers round-the-clock.
   
   
5. Virtual Assistance
   
   With remote work still here, most small business owners need help in keeping things in order. Virtual assistants in the Philippines can help you run your show: they will organize your schedule, oversee that admin tasks are done, and make travel arrangements when necessary.
   
   Filipino virtual assistants usually charge $6 to $14 per hour of work, depending on their skills and experience. Plus, you won’t have to worry about the tools they will be using because they pretty much have them covered.
   
   
6. Human Resources
   
   Looking at hiring recruiters in the Philippines? Now, you can outsource human resources. Headhunters will handle any task related to hiring and onboarding professionals in your company. They will bring in qualified candidates for the positions you need to fill in. 
   
   You can also hire a remote human resource professional to run payroll, benefits administration, and manage your team’s attendance. Larger organizations would typically outsource this function to an HR outsourcing company from the Philippines.
   
   
7. IT Support
   
   Companies that outsource their IT staff in the Philippines can save them a tremendous amount of money while getting access to technical talent. By outsourcing your IT, you can avoid the high costs associated with hiring and training in-house staff. Training your internal IT team can be expensive knowing that you have to take care of certifications and compliance, on top of overhead costs.

Offshore technical teams can suffice you with the same tools and applications you need for your business–all while saving money. Whether you need help with network security, data backup and recovery, or cybersecurity, you can rest assured knowing that someone is always available to help you round-the-clock.

Where can you find outsourcing professionals in the Philippines?

If you’re looking at building your outsourced team in the Philippines, you may consider a myriad of platforms. You may find offshore talent directly through LinkedIn, Remote Staff PH, Upwork, Jobstreet, and other professional websites. 

Also, some remote workers are active on Facebook groups, so be sure to post about new job openings there. You may join groups that focus on specific skills you want to hire. 

For example, if you’re looking for freelance graphic artists and web designers, you may interact with them on Facebook groups like Independent Creative & Advertising Professionals (100.6K members), Graphic Designers of the Philippines (47.1K members), or the more general Upwork Freelancers Philippines (177.4K members).

Is outsourcing good for the Philippines?

Yes! Foreigners outsource to the Philippines because they get to hire pools of talent without compromising their budget. But on the other side of it, Filipinos are given more opportunities to get good-paying jobs without leaving their homes. In fact, the IT-BPO sector has the potential to add 160,000 more jobs this year, opening more doors for Filipinos who have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Should you outsource a full-time or part-time worker?

Ultimately, the decision of whether to outsource a full-time or part-time worker depends on your needs and budget. 

When to outsource a full-time worker

Generally, hiring a full-time worker saves you more instead of hiring someone on a per-hour or part-time basis. Full-time workers will work for you for 40 hours a week–that means, more work will be done for your business. You have more overlapping hours, which is important if you want your outsourced employee to work in his or her local time zone. 

Also, it makes more sense to hire a full-time outsourced professional when there are simply too many projects to run and you are chasing a tight deadline. If you want to achieve specific goals in a short period of time, outsourcing full-time workers would make more sense. Salaries or monthly payments are usually fixed in this kind of arrangement, so you won’t have to worry about overspending.

When to outsource a part-time worker

Some small businesses are opting for outsourced part-time workers because they have limited budgets. They usually don’t have enough resources to hire full-time employees, but they don’t have the time to work on tasks either.

Outsourced part-time workers often give you the best bang for your buck because you pay the expert for the time they spend on a project. When work is done, you don’t have to pay them. You can stop the engagement when there’s nothing left to accomplish. 

However, part-time workers may charge you higher because you will pay them on an hourly basis. That means, if you ask them to work on more tasks, they will work much longer; therefore, they will charge you more.

Consider the type of work that needs to be done. If the project is long-term and requires a lot of specialized knowledge, then it might be better to hire a full-time worker. However, if the project is simple and doesn’t require more working hours, then a part-time worker might be sufficient.

Why shouldn’t you outsource in the Philippines

While outsourcing in the Philippines is most preferred by Western countries, the experience isn’t always favorable. There are cons to outsourcing as well. 

Check out some of the most common disadvantages of outsourcing in the Philippines.

1. Cultural differences.
   
   Cultural compatibility is crucial when you’re outsourcing to other countries. For example, if you’re an American and you want to hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines, you have to take note that they are more sensitive than people from the West. 
   
   Strong personalities often intimidate most Filipinos; however, there are some professionals who can handle criticisms and negative feedback. Other than that, Filipinos are known for their hospitality and humility. They are also resilient individuals, and can withstand any work-related challenges.
   
   
2. Communication barriers.
   
   Filipinos learned English not from their homes but at school. The level of proficiency they get through education varies depending on where they graduated and the primary language spoken by their families. 
   
   You may expect communication barriers with some Filipinos, which may be problematic in the long run. Be sure to find someone who has strong verbal and written skills in English to avoid miscommunication.
   
   
3. Time differences.
   
   Because of the time difference between the Philippines and other countries, it can be difficult to coordinate meetings or calls. It’s important to plan ahead and take into account the different time zones when scheduling meetings or assigning deadlines.

The Bottomline: should you consider outsourcing in the Philippines?

Outsourcing to countries like the Philippines will be beneficial to your business in the long run, mainly because it will save you a lot of money. Of course, you have to consider your business needs before taking any action. Also, weigh your options and carefully select the best person for the right job.

Recently the online community has increased its availability for work-from-home opportunities, and one of the more popular options for many is that of data entry. 

If you are a skilled individual who has data entry skills or experience and looking for a way to work from home there are many options from freelance work to contract jobs to help supplement your income either part-time or full time. 

It takes discipline and organization and can be a lucrative opportunity. 

What is data entry?

As a data entry administrator or clerk, you can work in various industries from finance to healthcare and retail. It is work that involves entering data into a computer either by text or voice recording.  

Anyone who has high attention to detail and organizational ability can do data entry. There are several tasks involved with verifying data, adding information and editing existing data electronically.

What does a data entry person do?

A data entry administrator organizes, compiles, updates and manages data. Information is added to spreadsheets or directly onto databases. They would also sometimes transfer data from paper documents to a computer onto existing software or spreadsheets. Depending on the objectives of the job, a data entry job can have one or all of the following duties:

• Collecting, collating and entering data into a company’s computer system
• Completing various general administrative responsibilities, such as distributing and sorting mail
• Scanning and storing documents electronically
• Keeping tabs on accounts and customer records
• Answering telephone calls
• Sorting and distributing data and documents manually and electronically
• Performing systematic backups on the database

What skills do you need to become a data entry clerk?

The skills that a data entry administrator would need will matter the most in jobs like these, especially if you are working from home. Even though you may not be making high-level decisions, your job will still be an essential one. 

It will lend a hand towards many marketing intelligence processes. Both the soft skills and hard skills you need, to be successful at your job when working as a data administrator include:

• Fast typing speed

To become a data entry specialist, you would need to input large amounts of data as quickly and efficiently as possible and have the quickest turnaround times. Most companies require you to type fast and at least be able to type about 40 to 50 words per minute. 

Some employers may require more. This involves being comfortable working with all the devices such as keyboards and a mouse. There are things you can do to improve your typing speed and accuracy and the best one is to ‘practice.’ 

• Written and Verbal Communication Skills

Skills including grammar and spelling should be on a high level and will reflect in your written skills. As a data entry clerk, you will be working with information and text which cannot have bad spelling or poor grammar. 

Communications skills are also a top requirement for a data entry role. Interacting with people on all levels such as managers, customers and team members, face to face or via phone calls may be a responsibility for the role and a high level of this is also required. 

• Familiarity with basic software

Knowledge of basic software is also a key requirement for a data entry job and confidently working with different computer software will be part of the duties and responsibilities. 

Some of the more common software data entry specialists work on include Microsoft Word, Excel, and word processors. You may also need to work on the company’s database software, and should be able to quickly adapt to it. 

• Operating standard office equipment

Standard operating equipment will be a requirement and you should be able to handle it to perform tasks assigned to you. Many companies have industry-standard equipment that you may not be used to, which helps to increase productivity and workflow. 

The ability to operate these systems will be a requirement in most data entry jobs and some of the most common company equipment include:

• Copiers
• Scanners
• Dictation machines
• Printers
• High attention to detail

Having high attention to detail will work for you as it shows your hiring manager or recruiter that you can focus on details properly. When you can concentrate on tasks, you can perform them better, accurately and faster. Especially when it comes to typing in data onto forms, and editing it. 

One of the most common traits companies look for, not just in data entry but most other jobs are high attention to detail, this is because it minimizes the risk of errors and increases productivity. This is a valuable skill to have especially in data work.

• Time-management and organizational skills

Getting a lot of work done in the least amount of time is one of the most common requirements of any data entry job. If time management and organization is something you are good at, then this will be advantageous. 

It will help you plan things better, prioritize your workload and help complete tasks according to your goals quicker and more accurately. Data input jobs require these two skills as essential.

Organization can mean anything from typing fast to batching, sorting, and archiving files. Some of the common examples of organizational skills include the following:

• Planning
• Scheduling
• Goal setting
• Meeting deadlines
• Keeping things tidy including your workspace
• Research and data collection skills

One of the other things you, as a data entry clerk will be required to do is research and collecting of data. Even if this is basic information, it will need some skills. This may depend on the company or the task but knowing how to do this will help in this and any other job. 

It can be anything from researching the results of a case study to a laboratory experiment or surveys and interviews, online market research and more. Chances are all of this will be performed online over the internet.

Having the know-how of how to gather information and researching basic data, as well as understanding what’s needed, includes a few of the following things:

• Analyzing data
• Gathering relevant information
• Understanding the sources of information that are useful and reliable
• Using techniques and tools of data collection
• Defining problems of the research

A list of other valuable skills for a data entry job

• Accuracy
• Confidentiality
• Effective problem solving
• Good reading and comprehension skills
• Analysis of information
• Self-motivation
• Numeracy skills
• Knowing how transcribing works
• Operating a numerical keyboard
• Finding duplicated data

4 Types of data entry jobs

Now that you are aware of the necessary skills for the job as a whole, below are 4 different types of data entry jobs you can consider:

• Typist: in a job as a typist you will perform duties that involve typing such as entering key information into reporting systems, text documents, correspondence and more
• Data entry keyer: as a data entry keyer you would be either scanning or entering data from hard copies into a database via a computer system
• Data entry clerk: as a data entry clerk, you would be transferring data such as text and numbers from one source to another, via the use of a keyboard.
• Transcriptionist: as a transcriptionist, you would be listening to recordings either in meetings or discussions, sometimes live or pre-recorded and transcribing them onto a report or other documents.

How to successfully work a data entry job from home?

Working from home has many perks for a data entry clerk or an administrator. There are a few things you can do to start a data entry job from home, and these will include some of the following:

Assess your equipment and skills

To make sure you have the necessary skills, you can check against the above-mentioned list or check out the skills required for data entry roles on website job descriptions like Totaljobs or Indeed, for example. If you think you don’t have the right skills for the job, there are a few different ways to improve your data entry skills as well. 

Before you can apply for the work-from-home role you should ensure you have the right skills for it, to improve your chances of being hired. This also includes making sure you have the right equipment such as a laptop or desktop computer with basic office software such as Microsoft Office, a keyboard, mouse, reliable internet connection, a headset for video calls, a phone line if needed and a comfortable place to sit without any distractions. 

Creating a dedicated workspace for you is key to being successful at any job and will help you focus better. Make sure to keep it well organized and clutter-free. 

Update your curricular vitae

Putting together a CV or updating your existing one is an essential step in starting a data entry job from home. It requires a professional-looking CV and will make a difference to hiring managers and recruiters. If you want to get to the interview stage, make sure you do two of these things:

• You highlight all the necessary skills required for the data entry job
• You make it look organized and professional

How to find a work-from-home data entry job?

Job board websites

One of the best places to look for data entry jobs is on job board websites. You can find both freelance jobs, full-time, part-time and contract or temporary jobs, however, the best would be to secure a full-time position with a company that allows you to work as a data administrator from home. 

There are plenty of job sites such as ZipRecruiter, Indeed, Reed, Totaljobs and more. Make sure it is from a reputable company and a legitimate job and apply for it directly. If you are new to the game you can begin with freelance jobs from other websites such as Fiverrr.com or Upwork and go from there. These will pay you per project and can help you add to your experience.

Use social media

Another great way to start working a data entry role from home is by using your social media to expand your search and platforms such as LinkedIn are a good place to start looking for available positions. Use key phrases such as “work from home”, “remote work” and “data entry jobs” within your search.

Time for the interview

Once you get called for the interview, which could be one of three types – face to face, phone call screening or video call, you should make sure you do your research on this too. 

Put your best foot forward and do the right research about the company, the job, the team, their clients and more. The more you know about them the better prepared you will be for any surprise questions and you can impress them by giving them the idea that you do more than what’s needed.  

Always be professional and courteous and highlight your strengths in your answers. You can use the STAR methodology when doing this.

Does data entry pay well?

According to some top UK job search websites, the average salary for a data entry job can range anywhere from a starting salary of £18,000 on the lower side to £26,000 on the medium or higher side. This will depend on the company, location, the job requirements and whether you will be working full-time, part-time or as a freelancer. 

The highest paying data entry job, which can average up to £40,000 is that of a head of data entry clerk, and this can be a possibility for anyone who puts in the hard work, dedication and hours. If you are looking to do a data job from home, the more dedicated you are, the better you will be at it, and the better your chances of a promotion as well. 

To answer the question of how you can do data entry work from home, the above information should get you on a good start. They can be done both from home or from the office and many companies offer jobs suitable for all levels from entry-level to experienced individuals. 

Managing a team in the Philippines is a different management style to managing a western team, and you need to understand the culture, communication, and learning styles to get the best out of your team. Filipinos love to learn, and once they are trained, they stay committed to the tasks and become a powerful workforce.

Top 10 Tips for Managing a team in the Philippines

1. 1. Give the team freedom Lots of companies that employ Filipinos start micromanaging the team, tracking their every move, and screenshotting their work, which puts a lot of pressure on the team and doesn’t allow any time for reflection.

1. 1. Flexible Working Give employees the freedom to work in peace, and not be bothered with countless notifications, and trust that if they need help then they will reach out to you. If you track when they log in and log out then you are not giving them the flexibility to work around the many other challenges they face as a remote team in the Philippines.

1. 1. Have guidelines for everything If you expect a new process to happen with a few slack messages or zoom calls then you are setting yourself up for a fail, as you are not giving the employee time to learn the new task, digest the information, speak to teammates, and generally understand the way this needs to be done.

1. 1. Be Specific Filipinos want to do their best for you, so they listen carefully to exactly what you want, and they wouldn’t want to do something that wasn’t asked from them so if you give them a broad task or don’t specify parts of the brief then it might not get done.

1. 1. Allow time for training  Investing in your team is a given for any business, but the types of training you introduce will be different, as the working culture is not the same, so giving your team in the Philippines a link to a US article about building links is not likely to work, as the learning style is very instructional, and this might not have enough context for the employee.

1. 1. Introduce Team Building It’s important to get in some fun time and give the team time to get to know each other a bit more, so you have a more balanced environment and employees will find it easier to ask questions to colleges that they might not have spoken to before.

1. 1. Have a Team Structure Have a specific set of instructions on who to contact for certain questions, how to contact them, and what tools and software that person has training on, as without this your management time will be eaten up daily with questions.

1. 1. Have a workflow Any remote team should be integrated into a workflow, so they know the process and flow of tasks. Having a workflow will help promote updates from your team, and keep updates organized.

1. 1. Have a bonus incentive  When you start measuring success on goals, rather than tasks it gives everyone more job satisfaction, and when you reward those goals with a bonus it gives that extra motivation to hit the target.

1. 1. Get to know the culture Understanding the culture, what’s important to your employees, and how they spend their time outside of work will make a huge difference to them and you. Maybe learn a few words of Tagalog and crack a joke in your weekly meeting.

Manage Your Filipino Team Remotely

Moving from office-based to remote working was the best decision we ever made, and the communication, hiring opportunities, and general productivity of the company dramatically changed. Managing a virtual team in the Philippines requires an understanding of the challenges for your employees, what software works well for the team, and the best way to communicate with your virtual employees. Understanding remote work challenges The Philippines are prone to brownouts, typhoons, internet issues, it’s important to have a backup plan for every occasion, and ensure each team member has mobile data in place to attend meetings.

Choose the right software We introduced a variety of software before discovering the right one for the team. Slack was the most used at the start of the business and was the most stressful, as on average we received around 300 notifications a day. This was mainly due to the fact that we allowed private messages and it was so easy for someone to get in touch and expect an immediate response. We moved over to Smarttask, which is similar to Asana but has more cost-effective pricing: Communication with your virtual team It is important to have a strict and clear guide for communication otherwise you could easily be bombarded via email, instant message, and task notifications. It is also important for you to set clear guides on how often they will communicate with you. We used to have daily updates, but this pressured the team, so we moved to weekly calls, and progress updates in Smarrtask, so the team has flexibility and we get notified on any important updates.

The Filipino Workplace: Communication, Culture, and Challenges 

The Philippines is one of the most diverse countries in Southeast Asia. Filipinos are known for many things – entertainment, tourism, and cuisine, and without ignoring the fact that they are one of the world’s most hardworking, hospitable workers. Different countries cultivate different cultures, so what seems acceptable in the UK, US or Australia could be misunderstood or taken wrongly in an Asian office. In this article, we will highlight what you need to know about managing Filipino teams, what corporate life is about for them, their character towards work, taking responsibilities, and how you can use this to overall organizational success. Managing a team in the Philippines is a different style of management to a western team, so understanding the communication and culture is a huge part of team management.

Here’s what you need to know:

Way of Communicating (verbal and nonverbal)

As the Philippines is a group of islands, there is a variety amongst Filipinos, though  the tone of voice which varies widely by dialect and region.

Verbal

Style: Filipinos express their ideas in a diplomatic, gentle manner. They fear being tagged as arrogant while airing out their point of view over issues circulating in the office, so expect them to be cautious and courteous. For Filipinos, there’s no better way to win the argument than humility.

Adaptable: One of the reasons why foreigners hire Filipinos abroad is because of their flexibility. They are adaptable and open to learning new things, including your language. English is their second language, and it is widely spoken in the country. Many Filipinos especially those employed outside of the Philippines familiarize themselves with the new language, even mimic how you say it, to be able to communicate and build a strong relationship with their employers. They will go over and beyond to understand your language and apply it when speaking to you.

Indirect Communication: They master the art of indirect ways of communicating. They are keen observers when conversing with others – very much attentive to posture, expression, and the tone of delivery. They tend to avoid interrupting others and would rather be the last ones to speak.

Issues with saying ‘No’:  They are known to be very hospitable and accommodating. Even if it’s a bit uncomfortable for them, they will still give you a satisfying answer just to avoid unfortiable and embarrassing situations. Typically Filiinos are overly polite and relationship-oriented people, making it hard to read them. Try to listen to what they say but be more attentive to stuff they refuse to say.

respect for hierarchy is a must:  Filipinos honour those professionals they encounter in any business setting through addressing them in their occupational titles – Lawyers (“Attorney”), Doctors (“Doc”), Engineers (“Engineer”), and several other skilled professionals. In the workplace, don’t get surprised if they don’t address you by your first name. Unless you made it clear to them, they would resort to calling you “ma’am,” “sir,” “miss,” or “mister” as a form of respect to senior colleagues. Another form of showing utmost courtesy is saying “po” and “opo,” an innate polite form of speech when engaging with an elder or someone of higher status.

The points we raised could give you a glimpse of how Filipino teams engage verbally. These could also help you have a better judgment of how they build relationships with other team members. You may find some of these odd, but it doesn’t mean the same goes for others. These are some common traits that you will notice once you start establishing a good working relationship when you start working with Filipino teams.

How to effectively communicate with them? 

Encouragement plays a vital role in igniting the spirit of camaraderie for Filipino teams. One thing that holds them back from speaking out is the fear of retaliation. For others, once they start to question or challenge authority, even if they are right, it can cost them their job. So, they opt to keep it to themselves and move forward while carrying that load on their shoulders.

For western countries, you exercise the freedom to say whatever that needs to be said.  If you are managing Filipino teams, understand that they are extra sensitive workers. It might take a lot of getting used to encouraging them to speak in front of other team members, as they would prefer to have a private, one-on-one conversation to share what they think about issues confidently.

Non–verbal

Assertiveness is not a common trait among Filipinos. They are generally conscious of their actions and behave themselves because they want to avoid unnecessary confrontations or getting involved in offending anyone.  The focus is on ‘Pakikisama’ (togetherness) instead of fighting amongst each other. Pakikisama’ is widely practised in the Filipino workplace..

Lip Pointing: Nope! This gesture doesn’t mean that they want to kiss you. Instead of using their fingers to point something, Filipinos will use  lips gestures as a form of pointing, instead of the traditional hand and finger pointing you might see elsewhere. Many foreigners find this unusual and confusing at first, as it is uncommon elsewhere in the world and unique to Filipinos. For example, if you ask someone where an item is or someone is, rather than someone verbally directing them they might  point with the lips as a form of answering.

Nodding and raising eyebrows with a smile:  Other than lip pointing, expect another unique gesture when working with Filipinos. Nodding and raising eyebrows with a smile is one way they greet each other quickly and casually. This act is often followed by a simple, friendly tap on the shoulder or a handshake if they are within reach.

Stress relievers: Filipinos are sociable with their teams and enjoy long conversations even at work. They tend use a chitchat as a stress reliever. Although you may associate laughter with having a good time, Filipinos master using laughter as a way to relieve tension, an attempt to cover something embarrassing, and their coping mechanism in awkward situations.

There are more to these expressions than you think. Once you start working with Filipinos, you will be surprised that they can communicate with simple eye contact. They can even make a plan by just a mere nod. Take note that these expressions are never constant. As it is greatly affected by the events or the kind of environment one belongs in. You must know that meaning changes from time to time.

Workplace Culture

“Pag bago dito, magspespecial number sa December” (If you are a newcomer in this company, you will render a special number in December), this is a typical welcome to the team greeting of every Filipino to their new colleague. Of course, it is a joke addressed to employees who will join the team to give the person an easier time to adjust.

Aside from being asked for a ‘libre’ (treat), newcomers face different initiation, for fun only, for them to feel that they actually belong and ease one’s feeling upon entering the organization.

The Philippine work environment has this unique way of doing business as it is deeply rooted from the different Filipino values. Regardless of what industry you serve or come from, there’s a common Filipino workplace etiquette that transcends through all industries.

Hardworking

Overtime is normal in Filipino work culture. A lot of workers nowadays don’t mind working beyond office hours because they see this as an opportunity to increase their work’s value, learn more about their field, and ensure that they will not get stuck with the same tasks for the entire shift the next day. They are not only hardworking, but today, Filipino’s creativity and resourcefulness continue to shine through, which helps employees work harder and give better outputs.

Collaborating when a team member is struggling is not a foreign thing to Filipino’s working culture, because if there’s anything they love, it is definitely helping a struggling co-worker or they simply call it in their language as ‘Bayanihan’. Despite having a lot on their plate, you will often see them extend a helping hand to their colleagues, to assist them move on from one task or accomplish a project.

Generosity

In terms of work culture, Filipinos are known to be very generous. When an employee takes on a vacation for a week, expect that when they come back, they will hand out small trinkets, souvenirs, or pasalubong from their trip to their colleagues.

Generosity for Filipinos is not limited only on sharing food to their colleagues, but it is also often shown in how they would plan out surprise to their colleagues when it’s their birthday, when they get a promotion, or when they do a great job on a recent project.

The concept of “potluck” is also very evident in Filipino workplaces as they love handing out and offering their lunch meals or snacks to everyone – a concept that encourages each employee to share something from their homes to contribute to the small feast; if there’s one language that Filipinos know the most, its their undying love for gatherings and food.

Family comes first

Family will always come first for Filipinos When you ask them about career plans, even during job interviews, one common answer you will hear is that they do everything to provide for the family.

We have shared how Filipinos value sociable relationships in their lives and a big chunk of this came from their love for family.  One thing that affects Filipinos professionally is being part of a work family, if  they feel their working environment is closed to others or unwelcoming, it will most likely take a toll on their mental health and wellbeing.

Colleagues are considered as Family

Because of the long hours spent in the workplace, strong bonds amongst colleagues are key to a happy workplace for Filipinos. Some may even address another colleague as “Nanay” or “Tatay.” Don’t be surprised if you hear one of them calls someone “kuya” or “ate,” or “older brother” and “older sister.”

Filipinos love hosting gatherings, as well as eating lunch together, and they will make extra effort to make everyone feel part of the celebration as much as possible. Got a promotion?  Be ready to treat the entire office!

Saving Face is a Big Deal

Modesty and pride are important characteristics in Asian work cultures. Filipinos value their reputation and ability to maintain harmony with anyone they are working with. As mentioned earlier, Filipinos are not keen on confrontation as they are ‘mahiyain’ (a Filipino value that gives importance on what other people might think about them) and to avoid losing face or being put in a bad light in public, they will choose to keep quiet about stuff.

Open to diversity and friendly collaboration

Filipinos are friendly. They will ensure that you will not feel left out or stay in one corner alone. They simply love the idea of making new friends or acquaintances that it excites them to have new breed of talents to join the team.

Filipinos work well with others cultures and nationalities, they will jump at any chance to befriend others and get to learn more about them.

If you treat them properly, you will earn not only their respect, but their loyalty. They will stick with you and continue to serve with dignity and integrity.

Challenges surrounding the Filipino Teams

The Philippines has long been established as an essential player in the outsourcing industry because of the Filipino’s culture and character when it comes to working. However, as with all things, there are drawbacks to outsourcing to the Philippines.

This part of the article balances the information that you are supposed to know; and for you to weigh these crucial areas if you want to push through building a Filipino outsourcing team now.

Holidays

The Philippines is a predominantly Christian country. Many culturally significant holidays must be observed and officially declared by the government. Unlike the United States, with only 11 official holidays, the Philippines, on the other hand, has 18 non-working and religious holidays.

Though you may ask the team to report on duty, the Philippine labour laws mandate that they get paid more when they show up for work on legal holidays. One of the challenges that western companies face currently when their team is largely dominated by Filipinos, is the major shift in the workforce because of these scenarios. Now that the pandemic altered the traditional working setup, holiday observances could add more to the weight that employers are carrying.

Issues about new responsibilities

Though they are open to new and exciting opportunities, Filipinos are a very cautious type of employee. They want challenges that they know they will win. If you move them to another department for upskilling, some may see it as they are not good enough. And they would feel as if they are not functioning well on where they are currently assigned or the task you entrust to them.

Though this may not hold to other Filipino workers who believe in learning continuously, some talents struggle with changing organizational roles and responsibilities. They have this mentality of sticking to one job until they get promoted to a new position.

Take away

This article highlights the culture, characteristics, and unique ways Filipinos operate in a workplace. They are one of the most sought-after employees in the international scene because of their hard work ethic and ability to work well as a team.  When it comes to friendship, loyalty, and collaboration, Filipinos have unshakable values and unmatched principles which makes them trusted team members.

They are highly competitive and willing to take risks, especially when given due credit for the good things they contributed to the team. We may not include all other traits and characteristics that Filipinos outsourced teams are known for, but definitely know. Filipinos are hardworking, team members who you can rely on which is something that you might consider in your outsourcing strategy.

What is a data miner tool?

A data mining tool is a web scraping tool that helps you quickly and efficiently grab data online and help you format generated results into complete and accessible structured Excel, CVS, or text compositions.

With the surge of information the world wide web presents, it is challenging to get the data you need and relevant to your lead generation digital marketing campaign. This is where a reliable web scraping tool becomes so valuable. There are a lot of data scraping tools available online for free, and some come at specific prices or packages, so to help you weigh your options in purchasing or installing data scrapers, we have compared 10 data mining tools for you to consider.

Top 10 Data Mining Tools

1) Dream Digital Data Scraper

Dream Digital developed an easy-to-use tool to automate URL data extraction and help reduce the time it takes for manual research when building email lists or gathering research for digital marketing, such as SEO, email marketing, web research, and social media marketing.

Here are things that makes Dream Digital Lead Gen Tool a great pick:

1. 1. FREE. This tool is made for all, so you can enjoy maximizing this amazing and well-thought-out data scraper tool. Although it is free, it still generates quality and reliable information that you desire.

1. 1. No login or sign-up feature required. Dream Digital Data miner tool is available online without the need for you to setup an account to access it. The developers of this data scraper ensure you a hassle-free digital marketing experience and enables you to search for anything in Google.

1. 1. User-friendly. You Can obtain data in less than a minute by using the chrome extension, so you can search for the results and grab them in seconds without the need to login or open up a new page.

1. 1. No Limits. This tool has no limits to grabbing data and has straightforward features, so you can keep going back to grab URls for your research.

1. 1. All-in-one pagination. You don’t have the hassle of clicking ‘next’ to get into the succeeding pages of the search. It has a feature that allows you to enter the desired no. of pages and generate all the data based on these pages.

2) NoCoding Data Scraper

No coding Data Scraper is another tool that can assist you in your digital campaign journey this year. This tool is made for non-coders, as the name suggests, and supports multiple types of information generation. You may harvest emails or any other text from web pages by simply using this data scraper.

1. 1. Pricing and Plans. This data scraper allows users to avail its features based on a selected plan. If you are a digital marketing freelancer without specific IT skills, you may resort to its FREE plan, yet you will face limited scraping features. But, if you can afford to purchase its Premium package, you will have the best of this tool in just one click,

1. 1. Log-in to use – unlike Dream Digital Data Scraper, this tool encourages you to log in your account to enjoy its benefits, which is something that can turn you off if you are in a hurry or having issues with data privacy,

1. 1. User-friendly. You may enjoy this tool because of its 3-click simple scraping feature. Something that non-coder data miners look for in an online tool is to generate data where you don’t need to look for manuals or online tutorials to get started.

1. 1. Bulk URL generation. Another great feature of this tool is you can have as many URLs as you want to run in bulk export.

1. 1. Next Page Automation. NoCoding gives you multiple page auto scraping without any coding required,

3) Data Scraper – Easy Web Scraping

Next from our list is the Data Scraper IO. Another useful tool to have in your data scraping list. Just like any other data extraction tool, it lets you scrape any HTML web page. You can extract tables and lists from any page and upload them to Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel. Here are a few things we find out from this tool.

1. 1. Pricing and Plans. Data Scraper IO comes with different plans.  The free plan gives you 500 pages/month. The count resets monthly if you don’t exceed the 500-page limit in any given month.

1. 1. Sign-up to Scrape. This data is also useful in URL extraction; however, it takes a minute to use this as it requires you to set up an account and sign up to access the whole program.

1. 1. User-friendly. They have an outstanding support team to help in every step, as well as social media accounts if you have concerns with the data scraper.

1. 1. Build URLs in bulk. you can run bulk export here and it can automatically fill forms for you using a pre-filled CSV.

1. 1. Next Page automation. Just like other scrapers that come with pricing and plans, Data Scraper IO has next page automation but is restricted on some domains. You need to set up the data which you want to generate.

4) Simplescraper ⁠— a fast and free web scraper

A web scraper that’s fast, free, and simple to use that scrapes website data and table data in seconds and is deemed to be the simplest and most powerful web scraper you’ve ever used. Here are some things that you might consider before using this tool.

1. 1. Pricing and Plans. It is free to use in the browser but you need to upgrade to its Premium plans to access cloud scrape credits, real-time Google Sheets update, support, and other data you need. If you stick with its free feature, you start with 100 free credits.

1. 1. Login to an account. It takes about 3 minutes to set up and requires that you have first signed up with Google and are logged in to the Simplescraper dashboard. Adding a password allows you the option to share your account and no longer depend on Google authentication to log in.

1. 1. Watch video tutorials before using. Just like the previous scraping tool, this data mining tool is run by a support team to help in every step if navigating the tool becomes too confusing. For beginners or those with no background in data mining, it may require a little intuition to figure out how to get it to work.

1. 1. Build URLs in bulk. You can automatically save your scrape results to Google Sheets, making it possible to work with the data the instant that it’s scraped.

1. 1. Pagination. You can scrape multiple pages and infinite scroll pages with Simplescraper. However, if the URL of the pages that you want to scrape has a structured pattern like ‘page=1’ or ‘page/2’ etc. it would be quicker to scrape by pasting the URL of each page into the crawler.

On the other hand, Pagination and infinite scroll should not be selected at the same time. If the page loads more content as you scroll down without any clicking required, use infinite scroll only. If a click of any kind is required, use pagination only.

5) Byteline Web Scraper

You may have heard of Byteline, and this tool provides a simple point-and-click interface to choose the HTML elements for your web scraping. And another wonderful thing about this web scraper is it doesn’t require coding for you to use it.

• • Pricing and Plans. Byteline has a friendly pricing structure with a free tier. It comes with a different pricing scheme that you may want to avail if you want full access to its web scraping features.

1. 1. Log in to an account. This tool requires users to log in and establish an account to use the program. For some online users, this could stop them from using the tool if they have issues with providing their emails and passwords.

1. 1. Check out tutorials first before scraping. Just like the previous scraping tool, it requires a little figuring out, but. Its support team can assist you with your queries, and you can watch the videos provided to use the tool. For beginners on data mining, you may want to check out their introduction video before installing Byteline.

1. 1. Build URLs in bulk. Scrape further based on the scraped URLs from a website. You can export scraped data to Airtable, Google sheets, or any other Byteline integrations.

1. 1. Supports pagination to extract data from multiple pages. You can scrape multiple pages with Byteline.

6) Web Scraper 

Built for the modern web. Web Scraper ensures all small to medium enterprises can extract data from sites with multiple levels of navigation hassle-free. This web data extraction tool works for all types of users with its simple point-and-click interface, and the ability to extract thousands of records from a website in only a few minutes of setting up the data scraper.. Another thing is, web scraper is dependent only on the web browser; thus, no extra software is needed for you to start scraping.

1. 1. Pricing and Plans. Web Scraper offers its users a wide pricing option. The browser extension is the free plan, but for local use only. But if you think you want to unlock more features you may subscribe to their project, professional, business, or scale type of plans. Free Trial is available across all plans.

1. 1. Log in to an account. This tool asks users to sign up and establish an account to use the program. You may opt to log in using your Google account or create a password.

1. 1. Check out tutorials first before scraping. Web scraper team provides tutorials and informational guides that can help new users navigate this extension. So, if it’s your first time using an online scraping tool, fret not as web scraper will ensure you will work like a pro on this one.

1. 1. User-friendly. You don’t need Python, PHP, or JavaScript coding experience to start scraping. Install, Create, Select, and Launch! It’s as easy as that!

1. 1. Supports pagination to extract data from multiple pages. You can scrape multiple pages with this scraper, and it allows multiple data extraction types like text, images, URLs, and more.

7) Agenty – Advanced Web Scraper

An advanced, powerful web scraper that extracts data from websites using point-and-click CSS Selectors with real-time extracted data preview. Agenty web scraper allows you to quickly export data into JSON/CSV/TSV.

1. 1. Pricing and Plans. It is free to use in the first 14-days and to continue with its features, you must upgrade to its Premium plans. If you are using a free account, you will have access to 100-pages of credit.

1. 1. Log in to an account. Agenty requires users to sign up and establish an account to use the program. You may opt to log in using your Google account or create a password.

1. 1. Watch video tutorials before using. Just like the previous scraping tool, this data mining tool is run by a support team to help in every step if navigating becomes too confusing. You may access all of their ‘how-to-use guides if you get lost while working on a project.

1. 1. Build URLs in bulk. With Agenty, you can use the built-in CSS selector to generate patterns with one click. And you may write your own custom CSS selector.

1. 1. Pagination. You can scrape multiple pages and infinite scroll pages with Agenty. It allows you to extract any number of fields with TEXT, HTML or ATTR (attributes) and instant output preview of extracted data.

8) Instant Data Scraper

Instant Data Scraper is a Chrome-based scraping engine that uses several cloud providers to achieve high scalability, geographical reach, reliability and cost-efficiency.

1. 1. Pricing and Plans. This is a free tool and requires no coding. If you are looking for a reliable data scraper but the budget is tight, feel free to explore this instant data scraper.

1. 1. Log in to an account. This data scraper will not ask you to share your personal information to access its features. Though it’s free, you may use it and have no issues with having your data security and privacy compromised as the scraped data does not leave your browser.

1. 1. Tutorials are provided with support teams. Just like the previous scraping tool, this data mining tool is run by a support team, so you can drop a quick message to their Facebook page if navigating becomes too confusing.

1. 1. AI-supported scraper. This tool does not require website specific scripts, instead, it uses heuristic AI analysis of HTML structure to detect data for extraction. It allows users to customize the selections for greater accuracy once the prediction is not satisfactory.  Instant Data Scraper works well in unison with SEO tools, CRM recruiter systems, sales leads management tools or email marketing campaigns.

1. 1. Pagination. Instant Data Scraper is an automated data extraction tool for any website. It uses AI to predict which data is most relevant on an HTML page and allows saving it to Excel or CSV files (XLS, XLSX, CSV).

9) Spider – a smart web scraping tool

Spider is a smart point-and-click web scraping tool. With Spider, you can turn websites into organized data, download it as JSON or spreadsheets. Don’t worry if you lack coding experience,  because there’s no coding or configuration involved when navigating this tool.

1. 1. Pricing and Plans. Unlike other tools, Spider comes in at a reasonable price. There is no free trial available for this type of scraper.  Though you need to purchase this tool to access it, it assures you that it is simple enough for a non-technical user and much cheaper than other web scrapers

1. 1. It requires account setup. Create an account first to explore the applications. For data privacy reasons, you may have second thoughts about using this data scraper if you are one of the few who are not keen on sharing their personal information online.

1. 1. User guides are available. Spider provides instructional video tutorials on how to use and maximize its features to better assist non-tech people.

1. 1. Clean and intuitive design. It’s not every day you stumble upon tools that are sophisticated in design yet deliver quality, and ensure user-friendly features are not compromised.

1. 1. Less Automated pagination: since it’s a browser extension, the developer’s goal is to mimic manual use while still saving time and keeping things organized. Automating could put a load on servers in a way that a manual user couldn’t. As for the meantime, you need to click the Next button when scraping paginated results.

10) Octoparse

As a cloud-based web data extraction solution that helps users extract relevant information from various types of websites, Octoparse provides web scraping services for business owners and enterprises hassle-free.

1. 1. Pricing and Plans. This scraping tool offers services on a monthly subscription. They have a flexible and reasonable price range.

1. 1. It requires account setup. Once you have subscribed, you must set up your account to fully activate using this web scraping tool. The support team promises to uphold data privacy and security for all its users.

1. 1. User guides are available. Octoprase’s Wizard mode provides users step-by-step instructions to extract data, while the advanced mode provides advanced features for more complicated web pages.

1. 1. Device and Data: This web scraping tool is applicable on both Windows and Mac OS; so users can scrape data with apple devices, as well as data extraction for social media, e-commerce, marketing, real-estate listing, etc. It can handle both static and dynamic websites with AJAX, JavaScript, cookies, and others.

1. 1. An Auto-detection feature: A new addition to its upgrading features is this auto-detection feature which allows you to build a crawler. If you are not satisfied with the auto-generated data fields, you can always customize the scraping task to let it scrape the data for you.

Conclusion on data miners: 

No data scraping tool is perfect, they all have their advantages and disadvantages. These tools may help you improve your data mining tasks, and some may cause more trouble due to their limited features. For beginners, and non-programmers, finding a tool that will match your campaign can be daunting and challenging, so that is why you need to choose a data web scraper tool that will give you reliable, quality, and updated results.

Data scraping should be hassle-free. If you want to learn more and you have ample time to watch tutorial videos, great. But some clients wish for faster results. Thus pick a tool that is user-friendly, easy to navigate and won’t require you to read manuals before you can operate it. If the company budget is tight, go for a free tool without the fear of upgrading anytime soon.

We hope this gives you an idea of what to consider when using an online web scraper. Feel free to provide us with feedback after you have tried the tools we mentioned. We can’t wait to hear from you! Have fun data hunting!