offshore staffing

working-culture-remote-work

How To Maintain a Great Workplace Culture In a Remote Model

Employee Engagement, Offshoring in the Philippines, Remote Work / By

A company’s culture is the heart of any organisation. It isn’t built overnight, but instead, it involves the participation of employees, HR, and leadership. HR cultivate an environment of belonging that unites the entire team together wherever they may be around the globe and boosts productivity.

You don’t develop a productive and happy team culture by chance. If you’ve done a great job of building an amazing office-based culture you might be wondering how to keep it up even when everyone now works remotely.

In this article, you will learn how to continue growing a positive company culture with your remote team even when scattered around the globe.

Encourage Inclusivity

When people who use to work together now work separately, some will feel fine with it. They will still connect with their colleagues perfectly. But others won’t. New members on the team might not have had the chance to build a rapport as the old-timers have. Ensure you check in on everyone’s needs. Run surveys, ask questions. Introduce ideas that foster inclusiveness, implement them so everyone can feel they belong.

Welcome New Employees In Front Of The Entire Team

As a follow up to the last tip, help new employees blend in by welcoming them in front of the team just like you would when everyone was in an office setting. One way to do this is to ask the new hires questions about themselves, then circulate the answers to the team through email, along with a welcome message. 

Encourage new employees to have one on one meetings with the team members. This way, they can get to know one another and start building some rapport.

Encourage Open Communication And Feedback

Promote transparency by keeping communication channels clear and open. It encourages team connection which is vital to any organisation. Everyone should have a voice in the team, not just the loud extroverts. Reduce any formality or red tape that may keep some employees quiet. Depending on your team size, the more casual and laid-back you are with team communication channels, the more open and honest they typically are. 

Set Expectations On Communication Methods

Clearly defining what purposes each communication channel serves helps to make communication flow better. For example, you may want serious documentation by email, whereas casual team discussions by Skype or Slack.

You can provide a simple guide about where and what to post, so everyone is on the same page. And when new members come in, let them know right away the communication and collaboration tools you use, so they don’t have to email the team to find out.

Keep The ‘Water Cooler Effect’ Going

The ‘watercooler effect’ refers to a common phenomenon in the workplace when employees gather around the office water cooler to chat. It describes the gathering and connection building between people in a certain environment. Like a physical office, this should also be encouraged virtually. You can consider creating a channel for this on your company-wide text tool. You may have to lay ground rules on content, organisation language, humour, so no one gets offended.

Communicate Non-Stop

Great workplace culture is built on communication. Get it wrong, and the culture you seek won’t stick. 

Set aside specific and regular times weekly for an all-hands chat if possible. You can arrange two meetings if time zones prevent this. Go over what the team is working on. Provide details on decisions that might affect the team, and stress on feedback and free flow of communication. These kinds of meetings help disseminate news and get the team motivated.

With regards to the chat software, maintain an always-on policy, even if you may not be at the desk always, someone should be able to message you, so you can see it whenever you get back. Discourage round the clockwork, as this can lead to burnout and breed contempt.

Hold meetings through video conferencing, as this allows everyone to recognise each other, see facial expressions and reactions. Body language is very effective in communication. And finally, try to have regular (or at least) annual face to face meetings.

Related article: Why Leaders Need to Embrace Employee Motivation

Conclusion

Whether you are thinking of adding a new remote team by going the offshore staffing in Manila route or looking to transition your organisation from an on-ground team to a remote one. You need to be equipped with the knowledge on how to preserve the team culture to enable an environment of trust, transparency, and confidence that will keep moving your business forward.

timezone

Outsourcing to the Philippines: Managing the Timezone Differences

Outsourcing in the Philippines / By

Majority of Philippine outsourcing companies offer to work almost the same office hours as their clients. They will work according to your timezone, whatever it may be. This is one of the many attractive propositions to clients located in Australia and New Zealand.

A normal and comfortable work shift in the Philippines would-be 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Without the dreaded Metro Manila traffic and with ample preparation, Filipino staff could comfortably come in as early as 6:00 AM and stay late until 5:00 PM. Sometimes, to avoid the rush hour, some employees choose to stay even a lot later. 

More and more Australian and New Zealand businesses choose to outsource to the Philippines, instead of other known outsourcing destinations. 

The timezone gap between the Philippines and these countries are minimal which allows a more real-time communication and interaction between the onshore manager and their Filipino staff. This is extremely important in building a good working relationship, better collaboration and making your Filipino staff feel like they are part of the team. 

Filipinos are also very family-oriented so working a day-shift allows them not only to live a healthier life but also spend more time with their families and friends.

But this doesn’t mean that companies in Europe and North America are in the disadvantage. Many of the BPO companies now have higher flexibility in providing services in different timezones. 

Here’s a quick overview of the time differences between the Philippines and some of the key cities in AU and NZ:

timezone-table

In Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory observe Daylight Saving Time (DST). Whilst Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia do not observe DST.

Daylight Saving Time starts when the local standard time is about to reach Sunday, 4 October, 02:00:00. The clocks are turned forward 1 hour to Sunday, 4 October, 03:00:00 local daylight time instead. It ends when the local daylight time is about to reach Sunday, 5 April, 03:00:00. The clocks are turned backward 1 hour to Sunday, 5 April, 02:00:00 local standard time instead.

During DST, the clocks on the Chatham Islands are also turned forward 1 hour from UTC+12:45 to UTC+13:45. It starts on the last Sunday of September and ends the first Sunday of April, the same as mainland New Zealand.

Here at DBOS, not only that we personalise and make offshore staffing an affordable option for startups and expanding businesses, but we also make collaboration and communication with our Australian and New Zealand partners very simple. 

Our remote management system provides our clients with full control and visibility to their Philippine-based operations using their chosen tool and system. This addresses the pain points when working on a different timezone and with a geographically separated team. 

As labour costs in Australia and New Zealand continue to rise, startups and expanding companies find the low wages and minimal timezone gap in the Philippines attractive and practical. In fact, the Philippines has overtaken India as the leading call centre country. This subsector added around 10% in the country’s economy in 2015. The expansion of the BPO industry to other provincial regions such as Cebu and Davao was also a key factor for the country’s continuous growth. You can learn more about the best outsourcing locations in the Philippines on one of our previous blogs. 

employee-motivation

Why Leaders Need to Embrace Employee Motivation

Careers, Employee Engagement, Human Resources / By

While all too focused on the income-generating aspects of their company, some employers tend to forget the welfare of their best asset – the employees. At times, some companies sadly fail to understand the importance of employee motivation. Although not everyone does.

But, what is employee motivation and how does it affects a business?

By definition, employee motivation is the level of energy, commitment, and creativity that company workers bring to their jobs. If the employees are motivated, they become passionate about their job and actively works to achieve the organization’s goal. On the other hand, employees who lack motivation do all the opposite of what a passionate employee is doing. And even though the signs are there, some employers still tend to disregard these things, completely not knowing its effects on their business until its too late.

To help prevent the case of unmotivated employees, we created an infographic about a significant study as to why leaders need to promote employee motivation.

employee motivation

The Importance of Employee Motivation

Increased productivity, high-quality output, and meeting the company’s goals can be achieved through an employee’s hard work. With enough motivation and satisfaction, the employees will surely work towards the company’s best interest.

To further understand how crucial is employee motivation for a business, here are some reasons why:

Motivated people are always in action.
A company equipped with skilled employees are lucky, but a business with motivated people are luckier. Encouraged employees are without a doubt, the most willing to walk an extra mile for the company, if necessary. They are most likely to do what needs to be done regardless if they have to spend additional time at work.

Visible improvement on overall performance.
Motivated employees visibly aim to provide the best work performance for the company. In most instances, they display their ability to produce high-quality output and the willingness to go the extra mile to do the job well.

Leads to a stable workforce.
A stable workforce is a crucial key to a company’s success. When employees are motivated, they remain loyal to the company as they feel needed and valued. This will lead to a stable workforce that will also serve as a good image for the company which can also attract more qualified talents.

Enumerated above are just a few reasons why we can say that employee motivation is more than just a feeling.  It is a driving force that encourages people to do the best kind of work for the company that they provide their services to. Moreover, the effect it gives to an individual can never be compared.

Takeaway

Company leaders should realise that motivating their employees are as important as growing their businesses. Why? It’s because the employees are those who will work with them to achieve success. Now, it is not too late for company leaders to start promoting employee motivation in their businesses.

Just like how we do it here in DBOS! The secret of our successful 4 years in the offshore staffing industry in the Philippines lies in the hands of our employees. And it is the exact same reason why we make sure that their needs are always fairly met. Above that, we also promote employee engagement and self-development to the best of our ability.

Want to be a part of our growing family? Check out our job opportunities today! 

business-man-running

The Benefits and Misconceptions About Offshore Labour

Offshoring in the Philippines, Outsourcing in the Philippines / By

Offshoring has had a long history of ebb and flow. Practised in many countries all around the globe, it was and still highly impact economies on a good light. Whether in the assistance of creating more jobs that decrease a country’s unemployment rate or embracing the technologically advanced era, outsourcing has been recorded to do more good than bad. With the continued success of this business strategy, global entrepreneurs in all fields utilise the service.

On the other hand, the growth of the internet has played a huge part in all of this. As it connects people from all around the world despite their timezone differences and language barriers, employing an offshore staff from any part of the world became possible. Not only big enterprises but also small-medium businesses have exercised offshoring.

In Australia, offshoring in the Philippines has been a popular trend for years with more small and medium businesses looking out for experienced talents in that country.

Benefits of Offshore Labour

Generally, offshoring has already proved how effective it is as a business strategy. And for the past years, hundreds of Australian companies have chosen to offshore some of their tasks to a developing nation such as the Philippines. This year, it has re-emerged as a significant offshore player with a market value of $23 billion, according to arnnet.

Although offshore labour has been quite a thorny issue since it created a huge impact on most small businesses alike.

Here are some of the benefits that you’ll get when you choose to offshore your labour force:

  • Business growth. Offshoring allows you to get access to a huge pool of young and experienced talents from all over the world. These fresh minds will provide you with new perspectives and a different approach to strategies, enabling your business to focus solely on growth.
  • Access to international talent/s. Tapping a huge pool of talents all over the world improves the chances of employing an impressive team that can work best for your desired budget and schedule.
  • Availability. Having a support team from a different timezone enables your business to function 24/7 and be there for your clients whenever they need it. This increases the competitive edge of your business and results in better customer experience.

Other than all these reasons, many Australian companies also consider several factors that contribute to their decision to offshore. These includes:

  • Cheaper labour costs
  • Improved output
  • Lack of industry expertise
  • Availability of highly educated offshore business specialists
  • Freedom to concentrate on core business concerns
  • Excellent work ethics
  • Skilled individuals
  • Staff proficiency in English

Misconceptions About Offshore Labour

If there is a positive side to offshore labour, then probably there is a negative side too. Misconceptions, as we call it. With the right angle and nudge, these misconceptions could change everyone’s perception about basically everything about offshoring.

Let’s learn about some of the most common offshoring misconceptions that need debunking. Here are those:

1. Offshoring reduces jobs locally.

Throughout the years, most people perceive that offshoring means stealing the locals’ jobs. But contrary to that fear, offshoring in other countries is a business strategy that helps sustain the onshore teams. For example, a startup company offshore 2 or 3 of their tasks to a low-cost foreign country where they can save a huge amount. Now, offshoring enables a business to reduce costs with all kinds of expenses as well as gives them time to focus on the core services. By doing so, they’ll gain more time to generate bigger revenue. When the business grows, they’ll be needing more in-house staff, thus opening more jobs for the locals.

A recent study on the labour market effects of offshoring to multinational companies revealed that “a greater offshore activity modestly raises net employment by companies.”

2. Offshoring is cheap labour.

On developing countries like the Philippines, offshoring generally means that the wages are lower than of a first-world country, say for example – Australia. Normally, it is the cost of living in a particular country that determines the amount of pay an offshore worker receives. Even if that’s the case, it doesn’t change the fact that countries like the Philippines produce highly-educated university graduates annually. These graduates are tech-savvy, proficient in English and are competitive in their specific fields. Offshore staff from this country can fulfil the skill requirements that your business may lack from the local workforce, at a more cost-effective price.

3. Offshoring provides poor working conditions.

Some BPOs overseas have the reputation of treating their workers like robots. In the earlier years of offshoring, there was once a misconception about building offices on cramped up spaces with employees who barely got up of their seats. However, to be able to stay in the competition, BPOs have to provide a comfortable working space and stable infrastructure. Also, the working environment should be strong and fun to keep the staff satisfied and happy. With the continuous advancements in technology, it is impossible to keep up with your competitors if you can’t provide the same advanced equipment.

Takeaway

Offshore labour has been quite an issue for countries like Australia. This has become so big that it even attracted a lot of media attention. However, the massive job losses that have been reported due to offshoring jobs in developing countries were never quantified due to the lack of evidence that supports the claim.

Nowadays, the influx of Australian businesses that chose to offshore their labour on countries with low cost of living continuously grows in number. These companies, either small or medium embraced the idea of offshoring to help expand their businesses that will, later on, create more local jobs.

So, neither of the circumstances can prove that choosing to offshore your labour is a good nor bad decision.

Considering offshoring? Check out Dynamic Business Outsourcing Solutions – one of the fast-growing Australian offshoring companies in the Philippines with 4 years in the field. Reduce your wage costs up to 70% when you partner with us and get a free consultation with our very own CEO/Founder.

outsourcing talents

Finding Outsourcing Talents in Southeast Asia

Offshoring in the Philippines, Outsourcing in the Philippines / By

Southeast Asian companies are undoubtedly doing well globally. They are continuously excelling in fields such as banking, retail, real estate, transportation, and more. Aiming to create a global impact, outsourcing talents are taking their game up a notch.

To also support this claim, a recent Forbes Asia survey named some of the best-performing Southeast Asian businesses that generated more than $1 billion in a year. Associated with this success is their continued trust with outsourcing.

One of the Southeast Asian countries that left an impact globally and on their nation’s economy is the Philippines. Dubbed as the outsourcing hub of Asia and an ideal outsourcing destination, the country is proved to remain on top of their game.

Why? Because offshore staffing in the Philippines provides numerous benefits such as; cost-effectivity, clear communication, staff expertise, and flexible employees.

Read our infographic below and know the tasks that are best delegated when you choose offshore staffing.

outsourcing talents

Philippine outsourcing talents are experienced, skilled, and professional. They are mostly degree holders and university graduates so the language gap will not be a problem.

Every business still has a bunch of repetitive tasks that they believe are just part of their routine. They do not realise that it stalls them from spending more time on their core services and hinder their business from growing.

Tasks that are best outsourced

Like what was mentioned in the infographic above, these following tasks are best outsourced rather than be kept in-house:

  1. Data entry/manual-input tasks
  2. Customer service, research, or daily monitoring of accounts
  3. Graphic design
  4. Back-end website support or design/mobile app development

These tasks are time-consuming and it requires expertise to accomplish that’s why it is better outsourced.

The bottom line is, finding the best talent could be in the hands of a third-party provider. Why not choose to save time and look for an outsourcing partner who can help you tap hundreds of talents?

Choose DBOS – a fast-growing Australian-owned offshore staffing company in the Philippines that offers cost-effective prices for all services! Reduce your wage costs up to 70% and get a free consultation with our CEO/Founder!

outsourcing-success

7 Ways to Make Outsourcing a Success Time After Time

Offshoring in the Philippines, Outsourcing in the Philippines / By

There are hundreds of success stories out there that proves how highly effective outsourcing is for businesses. It enables startups and entrepreneurs to free up their time, save costs, and employ experienced workers on board.

For business owners, outsourcing is one creative strategy that provides assistance in finding cost-effective solutions for businesses. Both small to medium companies and large corporations have been practising the concept of outsourcing ever since they’ve learned about it.

Outsourcing has been regarded as an economical and efficient approach by startup businesses, especially in Asia. In fact, the global outsourcing economy is exceptionally powered by the contribution of countries like India and the Philippines where the business is soaring.

So now, if you’re planning to outsource any of your tasks or services, this could be the right time. But, make sure that you take note of these 7 ways to ensure your outsourcing success.

outsourcing-success

And if you’re still having second thoughts, you should check out the benefits of hiring an outsourced staff. Now, these benefits can guarantee a good change in your business process but it could be a little tricky. So, aside from all those enumerated in the infographic above, picking a great outsourcing partner is also a crucial step towards business growth.

Conclusion

The offshore staffing industry in the Philippines gives off a huge contribution to the country’s economy. And up until today, hundreds of outsourcing companies are continuously building their businesses in the country. One of them is DBOS, a fast-growing Australian-owned offshore staffing company based in the Philippines. The company takes pride in offering cost-effective prices for offshore services such as digital marketing, content writing, web development, graphic designing, IT outsourcing, and so much more!

Know more about DBOS and get a free consultation with our very own CEO/Founder!