Preparing for a Successful Remote Job Interview​

Preparing for a Successful Remote Job Interview

In today’s digital age, remote work has steadily gained traction, making remote job interviews an essential part of the hiring process for many companies. Remote interviews, be they via video call or telephone, present a unique set of challenges and opportunities. If you have a remote job interview lined up, here’s how you can prepare for success.

applicant having an online interview

Test Your Tech

  • Internet Connection: Ensure you have a stable internet connection. If you’re using Wi-Fi, consider connecting directly via an Ethernet cable for more stability.
  • Software: Download and familiarize yourself with the video conferencing tool in advance. Tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet are commonly used.
  • Camera and Microphone: Test your camera and microphone. Make sure the sound is clear, and the video is of good quality.

2.Choose a Suitable Environment

  • Quiet Space: Background noise can be distracting. Ensure your location is quiet and free of potential interruptions.
  • Neutral Background: A plain or neutral background looks professional and ensures the interviewer focuses on you.
  • Good Lighting: Face a natural light source, like a window, or use artificial lights to make sure your face is clearly visible.

3. Dress for Success

While it may be tempting to dress professionally from the waist up, you never know if you’ll need to stand up during the call. Dress fully and appropriately for the role you’re applying for.

4. Body Language Matters

  • Eye Contact: Look into the camera when speaking, not at the interviewer’s image on the screen.
  • Posture: Sit up straight and remain attentive. Avoid fidgeting or making distracting movements.

5. Prepare and Practice

  • Research the Company: Know the company’s history, values, and current developments.
  • Mock Interview: Practice common interview questions and your responses with a friend or using a mirror.
  • Questions Ready: Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer at the end of the session.

6. Eliminate Distractions

  • Notifications Off: Mute your phone and close any irrelevant tabs or applications on your computer.
  • Pets and Family: Inform your household about your interview time to avoid sudden interruptions.

7. Have Materials on Hand

Keep a copy of your resume, the job description, and any other relevant documents within arm’s reach but out of the camera’s view.

8. Prepare for the Unexpected

  • Plan B for Tech Issues: Have a backup plan in case of technical difficulties. This might be a secondary device or a phone number to continue the interview.
  • Stay Calm: If any unexpected issues arise, handle them with grace and maintain your composure.

9. Follow Up

After the interview, send a thank-you email expressing gratitude for the opportunity and reiterating your interest in the position. This leaves a lasting positive impression.

10. Self-Reflect

Regardless of the outcome, take a moment to assess your performance. Celebrate what went well, and identify areas for improvement.

Conclusion

Remote job interviews might seem daunting, but with the right preparation, you can handle them with confidence and professionalism. Embrace the opportunity, and remember that just like any in-person interview, the goal is to showcase your skills and prove that you are the right fit for the job.

Best of luck!

Self-Care Tips Your Remote Staff Must Hear & How to Encourage Them

Self-Care Tips Your Remote Staff Must Hear & How to Encourage Them

As a company owner, you want your employees to always do their best. That also comes with a responsibility to look after your employee’s health. But if you outsource your staff, monitoring how they are can be a real challenge.

It motivates your staff to hear that you care about them. As a leader or manager, it is crucial to know how effective you are at handling them, which goes with caring for their well-being. You can encourage your staff to prioritize self-care. Even if you do not see them face-to-face at work daily, you can be assured that the people who time in your workspaces are healthy, energized, and enthusiastic individuals. Ready for any task that comes their way.

In this blog, we’ll show you how to encourage your staff with these self-care tips they need to be reminded of.

Woman holding a white mug

Verbal Affirmations: Encouragement and Reminders For Remote Staff

It’s all a challenge when you can only monitor them through social media, calls, and texts. But at least a simple pop on their DM or daily reminder in their channel sparks their desire to do and be their best. Verbal affirmations are an effective tool to encourage a wellness culture for remote staff.

Simple words of encouragement such as “good job” or “we appreciate your work” can boost morale and remind employees to prioritize self-care with statements like “Take breaks” or “Reach out for support.”

These affirmations offer quick and easy support, fostering a positive work environment. So, here are ten self-care tips and encouragements your remote staff must hear:

Encourage Them To Care Because You Do

As an employer, you must show your care for yourself and those who work for you in-house and remotely.

It would be best if you said phrases to show that you value your employees and recognize the importance of a healthy work-life balance. They will feel supported enough and brave to choose right for themselves and, later on, for your company. Here are examples:

  • “We encourage you to prioritize self-care and engage in activities that bring you joy.”
  • “Your well-being is important to us, have a healthy work-life balance.”
  • “We believe that taking breaks and engaging in physical activity improve productivity.”

The said phrases indicate that you care without being a nagger.

Remind Their Autonomy With Time

It would be best to encourage your remote employees to take time off or remind them of their flexible schedules.

Here are phrases you can say so you can demonstrate them:

  • “Don’t be afraid to use your time off. It’s there for a reason.”
  • “Take time to recharge and come back refreshed.”
  • “Your work schedule is flexible, and we trust you to manage your time effectively.”

When you say these, it will highlight your trust in your employees. A healthy work-life balance creates a competent, confident, and loyal staff, which means you value their time and service.

If possible, provide them with paid leave so they do not feel guilty about taking time off because of their salary.

However, it is essential to understand whether their reasons are valid.

As a manager, you should also encourage open and honest communication with them to learn about their motives.

Notebook with dayoff in sticky notes

Being Truthful And Committed

Leading by example means being the first to be committed to your employees’ mental and physical health.

It also means you are willing to provide resources and support to help them maintain their health.

Here are some ways you can say this message:

  • “We value your mental and physical health and support you.”
  • “Leading by example, we prioritize self-care in our lives and work habits.”
  • “We provide resources for mental health support and encourage you to use them.”
Woman talking to a therapist

Verbal Affirmations: Encouragement and Reminders For Remote Staff

As a leader, fully familiarize yourself with any self-care tips listed below.

"Try to Design Your Working Space"

A designated workspace can help separate work from personal life, reducing stress and improving overall well-being. Creating a comfortable and functional work environment can also boost productivity and focus.

Bring your favorite style, items, or things that make you feel good and remind you of good times into your workspace. It could be art, pictures, cartoons, your dreamland, etc.

"Do Take a Bath or Have a Rinse"

When you bathe, do you feel good? This is an important self-care routine that has been thrown under the rug since the advent of the WFH setup.

Admit it when you do not need to ride your car and travel to work. You cross out taking a shower from your day’s to-do list. This is a good reminder and can also be a side note of laughter in your department.

A quick shower helps improve mental health by helping them relax, sleep better, increase blood flow, feel better, ease muscle tension, improve skin health, and use aromatherapy.

Tell this to them. They look forward to going online and not being shy when there’s a Zoom call or a stand-up meeting on Google. They may take warm showers or cold ones, depending on what their body and minds feel like. They should have autonomy over it, of course!

"Eat Foods That Make you Healthy Most, and Then Happy"

Eating a well-balanced diet can be good for everybody’s health and well-being. Encourage employees to eat well to confront burnout and boost their overall productivity.

You may also remind them to eat their happy foods only occasionally if it’s slightly unhealthy. You can call it a ch-EAT day. Aside from telling them this, why not try it for yourself too?

"Take Vitamins You Need"

Taking necessary vitamins and supplements can improve overall health and well-being. Encouraging employees to prioritize their nutrient intake can help to prevent health issues and improve overall productivity.

"Sweat it Out!"

Exercise and other forms of physical movement can help improve a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual life. People who work out or move around feel less stressed, have more energy and sleep better.

Encourage employees working from home to work out daily by stretching, running, and lifting weights. This can help them avoid burnout and make them more productive overall.

"Seek Mental and Emotional Support Immediately if You Need It. Okay?"

Seeking support early can help to prevent mental health issues from escalating.

Encouraging employees to reach out for support shows that the company values their well-being and can help reduce mental health stigma. Providing resources for mental health support can also be beneficial for employees.

"Do Things You Love in Your Free Time"

Participating in activities that make your employees happy and fulfilled can help them feel better and less stressed.

Employees can re-energize and clear their minds by taking time to do what they love, giving them more focus and energy when they return to work.

Taking Charge Means Caring Hard

In today’s remote work environment, taking care of one’s mental and physical health is more important than ever. Employers are responsible for supporting their remote employees in this endeavor by setting an example, speaking, and giving resources to encourage self-care practices.

The tips listed above, such as designing a workspace, taking a bath, seeking support, eating nutritious foods, taking vitamins, and sweating it out, are all effective ways for remote employees to prioritize their well-being.

Building a Culture of Mindfulness and Connection: Tips for Managing Remote

Building a Culture of Mindfulness and Connection: Tips for Managing Remote Teams

Managing a team is a task not for the weak. Even a strong leader sometimes needs to thread on eggshells to get around a group that struggles to get in sync. As managers and company owners, you will get to face a lot of different personalities that will clash anytime. Imagine doing this with a remote team.

Building a Strong Remote Team

Hiring a remote employee can have more pros, like lesser overhead costs and more freedom for your staff. Still, it has its cons, like a lack of accountability and a lack of teamwork.

If you suddenly feel tensed with realizing that managing and building a solid remote team is impossible, keep reading. This blog aims to inspire you and give tips to make a team work and be on the same page despite physical distance.

We’ll talk about mindfulness and connection. These two are crucial elements that can significantly enhance the remote work experience.

Remote worker having a meeting in her laptop

What Is Mindfulness And Connection in Remote Work?

The term “mindfulness” refers to a set of practices emphasizing paying close attention to one’s inner experience.

This includes thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations—at the moment. Remote workers can benefit from mindfulness training by feeling less stressed, more focused, and more relaxed overall.

When we discuss connection, we mean how remote employees can feel like a part of the team and something greater than themselves. People who connect to others may feel less isolated and more like a part of the global community.

What Are The Challenges in Building a Culture of Mindfulness and Connection?

Building a culture of mindfulness and connection can have negative results if you’re unaware and unprepared for possible drawbacks.

Distractions

Distractions such as social media and household chores can be prevalent in remote work.

Lack of Motivation

Remote workers may experience a lack of motivation due to isolation and a lack of interaction with their team and colleagues.

Time Zone Differences

Remote workers may be spread across different time zones, making coordinating virtual check-ins and team events difficult.

Balancing Connection and Privacy

Remote workers may value both connection and privacy.

How Can You Build A Culture Of Mindfulness In Remote Teams?

Here are five ways to encourage mindfulness among remote workers:

Encourage Health Breaks

Of course, the first one is to do something you can implement quickly. You can encourage health breaks by:

  • Leading by example.
  • Schedule and announce it throughout the workday.
  • Give Autonomy.
  • Be open if someone needs to take a break.
  • Reward and recognize people doing a great job or for trying.

This simple thing can help remote employees stay healthy with their minds and body. For instance, they can use health breaks to stretch around, drink water, nap, and eat excellent meals.

Woman stretching after working

Provide Informational PubMats And Tools For Mindfulness Practices

You can also encourage activities during health breaks by using informational publication materials and giving your remote team management tools to practice mindfulness. You can use any of the following as pub mats:

  • Share success stories from you, other employees, or others with impactful stories.
  • Share facts or scientifically proven information.
  • Share tips on how to get started and stay consistent.

Your remote employees can read all your pub mats but only apply them if they have the needed tools. You can give them any of the following:

  • Provide premium subscriptions to mindfulness apps and websites for managing remote teams training.
  • Give them a mindfulness music collection.
  • Give customized fidget toys to employees who need them.
  • Give exercise equipment.
Professional woman resting

Have Psychologists And Therapists On The House

As the boss of a business, it’s up to you to decide what tools to give your workers. Having psychologists and therapists on staff can make employees happier and more productive, but it also costs a lot. Here’s what you need to make the most out of the benefits:

  • Hire or outsource psychologists and therapists.
  • Work with a company that offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
  • Provide counseling as part of insurance plans.
  • Give people ways to find and get mental health help.
Woman in session with a therapist

Open Virtual Spaces

You can set up a virtual space where anyone can anonymously post their concerns. But remember, it can have drawbacks by being a potential breeding ground for harmful behavior. To manage this and avoid negative impact, here’s what you should do:

  • Establish clear guidelines, including what can be appropriate or not.
  • Tell employees to tell the management if the concern is harsh.
  • They can write something for themselves and be open to people without having the guilt and shame of letting them know their identity.
  • Tell your employees they can use the space to do more than a complaint. They can also use it to recognize someone for a job well done or a good thing they did.
Team messaging in virtual channel

Mindfulness Games

Encourage your remote team to have enough leisure time. If they love digital games, you can encourage them to play any of the following gaming genres:

  • Puzzle games
  • Simulation games
  • Adventure games
  • Strategy games
  • Casual games

Now, they can play it alone or, better yet, with other team members. This is where “connectedness” comes in.

Colleagues playing

How Can You Build A Culture Of Connectedness In Remote Teams?

Here is another set of five to foster connection among remote workers:

Communication icon

Weekly Virtual One-On-Ones

It's essential to ask for daily updates from team leaders and project managers to their team members. It can be mostly about work or a few personal struggles, and this can help team members feel they are on track with their work.

Team working together

Weekly Virtual Group Calls

Group calls are also essential for an enormous scope of simultaneous development and reconditioning. It can be about updates for work, including:
1. Concerns
2. Announcements
3. Recognition
4. Team achievements

Support icon

Support Inclusiveness

For genuine connection in your company, strive to be the most inclusive and diverse. It implies that there is no judgment, whatever race, gender, status, or appearance they have. Here's what you need to do:
1. Encouragement always starts with you as a leader and leading by example.
2. Educate and reprimand employees as necessary to avoid bullying in the workplace.
3. Post or publish celebrations about all diverse identities in your company.

Message icon

Encourage Open And Fun Communication

Fun communication, even outside work, can help foster kinship. Here's how you can encourage your remote staff to have fun and non-stiff contact:
1. Even professionals can use memes and comics, so let them.
2. Group chat channels where you can use and customize fun stickers.
3. Always smile, laugh, and hit a joke around them so they can feel comfortable with their bosses. And eventually, they will learn to have fun with you and others without getting too personal or disrespectful.

A Mindful Decision For Connection

Encouraging remote workers to be mindful is essential to healthily connecting the workplace and vice versa.

Organizations can help employees develop their mindfulness skills and improve their overall well-being by giving them virtual spaces, informational posters, and tools for mindfulness practices. Companies can ensure their remote workers feel supported and engaged by creating a safe space for those given tools.

Finding The Motivation When You Work From Home: Tips For WFH Professionals

Finding The Motivation When You Work From Home: Tips For WFH Professionals

Working remotely is nothing new. However, this kind of work setup became more popular after lockdowns due to the pandemic. Many professionals who work from home may start to feel the burden or face issues resulting from a specific home environment

In this blog, we’ll discuss why people choose WFH and how to get back on your flow when you feel unmotivated and distracted at home.

Professional working from home

What Is It Like To Work From Home?

Most workers are no longer required to come into the office between 9 to 5 daily, thanks to the WFH system.

That’s why individuals can tailor their routines to satisfy their commitments beyond work. Plus, there are fewer requirements for things like a car, public transportation, and fancy attire for work.

Working in your comfort zone makes you less likely to worry or feel overwhelmed. Parents can even provide for their children while also maintaining their financial stability.

However, it’s not always a bed of roses for remote employees.

Without boundaries and preparation, working from home can be very intimidating. While some people thrive in the familiarity of their own homes, others may struggle.

In a 2021 study on the challenges of a WFH setting, it was revealed that a crisis at home could impact one’s focus. Thus making it more damaging for employees than beneficial. Most people working from home strive to continue because it’s their only choice. All of these can lead to isolation, stress, and burnout.

How To Rejuvenate Motivation When At Home Working?

If you have the same trouble working at home or far worse than that, here’s how to stay motivated while facing the challenges of the setup

Remember Your Reason or Motivation And Hold On To It

Try to ask yourself all types of questions about your work. For example:

  • “Why am I working on this job?”
  • “Who am I working for/Is there a person behind my work motivation/reason?”
  • “What is my goal?”
  • “Where should I be right now and in the future?”
  • “How can I do my best for my known reasons?”

As you ask yourself important questions, you must be honest as well. It will give you the benefits you need, like:

  • A sense of purpose and direction for your career and personal life.
  • Reminder to feel fulfilled and satisfied with your current work.
  • Accountability and groundedness while achieving your goals.
Man looking away from computer feeling unmotivated
Employee writing her schedule in a calendar

Improvise and Set Better Boundaries

You can increase focus, productivity, and overall well-being by setting better boundaries and improvising your work-from-home routine. To devise and set better boundaries while working from home, consider the following steps:

  • Use calendars and trackers to make a routine and schedule.
  • Designate a specific workspace and separate it from leisure areas.
  • If you don’t have a workroom, try to build walls or add curtains.
  • Turn off distractions and eliminate interruptions during work hours.
  • Be transparent and assertive with your availability with family, friends, and coworkers.
  • Evaluate and adjust boundaries daily as needed to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
  • Establish clear and achievable work goals.

Setting Realistic and Achievable Goals

Here’s how to set apparent, realistic, and achievable daily or weekly goals.

  • Identify your long-term vision and break it down into smaller, specific goals.
  • Make sure goals are measurable and have clear criteria for success.
  • Consider your resources, skills, and limitations when setting goals.
  • Create a timetable.
  • Re-evaluate and adjust plans per priority – try to put challenging and urgent things first.

Setting realistic and achievable goals allows you to stay focused and motivated and continuously work towards your desired outcomes.

Goals listed in a notebook
Woman employee remotely working having a meeting using her laptop

Identify And Surround Yourself With What Makes You Happy While Working

When you work from home, try to improve your happiness and motivation by surrounding yourself with things you enjoy. Follow these steps to figure out what makes you happy at work and surround yourself with it:

  • Think about what brings you joy and makes you feel complete.
  • Take breaks and do something you enjoy outside of work.
  • Make your work area a fun place to be.
  • Ensure you take care of yourself and have time to relax.
  • Pay attention to the present and be grateful.
  • Put yourself around people and things that make you happy.

Seek And Nourish A Wonderful Virtual Support System

So, how can you put yourself around the people you love when you’re at home? Think about the following steps to find and foster a tremendous virtual support system:

  • Use virtual communication platforms to talk to coworkers, friends, and other people you know.
  • Join online groups or communities that are related to your work or interests.
  • Attend online events and have chances to meet new people.
  • Set up regular virtual meetings and check-ins with friends and coworkers.
  • In the virtual community, people can share their experiences and problems and help each other.
  • Work together on projects and ask others for feedback and help.
  • Keep your relationships and communication open and honest.
  • Use memes to talk to GenZ and millennials.
Woman celebrating success in her work
Woman stretching after working

Boost Your Body Circulation

When you work from home, sitting for long periods can hurt your health in several ways, which means it can lead to the following:

  • A sedentary lifestyle – raises the risk of obesity, heart disease, and other long-term health problems.
  • Bad posture – causes neck and back pain, headaches, and other physical pain.
  • Slow blood flow and raise the risk of a condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
  • Mental health problems like stress, anxiety, and depression are worse.
  • Reduced Productivity: Sitting for long periods can make you lose your motivation, creativity, and ability to focus.

Feed The Circulation

Your body must circulate the proper nutrients needed to stay on top of the game. To consume the proper nutrients while working from home, consider the following tips:

  • Prepare balanced meals, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
  • Limit processed and high-fat foods.
  • Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
  • Incorporate healthy snacks like fruits, nuts, and yogurt into your routine.
  • Limit sugary drinks like soda and juice, and opt for water or unsweetened beverages.
  • Experiment with new healthy recipes and cooking techniques.
  • Consider taking a daily multivitamin to supplement your diet.
  • Try to avoid stress eating.

A balanced and nutritious diet can improve energy levels, focus, and overall health while working from home.

Healthy balanced food
Woman celebrating success in her work

Celebrate All Wins

If you work remotely, you should still celebrate small wins. Consider doing the following:

  • Take the time to notice and appreciate each success, no matter how small it seems.
  • Do verbally appreciate yourself, as it will also boost your confidence.
  • Give yourself a small reward, like a snack or something you like to do.
  • Share your accomplishments with your friends, family, and coworkers.
  • Use a work journal or gratitude journal to track what you’ve done.
  • Think about how far you’ve come and use that to help you set new goals.
  • Set aside some time to celebrate significant milestones and accomplishments.
  • Stop for a while and do something you enjoy.

You can stay motivated, boost your confidence, and keep a good attitude while working from home if you keep track of and celebrate your successes.

Don't Let Remoteness Keep You From Doing Your Best

Working from home has pros and cons, but don’t let the cons discourage you. You can make decisions, take charge of your life, talk to your bosses, and seek compromise.

If your workplace mistreats you, you should rethink deeper and find a new job. But if you only need help with the environment and self-management, the items listed above can significantly help you.

5 Time Management Strategies for Busy Professionals

5 Time Management Strategies for Busy Professionals

Time management is a crucial skill for every working professional. Like many, you have also been around many resources online and still need to arrive at a strategy to aid your busy profession.

If you are here because you feel hopeless about using too much time to look for the answer. Then there’s good news.

Buckle up because we’ll share five easy-to-understand strategies for managing your time wisely, which will help you take charge of your life, career, and even the company you manage.

Woman looking at computer managing her time

Why Do Professionals Need Better Time Management?

Going back and forth with a task while your energy levels go on and off is a red flag. That will affect your workflow. In the long run, it will reflect on your self-management. And when you have poor self-management, it means poor management of your endeavors, whether it is at your work or when you are handling your own business.

Professionals such as business owners, managers, and the like, should have better time management because it helps to:

  • Be more efficient and productive in their work
  • Achieve their goals and meet deadlines
  • Avoid delayed outputs and results
  • Manage stress
  • Maintain work-life balance

Not only that, but it also helps you achieve a better:

  • Quality of services
  • The reputation of your company or brand
  • Beat others in competition with your business

What Are Strategies For Better Time Management?

Everyone has something on their plate, like in their career, personal life, or helping the community. Each strategy below will help you understand yourself and the options that may be best for you, especially regarding your lifestyle, well-being, and preferred time management.

Strategy 1: List Down & Know Your Priorities

It’s important to know what your priorities are before you write them down.

It will help you keep your tasks in order. Here’s how you can do it best:

  • Prioritize complex and demanding tasks when you have the most energy
  • Know what is urgent and what is not
  • Learn which tasks you can delegate and set aside

If you achieve to do that, it will help you have the following:

  • A sense of achievement when you finish tasks
  • A time that is favorable to you
  • Stress-free feeling
  • Possible more free time later
  • Work-life balance

Does it sound good to you? It sure does! Nothing beats completing your tasks on time and having more time to do other things that make you and others happy.

Person managing his tasks through chart

Strategy 2: Know Which Is Distraction And Which Is Helpful

Distractions are pitfalls for anyone trying to accomplish a task. Anything that our senses perceive can be a distraction. But did you know that some things could be more distracting for some people and might even be helpful for their focus?

Here’s a list to determine when something distracts you or when you are easily distracted while doing something:

  • If you are switching from one task to another irrelevant job.
  • If you need to be more generous in social media and leisure activities.
  • When you feel more stressed, overwhelmed, and anxious.
  • If you start to procrastinate and delay tasks.

So, how can you limit distractions?

  • Make your routine.
  • Say no to things irrelevant to your tasks and goals.
  • Find a place or environment that sets you in productive mode.
  • Some people find music to be either distracting or helpful; if you’re the type that needs a specific music piece to keep you working, then do it.

If you have a mental condition where it’s hard to focus, ensure that you have something or someone that helps you focus.

For example, you can use a time monitoring device and aid as:

  • Clocks and alarms
  • Family/friends Reminder
  • Fidget Devices or Toys
  • Self-rewards for accomplished tasks.
Man using phone while working

Strategy 3: Use Productivity Tools and Apps That Works For You

Instead of lying around the sofa and bed all day being addicted to media, try to be nicer to yourself by using your resources better.

Breaking the cycle can be challenging, but taking baby steps at a time will get you closer to your goals. You can start doing things efficiently by downloading apps or websites that help you manage your time.

You can look for apps like:

  • Calendars with alarm apps for you alone or shared with family and friends
  • Workout timer and guide apps
  • Nutrition and diet cookbook apps
  • GPS apps time and distance tracker
  • App and website blocker for a specific time

Social media is a known distraction while we work; while it is true, you can use this tool to your advantage. For example, using other people’s inspiring and instructional videos and posts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

Person using a task management tool

Strategy 4: Take Proper Rest

Never deny yourself rest.

Without rest, your health will suffer, increasing the risk of loss, especially of what you invested and worked on before that day. The first and last thing on your list should be “resting” with specific hours and depending on how much your body needs. Remember that “Resting is a pre-requisite, not just a reward!”

Adults need 7 hours of sleep per day. If your job forces you to take less (which is unhealthy), take short naps in your free time.

One tip to help you nap in a snap is: lifting your feet above on higher ground. Even the army in the navy uses this trick for short naps. It’s practical since putting your feet up lowers blood pressure, making your body’s senses light, and you will eventually fall asleep immediately. Just ensure you set all your alarms and use your calendar apps so you stay awake.

Here are other tips to help you achieve some good sleep:

  • To help produce melatonin in your body (the hormone responsible for sleepiness), you should:
  • Cover your eyes
  • Turn off any digital device that emits blue light
  • Turn off the room lights or use red lights
  • Sleep when you are not hungry or stuffed to prevent acid reflux.
  • Write down in a journal your thoughts if you are the type that gets sad and worried every night.
  • Listen to your lullaby music or relaxation playlist.
Professional woman resting

Strategy 5: Healthy Diet And Frequent Motion

Like rest, you need time to eat healthily and metabolize energizers in your body. When you don’t eat healthily or move around during the day, your body can’t make what it needs when you sleep at night, making sleep alone ineffective for body recharging.

Studies show that a lack of healthy foods and essential workouts can make you more tired, unproductive, and unable to concentrate throughout the day. It can also lead to mental health issues, making time management tougher.

Here are tips on how to give your body the best it deserves:

  • Plan your meals and cook in bulk.
  • Search for tasty, healthy snacks.
  • Do not eat much-processed food or Monosodium glutamate (MSG).
  • Stay Hydrated; you should always carry a water bottle with you everywhere.
  • Exercise at least 5 mins daily and gradually increase it if you can.
  • Make sure you do strength training other than cardio workouts.

Here are some of the great ways that exercise and a healthy diet will help you be more productive and better manage your time:

  • Gain more muscle mass – which allows you to do tasks efficiently.
  • Better hormone balance – gives you the perfect mood for every task.
  • Improved sensitivity to insulin – which helps regulate blood sugars and improve metabolism (a process that turns food into energy)
Plate of healthy foods

Stay Disciplined

In conclusion, managing yourself can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. By implementing the five detailed strategies outlined in this blog post, you’ll be well on your way to achieving a healthier state of mind and body, leading to better productivity and attentiveness.

Remember, taking care of yourself is not only essential for your own well-being, but it also allows you to serve those around you better. So, take the time to love and manage yourself, and you’ll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish.

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Building memories and lives as we move onward.
We cherish every moment and opportunity here.
Our employees are more to us. They are our assets, our friends, our family.
We value connecting with them!

RSS Pool Party 2022

This is to honor our commitments in providing the best and utmost service to our clients.
As we move forward, we hope to grow together more in Dignity & Diligence!
Creating more opportunities for others while developing lives in the process.
This is us. We Care. iCare.

RSS christmas party 2021

– Dave

5 Effective Ways of Setting Expectations With Your Filipino Remote Employees (Very Important)

Part VI of the Definitive Guide to Hiring Remote Employees from the Philippines

In Part V of the series, we discussed the onboarding process and its importance in building a beneficial working relationship between yourself and your new Filipino remote employee.

But within the onboarding process and even beyond it, communicating and setting expectations is crucial to creating a productive synergy with your new hire.

In this article, we break down the important ways you can set expectations and what they can do for you and your Filipino remote employee.

1       Communicating a job clearly can help increase your retention rate

              According to a 2019 survey by Jobvite, 45% of the people surveyed reported that they quit their new jobs after realizing their responsibilities at work did not match the job description they applied for. 

This problem leads to a high turnover rate that can become costly for your company. Setting the right expectations at the start of the hire can solve this feeling of a gap between reality and expectations for new hires. 

Filipinos are naturally shy and may feel hesitant to voice out any dissatisfaction or questions about their responsibilities to a foreign boss, so they may just choose to quit to avoid talking about it. That’s why it is important for you to take the initiative to clearly communicate the contents of their job. And make them understand that you welcome questions and feedback from them as well.

2       Representing your company’s culture can help determine if your new hire is the right fit for the company

              Taking an honest look at your company to determine what kind of culture and brand your company has is an important part of the building and growing process of any business. But for new hires, company culture is an especially important aspect to detail and narrow down.

This is because new hires need to know what to expect in the new company they’re joining. It helps them understand what is expected of them and how they are to communicate with other people in the company. 

For example, someone who prioritizes a more relaxed work environment may find it hard to adjust to a company that is extremely results-driven, which can then lead to decreased productivity and feelings of dissatisfaction and disengagement.

Delaying the communication of your company’s culture can lead to hiring someone who is not the right fit for the company, which then can result in an early exit and a high turnover rate.

A group of employees applauding

3       An efficient onboarding process can bridge the “expectations gap”

              Anyone starting a new job may experience something called an “expectations gap”, where the reality of their work seems different from what they expected. The expectations gap can be a disheartening thing for any new employee to experience and can even motivate them to consider quitting.

The experience of an expectations gap can be mitigated or eliminated completely with an effective onboarding process. We discuss how to effectively onboard Filipino remote employees in a more in-depth discussion in Part 5, but it is worth repeating again because of the great importance it holds. 

An onboarding process that includes a training period should reflect exactly what a regular workload would be like for your Filipino remote employee. It can be tempting to give them a lighter workload in the beginning and then increase their work over time, but that can create a feeling of confusion in your remote employee. It is far better to let them know immediately what the work will entail than to hire someone who will just quit a short while down the road.

4       You can avoid future problems by clearly communicating what is expected from their job performance

               Most people can agree that an employee who consistently does not meet the expected work standards presents a large problem for the company.

But while an employee can definitely start becoming less effective on their own, HR and the company itself can sometimes also have a hand in that decreasing effectivity. This is because an employee who is not clearly told about what is expected of their work can become lax about their work and may become comfortable with producing subpar work. 

That’s why it is imperative to take the time to go over what is expected of your new employee at the very beginning of the hire. It ensures that your remote employee knows what is expected of them and it can also motivate them to stay above that set standard to avoid any kind of disciplinary action.

By setting a clear standard of work and professionalism, you not only let your remote employees know what should be accomplished but it also helps you effectively delegate work that is clogging up your own schedule without having to supervise its completion. 

5       An effective feedback system that is clearly set up can help avoid any miscommunication

               As we have discussed in a previous installment of this series, Filipinos are sensitive to receiving feedback and can often be hesitant to give it in turn.

But for a company to succeed and for working relationships to improve, mutual feedback is necessary. That’s why we suggest tackling the issue of feedback from the very start of the hire instead of ignoring it until it becomes necessary. That way, your Filipino employee can become comfortable with the idea and you can set up a feedback system that both of you are comfortable with.

For example, your new hire may be comfortable receiving and giving feedback in a more casual setting instead of through email or written communication. That can help you design a way to exchange ideas without possibly offending the other person and to receive the feedback you need to improve your own operations. 

5        You can avoid future problems by clearly communicating what is expected from their job performance

                As we have discussed in a previous installment of this series, Filipinos are sensitive to receiving feedback and can often be hesitant to give it in turn.

But for a company to succeed and for working relationships to improve, mutual feedback is necessary. That’s why we suggest tackling the issue of feedback from the very start of the hire instead of ignoring it until it becomes necessary. That way, your Filipino employee can become comfortable with the idea and you can set up a feedback system that both of you are comfortable with.

For example, your new hire may be comfortable receiving and giving feedback in a more casual setting instead of through email or written communication. That can help you design a way to exchange ideas without possibly offending the other person and to receive the feedback you need to improve your own operations.

Conclusion

Setting expectations is important to any working relationship but it is especially important for remote employees who do not get the benefit of being fully integrated with the daily workings of the company for which they work.

But setting expectations duly and efficiently can also help your retention rate, the company’s productivity, and help improve your onboarding process that can then be used with your next hires. 

If you have any questions about the hiring process of Filipino remote employees or if you want to know more about Filipino VAs, you can contact us here or on our LinkedIn page.

Next time on this series, we tackle the technical question of the best tools on the market to manage your Filipino remote staff.

Remote Filipino Employees (VA): Effective Onboarding

Part V of the Definitive Guide to Hiring Remote Employees from the Philippines

Last time on this series, we talked in-depth about the hiring process of Filipino remote employees and how to make the process as smooth as possible. 

This time around, we’re talking about what happens after you make that hire. Because though you have already technically hired your new remote employee from the Philippines, there is still work to be done as you complete onboarding. How virtual onboarding is done and how to tailor the process to Filipino remote employees are all important topics we cover in Part 5. So keep on reading!

Why Onboarding Is So Important

Many people dismiss the importance of onboarding, which is a huge mistake. And that’s not just words, there’s data to prove that experience with onboarding is crucial to a company’s growth and success. 

A study by The Boston Consulting Group in 2012 found that the proper and efficient onboarding of new hires led to revenue growth 2.5 times higher and profit margins 1.9 times higher than companies who did not dedicate as much energy and effort into onboarding recruits.

But beyond that, a good onboarding process can also:

  • Reduce the time it takes for new employees to start becoming productive
  • Improve the overall performance of the new employee 
  • Improve employee morale and work-related happiness
  • Encourage commitment to the company 

And many experts agree that new hires decide whether or not they plan to stay in a company in the first few days of employment, not months down the line. That’s why it’s crucial to make a good first impression and immediately integrate a new hire.

Virtual Onboarding: How Is It Different?

Onboarding is a crucial part of any hire, and though many people overlook its importance, it can greatly affect any future relationship you build with your new employee. And for digital hires where you hire a new remote employee, it is even more important.

Because you can’t just organize a get-together between your new hire and your current staff to integrate them into the company, you will have to go the extra mile of making them feel welcome. 

It is always a nerve-wracking experience to begin working for a new company, and that anxiety is perhaps multiplied when you begin working for someone you have only met via the phone. That’s why an efficient digital onboarding process is crucial to the hiring process of remote employees.

And because Filipinos are naturally friendly and personable, they will want something more personal from their onboarding to feel like a part of the team and the company, which can do wonders for their morale and in turn, their productivity.

A woman working on her laptop

But what does onboarding look like when it is done virtually? 

Well, your company, your values, and the company culture will determine how you welcome a new employee. While many take the more professional and organized route to onboarding a new employee, some like to inject their company’s unique personality to make the onboarding more interesting and fun. 

But no matter what route you choose, these are some essential things you will need to do no matter what kind of company you run:

1.  Directly after the hire but before their first day, send a welcome email. Not only is it courteous and friendly move, but it should contain important information that your new employee will need to know before their first day. 

It can contain your employee guidebook with sections specifically for remote employees, the points of contact the new employee will need to know (HR, IT, and any other departmental head they may need to contact), the necessary accounts they will need to set up, and any log-in information for platforms to which they will need access.

2. On their first day, introduce them to the team. For remote employees, there may be a feeling of disconnection from the rest of the company because of the distance. If you plan to keep your remote employee for the long-term, making them feel like they are part of the team can help ease those feelings of disconnection. Introducing them to the team via video call is a great alternative for the onboarding event of a big team lunch to get everyone introduced. It can also help your new hire get an idea of the organization and hierarchy in the company, and who directly reports to whom.

3. Give them a mentor to guide them through that first week. A mentor can serve not only as a guide to practical company matters, but they can also help your new remote employees understand what the company’s culture is like.

But while these are general steps that all companies can follow, there are some other things that can specifically help in the onboarding of Filipino remote employees.

Tailoring the Onboarding Process to Filipino Remote Employees

Filipino man smiling and working on a computer

Hiring a remote employee from the Philippines is a great business decision because of its cost-effectivity and how many benefits you get from it, both of which we’ve covered in past installments. 

But getting the best work possible quality of work from your Filipino remote employee means enforcing an onboarding policy that caters to their needs and builds a great working relationship between both of you. These are the things you can do to make that onboarding process as effective as possible:

1.    Have SOPs and training materials ready for your new hire to go through

Filipinos love being prepared and they will appreciate the forethought involved in having SOPs prepared for them and online training materials sent to them.

But you will have to ensure that the training materials have been read and understood. Filipinos dislike appearing stupid so they will not always approach you if they have a question about the content or if they don’t understand something. So it is important to go through the training materials with them to ensure they have a good level of understanding of the content. You will also need to assure them that asking questions is acceptable and even encouraged, as they will not normally raise questions of their own accord.

2.   Go over their contract with them

Clarity is essential to getting off on the right foot together with your remote employee. Going over a new hire’s contract with them not only sets the expectations for the job, but can also give your new employee time to address any questions or concerns they may have.

A good remote employee contract should have the exact job title, job description and responsibilities and tasks they are expected to complete, as well as a description of the expected work standards and quality of output. Letting your remote employee know what kind of standards you want upheld can help them understand their own role in the company and help them refine their work.

3.   Establish yourself as the clear figure of authority

Filipinos are naturally attuned to figures of authority and even seek them in the work environment, so it is important to establish authority from the very first day.

Not only will the clear hierarchy put them at ease, but it can also send a clear message that you will not be lenient or tolerate a low standard of work without verbalizing the sentiment. That is not to say that you cannot be friendly with them, but it means you will have to communicate that you are not lenient about their work.

A woman working on a design on her laptop

4.   Communicate that their job has security

Most people in the Philippines have to live paycheque to paycheque, and job security (or lack thereof) is a source of anxiety for many people. Remote work is often the alternative for many people, but there is still fear of the job being unstable.

To let your Filipino remote employee know that you plan on keeping them for the long-term can help put their anxieties to rest. It can also help build trust in your relationship if your Filipino remote employee knows you value their work.

5.   Take advantage of the onboarding period to build a relationship

While the onboarding period is a time for the employee to learn about their job, be trained, and get used to the work, it is also a crucial period of relationship-building. Many employers expect that relationship to grow eventually, but Filipinos are personable and friendly people who appreciate the effort to get to know them and who like getting to know their superiors in turn.

That’s why you should also see the onboarding period as a crucial time to set your working relationship on the right foot. Not only will it make working much easier, but it can also raise your remote employee’s morale which can boost their productivity.

6.   Set up a reporting system 

The biggest problem with hiring a remote employee is setting a way for accountability. A reporting system solves this by serving as a way for the employee to have proof of the work they’ve accomplished and can also help you get a picture of the work your remote employee has finished. 

A report of their accomplishments can be set daily, weekly, or after every project, depending on the kind of work you’ve assigned to them.

7.   Set up an Evaluation and Feedback System

When you ask your new remote employee to send in their accomplishment reports, it should also be made clear that you will be using those accomplishment reports as basis for their evaluation, which should also be scheduled at this point. 

It is important to let them know that there will be an evaluation in their future. Knowing that their work is being measured and that someone is checking on their work quality reminds them to keep the quality of their work consistent. It can also serve as a kind of motivation for them.

8.   As an optional step, you can set up an incentive plan for your new hire

It is important to keep your employees motivated and excited about the work they produce. One way of doing that is to set up success metrics and offers of promotion, but as that is not as easy to do with remote employees, you can also set up an incentive plan for them.

Filipinos love the promise of an incentive like a bonus or some kind of gift to motivate their work and many employers with Filipino VAs find success in this technique. It can also help keep the quality of their work high and within your standards.

Conclusion

Virtual onboarding is an important part of hiring any remote employee, and there are ways to do it properly and efficiently like sending the right training materials and establishing a connection between your in-house staff and your remote employee.

And for remote employees from the Philippines, there are some extra things you can do to improve their onboarding experience and set yourselves up for a beneficial working relationship.

Onboarding has so many benefits, many of which have been proven with data, so it’s worth your time to prepare the onboarding process carefully and thoughtfully.

In the next installment of the Definitive Guide to Hiring Remote Employees from the Philippines (DGHREP, as you may want to call it), we discuss the importance of setting expectations for a working relationship between you and your Filipino remote employee.

If you want to know more about hiring remote employees from the Philippines, you can contact Remote Staff Seeker here or on our LinkedIn page.

You can also browse through old installments of the series if you’re here to learn more about Filipino remote employees.

Make Hiring Filipino Remote Employees Smoother With These 3 Steps

Part IV of the Definitive Guide to Hiring Remote Employees from the Philippines

Last time, we talked about the things you need to know when you hire a Filipino remote employee, including payment methods, holidays, and the Philippine Labor Code. 

In this installment, we look into the hiring process of Filipino remote employees, how it may differ from a regular hiring process, and what can be done to make the entire process easier. We discuss the three central parts to any digital hire: screening, administering a personality test, and interviewing your applicants. What you need to do to do it right is all broken down for you in the third installment of our series on hiring Filipino remote employees.

A graphic of CVs on a table with a magnifying glass over them

The Digital vs The Traditional Hiring Process

The biggest and most obvious difference between the traditional hiring process we all know and the digital hiring process that is inherent to hiring remote employees is that when hiring a remote employee, everything is done online. 

That means that the recruitment, the interviews, the screening, and the onboarding all have to be done virtually.

But in fact, many “traditional” jobs have a digital hiring process now as well as the technology becomes more advanced. This is because digital hiring is generally easier and more efficient than traditional hiring. Interviews can be conducted on the phone or on a video streaming service that saves time for both parties and allows you to interview more candidates in a short amount of time.

Background checks will also need to be done digitally. You can check up on a candidate’s credentials by following up on their references by email if it’s an employer in the Philippines and you can do more background checks on the candidate’s social media accounts and even their LinkedIn page. This can all be done from thousands of miles away but is an effective way to know more about your potential candidates.

Generally, the digital hiring process can mimic the traditional way of hiring in many ways without drawbacks. But the digital hiring process for hiring remote employees also allows space for you to add more components to the hiring process that can benefit both parties greatly.

Step 1: Screen Your Remote Employee Applicants 

When it comes to screening an applicant for a job you’re outsourcing, there are multiple ways to screen them and various things to check for to make sure they’re a fit for you.

Technical skills

A resume is an obvious place to start with when you want to understand an applicant’s skills. Beyond the basics like grammar and spelling, skills, and their use of language, take a proper look at their work experience. If this is your first time hiring a remote employee, you may have better results with someone who already has experience working for a foreign employer. That way, the onboarding process is easier as they know what to expect.

If you are hiring for a job that needs a consistent quality of work (for example, graphic design or content creation), ask to see a portfolio of their work. Asking questions about why they chose to include it in their portfolio as well as questions about the time it took and the revisions it needed can also tell you a lot about their technical skills and what to expect from them and their output.

Young woman shaking hands with her boss

Aptitude to do the job

There are many cases when a job you’re hiring for needs someone with a specific skillset and specific work experience and background. But with many jobs that are delegated to virtual remote employees, it is usually recommended that you be more open and imaginative when finding a suitable employee.

It is extremely rare for you to find an applicant with the exact qualifications for the role, so it is far better for you to think about your applicants in terms of what they can bring to the role and how quickly they can pick up the technical details of the job.

For example, an opening for a job like a Real Estate VA may need specific tasks done but there are generally no specific requirements that are needed for the job. In that case, an employer or the company’s hiring manager may have better success by looking at the general skill set of the candidate and their skills in time management, organization, and computer literacy that do not necessarily stem from a specific educational background or work experience. What is important is that they have the skills to serve as a foundation for completing specific tasks.

Connectivity & equipment

There is simply no way to overstate how important it is to screen a potential remote employee’s connectivity, which includes their personal computer, their internet connection, and their electricity connection. For a remote employee, all three are crucial to getting tasks done and communicating effectively with their employer and team.

For screening purposes, always ask for a screenshot of their personal internet connection at home. If you are hiring for a job that requires a strong internet connection, this can easily narrow down candidates but if it isn’t a crucial part of the job, you will at least want to make sure it’s strong enough to communicate easily. It’s also helpful to be aware of any internet issues they have beforehand in case they suddenly go offline or become slow to reply to emails, but it is generally recommended that they have a backup internet source. 

Similarly, always ask for a screenshot of their PC’s specs before hiring. For jobs that need a fast processor or that needs a lot of data storage like graphic design or video editing, this is crucial information. 

When screening candidates, always ask for a written backup plan in case the internet becomes disconnected or they experience an electricity outage, which is common in certain areas of the Philippines. Make sure you know that they can access the internet using a portable WiFi device or by going to an internet cafe or computer shop.

A person using a laptop and a smartphone simultaneously

Social presence

While some hiring managers shy away from using the technique, screening an applicant’s online presence can sometimes be the only way to properly screen a potential hire.

There are multiple ways to go about this but the most basic way to start is with a simple Google search. A general search can sometimes uncover more information than most people expect; it can show results for social media profiles but also any things they may not have mentioned in their resume like perhaps having another job. But if an applicant has a common name as many Filipinos do, you may have to become more specific with your Google search.

Many online marketplaces for remote employees ask for an applicant’s Facebook account to supply to the employer, which can be a great help. Most Filipinos use Facebook and Instagram and a lot can be seen on their profiles that can help you make a decision.

Pay attention to the way they present themselves online and whether there is anything that could reflect badly on your company. 

Step 2: Give Your Candidates a Personality Test

When hiring a remote employee, you aren’t just looking for someone with the right skill set and experience background. You also want someone that can fit in well with your company’s culture and with the personalities of your other members on staff that they would be working directly with.

That’s why using a personality test during the hiring process is so great. It effectively evaluates the personality of candidates that can tell you things about the person you would not otherwise know. 

For example, if the job you’re looking to fill is one with tight deadlines and that often has unpredictable tasks that will need to be taken care of, someone who has an anxious and worried personality may not be the best fit. Or if you need someone to work with other members of your staff, someone who works better alone is not an ideal hire.

A graphic of a form on a laptop

Free Personality Tests Available Online 

DISC Assessment 

The DISC assessment is based on William Moulton Marston’s theory of the four central components of personality: dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness. 

We particularly recommend it for the hiring process of remote employees because it assesses three components that employers should know before they make the hire. It assesses skill level, things that affect their productivity, and personality. All these things are central to predicting the way an employee will work that can help you make the decision on who to hire.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

The MBTI test is a popular personality test that was developed based on a theory of personality by Carl Jung. It measures four components of a personality with two poles: 

    • Attitudes, which determines whether a person is an extrovert or an introvert;
    • The Perceiving Function, which measures whether a person understands and interprets new information with their senses or with intuition; 
    • The Judging Function, which measures whether a person makes decisions based on rational thinking or on their own feelings; and
    • Lifestyle Preferences, which determines if a person understands the world with their judging or perceiving functions

The four components with two possible results for each means there are 16 personality possibilities, each with a distinct description. It can also be done online with many websites offering the test for free. It is a popular personality test that is used by many employers, but it has often been criticized for its unreliability, lack of empirical evidence supporting the test, and for the fact that its developers were not licensed psychologists. 

Cattel’s 16PF Test

The 16 personality factor test is based on Raymond Cattell’s theory of personality that was revolutionary at the time for its use of statistics and psychometrics instead of observation. He posited that there are 16 basic factors of personality.

The test has become a popular tool for many clinical and non-clinical tests of personality and the questionnaire is available online to be used by candidates. It is different in that its test relies on hypothetical scenarios and how the person taking the quiz would react to them.

Step 3: Efficiently Interview Your Remote Employee Applicants

Woman in corporate attire on the phone

Interviews can be a daunting prospect for both the employer and the potential hire. There may be a million things running through your head as to what you need to ask.

We’ve made that job easier for you. When it comes to interviewing your applicants, these are the things you absolutely need to touch on:

Their background

When it comes to hiring a remote employee, understanding their background is crucial to understanding how they will work in your company and what to expect from them in the role.

Luckily, Filipinos are generally an open kind of people. They rarely take offense to personal questions and are often comfortable talking about their personal and professional lives in detail, especially to a figure of authority. That makes learning about their background relatively easy. The key to taking advantage of this is knowing exactly what to ask.

For someone looking to hire a remote employee, it is essential that you understand how, where, and when your employee works. Ask about their home and family dynamic, who lives with them, where they plan to carry out work, and their other non-work related responsibilities that could interfere with the work you assign them. 

If you’re unsure about asking directly, ask them to run you through a typical day they have – pay attention to the way their day is set up and what kind of tasks they need to do. It’s also a good way to find out if they are married, have any marital problems that could stop work for them, and if they have any young children that could distract them. Make sure to also cover any health issues they may have and whether those issues could possibly affect their output.

It can also help you understand your candidates to give them hypothetical situations for them to respond to. For example, if you’re hiring for a supervisory role, give them scenarios to respond to like uncooperative employees, conflicts at work, and other situations that could come up during work. 

For hiring remote employees, it is extremely important that you ask for references and follow-up on their references. Understanding how they work and their skillset from previous employers can give you a perspective that you would not be able to gain from only interviewing the employee. 

Three people working and talking together

Their skills

Again, we don’t just mean the skills they have on their resume. Give each applicant a chance to explain their core skills and why they think it is something important for the job opening. It gives you a chance to hear them talk about themselves and to assess whether they know enough about the job opening.

Asking them about the work they are most proud of also gives you an opportunity to hear what they look for in their own work and to assess their self-motivation. An applicant who does not sound enthusiastic about the work they produce may become an employee that is not open to learning new skills or taking initiative in the workplace.

It is also important to be open-minded, flexible, and imaginative when hiring remote employees. For some jobs, it will be extremely difficult to find someone with the exact skill set and work experience you are looking for on online marketplaces. That’s why it’s important to read between the lines when interviewing a candidate.

Sometimes you will come across a candidate with a degree in a completely different field with irrelevant work experience. But when you look at what they’ve done and their interests and skills, their critical thinking skills and time management make them a perfect fit. Remember that intelligent people can be very easily trained in the tasks you need to be completed and it may sometimes be more important to have someone with a commitment to the job and an admirable work ethic.

Their interpersonal skills

Beyond their hard and technical skills, you may also want to know how they get along with other people. Any job position will have some kind of teamwork involved in it, whether that is just between you and your remote employee or between your remote employees.

Asking your applicants if they’ve ever collaborated on a project is a good way to start. Inquire about their role, how they felt about working with other people, and what they think can get in the way of successful collaboration can tell you more about the applicant’s work ethic.

But beyond this, the exchange of feedback is vital to a company’s overall health. It is essential that you have an open and productive discussion about work and what can be improved. Unfortunately, many Filipinos can be sensitive to receiving feedback and can likewise be hesitant to give feedback to their employers even when they’re dissatisfied with something at work. This dissatisfaction can often lead to the remote employee going AWOL and ultimately quitting. We have information and tips about how to deal with this cultural difference in the previous installment of this series. 

But to ease the entire relationship, you should make sure the candidate is comfortable with that kind of two-way feedback process you will need to grow your company. That’s why you should always assess the applicant’s interpersonal skills to decide if they will fit in with your company’s culture or if you are hiring your first employee, be able to communicate with you efficiently and honestly. You will need to be patient, however, as most Filipinos are shy and easily submissive and the idea of being frank with their bosses can be terrifying.

Conclusion

While the reliance on digital and virtual means for hiring may seem daunting for someone hiring their first remote employee, many brick-and-mortar companies have also transitioned to digital hiring, which has helped make the process much easier and smoother. 

But because it’s all done online, you will have to take additional steps to fully know your potential employee. Screening an employee online can help you understand their professional background, personality, and their ability to connect online and complete work effectively.

Giving them a personality test like the DISC assessment can also help you understand their skills and the way they work, which can help you build an environment for them to thrive in. 

But before that, you will need to get as much information out of them from the interviews you conduct. Dividing the questions into background, skills, and interpersonal skills categories can help you organize the questions you need to ask.

All these things can help you hire your first remote employee from the Philippines, but you will have to use your own judgment when it comes to the final hire. Remember, you’re hopefully hiring for the long-term, so it pays to take your time with the process.

If you want to know more about hiring remote employees from the Philippines, you can read our previous articles on the subject here. If you have any questions or want to know more, you can also contact Remote Staff Seeker here or on our LinkedIn page.

Everything You Need to Know About Hiring Remote Employees From the Philippines

Woman working on her laptop

Part III of The Definitive Guide to Hiring Remote Employees from the Philippines

In Part II of the series, we talked about how to hire your first VA from the Philippines. But before you can do that, there are things you will have to know about how it works and what to expect to create a fruitful working relationship. 

And if you’re still not sure if hiring Filipino VAs is for you, you can read our 8 reasons why it’s a game-changer for your business.

So what do you need to know about hiring a VA from the Philippines? We break down the essential information.

Philippine Labor Laws

Before you go out and hire your first VA, you will want to make sure everything is done by the book to avoid any future troubles.

First, you need to establish what kind of worker you are employing. That is, if you are hiring a full or part-time employee  or if you are hiring an independent contractor. Generally, the lines are pretty vague between the two classifications, especially when hiring a remote worker, so it’s good to be clear and direct in your discussion before the hire.

Both regular employees and independent contractors are governed by the Labor Code of the Philippines, but Department Order 174 also governs and protects Filipino independent contractors.. Understanding which parts apply to the hire you are making with a remote worker in the Philippines is crucial to ensure you will not be vulnerable to any legal issues.

An open pen on a contract over the signature line

For hiring remote employees from the Philippines, it is generally recommended that the employer lays out a comprehensive contract to sign before work begins. It can be a regular contract if hiring a part-time or full-time employee, or an Independent Contractor Agreement if hiring a contractor. 

Either way, the contract should include the following:

  • A warranty that the worker is complying with local tax laws and following the appropriate labor regulations that apply to them
  • An agreement that any work the contractor produces on the assignment basis is the intellectual property of the employer and their company
  • The expected schedule of work and the expectations for the working relationship of both parties
  • As prescribed in the Labord Code and DO 174, the contract needs to spell out the specific description of the job
  • A statement of the wage rate both parties agreed to for the work produced

Holidays in the Philippines

holidays_remotestaffseeker

The Philippines has quite a large number of public non-working holidays every year. With such a diverse culture and history, there are many days to honor and Filipino often take full advantage of these days to relax and have fun with their families.

This can often be a problem for companies looking to hire remote employees from the Philippines, as Filipino REs expect to have days off on holidays that may interfere with a foreign company’s calendar. 

For 2019, these are the following regular holidays and special non-working days (denoted by *) in the Philippines:

 

  • 1 January – New Year’s Day
  • 5 February – Chinese New Year*
  • 25 February – EDSA Revolution Anniversary*
  • 9 April – Day of Valor
  • 18 April – Maundy Thursday
  • 19 April – Good Friday
  • 20 April – Black Saturday*
  • 1 May – Labor Day
  • 12 June – Independence Day
  • 21 August – Ninoy Aquino Day*
  • 26 August – National Heros’ Day
  • 1 November – All Saints’ Day*
  • 2 November
  • 30 November – Bonifacio Day
  • 8 December – Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary*
  • 24 December
  • 25 December – Christmas Day
  • 30 December – Rizal Day
  • 31 December – Last day of the year*

While the number of holidays in a single year can seem daunting for a prospective employer, there are ways to circumvent the possibility of losing precious work time. Before hiring a remote employee, agreements can be made regarding what days are non-working holidays and which days their work is expected. That way, they are bound by a prior agreement to complete their tasks on that day.

Of course, this would mean you would have to also agree on the appropriate compensation for working on a holiday, as the Philippines has specific laws about how much an employee should be paid for working on a holiday.

How to Pay Your Remote Staff

We are lucky to live in a world where money is easily transferrable across the world. And this is particularly good for people looking to outsource work to the Philippines. There are many platforms that can be used to pay your remote staff, safely and securely. These are the most popular ways of paying a remote employee:

PAYPAL

PayPal is more popularly known as a platform for making online purchases, but it has also developed its own technology for transferring money online across countries. It’s a safe and reputable platform that has great security measures in place.

PayPal charges each transaction with a corresponding fee that depends on the source of the transfer (the country, if it was made with either a linked bank account or a card, and the amount) and the destination. The exchange rate on PayPal between currencies is also slightly higher than the real market exchange rate. 

If you decide to use PayPal to transfer money, you and your employee will need to decide who shoulders the fee of transferring.

TransferWise logo

TransferWise

TransferWise is another platform for transferring money internationally. It has a similar formula to PayPal but has two key differences: the first is that TransferWise uses real-time exchange rates when transferring money internationally. The second is that unlike PayPal, the standard time for a transfer is at least two days. There is an express transfer option but it has an extra fee.

You will have to discuss times and who pays fees if you choose to pay your remote worker with TransferWise.

A small stack of credit cards

Electronic funds transfer

If you’re looking for a direct way to transfer money without a third party, an electronic funds transfer might be the best option for you. It is a transfer between two bank accounts so the process is safe and secure, but there can sometimes be some holdups that may delay compensation, which puts you at a vulnerable spot legally.

Cultural Differences Between the Philippines and the Western World

The flag of the Philippines on a flagpole

Though the Philippines is in many ways similar to the Western World because of its history with the United States, we can still expect some degree of difference between the cultures.

Close Family Ties

One cultural difference that usually surprises foreign bosses is how close Filipinos are with their families. And that doesn’t just mean direct family members, it includes everyone from their grandparents, aunts. uncles, cousins, second cousins, and just about everyone who is related to them. And because family is extremely important to Filipinos, you will usually hear about people taking the day off to celebrate an aunt or cousin’s birthday. 

Because Filipinos may assume people from the West understand this, they can become surprised when their requests for a day off aren’t granted. That’s why it is important for both parties to go through days of the year to go over any planned absences or events, save for emergencies that cannot be foreseen. Letting your Filipino virtual employees know exactly what you expect from them can save you a whole load of trouble and can make the relationship easier and more open.

Giving and Receiving Feedback

Filipinos are generally uncomfortable with feedback. Giving feedback, even constructive criticism, is usually deemed as disrespectful to the authority figure. Most Filipinos either just lie or disappear from their places of employment when they become dissatisfied with work. 

It is important to let your remote employees know that you appreciate and even seek out feedback and to create a trusting environment that will help them open up.

On the other side of the coin, Filipinos do not generally appreciate any kind of feedback as they see it as criticism. If you want to give feedback to your employee, you will need to be couple it with a compliment and be clear that you are satisfied with their work. Another route you can take to give feedback is to take more of a “coaching” tone that they will not misinterpret. 

CONCLUSION

If you plan on taking advantage of the great benefits that come with hiring remote employees from the Philippines, you will need to know the facts about the reality of it to avoid any disappointments or problems in the future.

Being well-versed in Philippine Law is extremely helpful in understanding where your company stands as a foreign employer and how that relates to the Filipino remote employee you want to hire. Interestingly enough, you can actually find many Filipino legal assistant remote workers online to help you unravel the complexities of the Philippine Labor Code.

There are many holidays in the Philippines, and depending on the kind of worker you hire, you may be obliged to give them the day off on those days. But it is helpful to agree to terms about working on holidays prior to the hire to get the most out of your remote worker.

There are many ways to pay your remote worker, and it will be up to both employer and employee to make the decision about a payment method.

And though there are cultural differences between Filipinos and the West, these differences can be bridged with proper understanding, empathy, and open discussion.

Next time on this series, we tackle the hiring process of Filipino remote employees, including everything you need to know about the digital hiring process!

If you want to know more about any of the information here, reach out to Remote Staff Seeker on our site or on our LinkedIn page.

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