In a May 2024 online article, Ryan Strategic Advisory published the result of their Front Office CX Omnibus Survey that showed the Philippines among the most favored offshore customer experience (CX) delivery destination for 2024, tying with South Africa as runner-up, and with India in the top spot.
The survey, reportedly conducted with 750 CX leaders from 11 key demand regions—including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan—highlighted the favorability of over 40 offshore and nearshore destinations. The report shows the Philippines continuing to showcase its resilience and appeal as one of the leading offshore destinations, and maintaining strong favorability across English-language markets.
Why Businesses Choose Filipino Remote Workers
Notably, the Philippines stands out for its deep pool of highly skilled professionals. Filipino remote workers are renowned for their exceptional English proficiency, cultural compatibility with Western businesses, and strong work ethic.
Filipinos tend to have strong adaptability to new technologies, allowing to seamlessly integrate into any remote setup. The rich talent pool comes with strong educational backgrounds coupled with practical skills, making them easy to train. These qualities make the country an ideal choice for businesses seeking reliable and cost-effective staffing solutions.
Let’s break it down and glean insights on…
- Highly Skilled and Educated Workforce
The Philippines boasts of talent with expertise across various industries, including customer service and IT; web design and programming; marketing and inside sales, as well as back-office, admin, and HR support. They also have a huge number of highly trained CPAs for accounting needs and even Registered Nurses available for healthcare support.
Robert Brough, CEO of Agility Staffing Services that specializes in building offshore remote teams for US clients, notes in a recent blog, “Filipinos come with a very solid background. We’re talking about people that all have college degrees, sometimes two… The people here are educated, dedicated, hard-working, really committed to a good employer, and to the client. It’s a great pleasure and a privilege to work with people like that.”
- Cost-Effective Solutions
Partnering with Filipino vendors provides businesses with significant cost savings without compromising on quality, making it a highly attractive option for outsourcing.
Brough says, “Most people in business have faced two challenges,. First is finding good staff; and then, second, struggling for margin. You may well be making money when you start, but as time goes by, the margin gets skinnier and skinnier.” His then LA-based DME eventually faced a 47% reduction in their top-line revenue through Medicare competitive billing that came into play. So he asked himself how the business would remain afloat. “To survive and prosper, I needed to hire the best talent at a competitive cost, and I went to the Philippines. I hired a small team… and eventually grew our staff and we were able to give opportunities to everyone.” The move saved his business millions of dollars annually. With the formula for successfully building remote teams, Brough was also able to replicate the same success for his US clients.
- Cultural Compatibility
Filipino workers are known for their adaptability and understanding of Western and other business cultures, ensuring seamless collaboration with global teams. They are particularly attuned to the US culture, having been exposed to it for many years. Filipinos, certainly in bigger metropolitan cities, readily understand American idiom better than those in neighboring countries.
Brough notes, “There’s a very good culture fit. Because the Philippines, back in the day, was a colony of the United States. Filipinos grew up and have maintained a very strong relationship with the US. Also, there’s a huge Filipino diaspora here in the US, so there’s very strong ties. This understanding of the US culture enhances Filipinos’ ability to communicate with them better.”
- Strong Communication Skills
English is widely spoken in the Philippines, and the language is learned by majority of Filipino children at a very young age. As a strong second language, it is also used in the educational system, the news, and even in pop culture and entertainment. Filipino employees exhibit clear, neutral accents—a crucial factor for customer experience delivery, aiding in better understanding between agents and clients.
“Filipino English is excellent,” enthused Brough. “Most have a slight Filipino lilt, but they learn it in school. What I find is, Filipinos who speak the language well is also generally quite acclimated to the US culture.”
- Dependability and Dedication
Filipino professionals are valued for their strong work ethic, commitment to deadlines, and customer-centric approach, which helps businesses enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
“Filipinos want to come to work and they want to do a good job, like anything, if you look after them, right? Filipinos want to go the extra mile for the business,“ Brough enthused.
He also adds, “They have great empathy, and this is invaluable especially in healthcare. It’s probably one of the reasons why Filipino nurses are hired all over the world. It’s not just about the skill base that they come out of college with, but they have this empathy that patients really appreciate.”
The Broader Benefits of Remote Staffing
Remote staffing offers much more than just access to affordable labor.
In countries like the Philippines, India, and other parts of Asia, lower costs of living translate to competitive labor rates. There are still misconceptions that this gives western and foreign businesses a leeway to exploit cheap labor but the truth is, it represents a mutually beneficial exchange where workers gain access to stable, high-paying jobs relative to their local economies, and businesses achieve operational efficiencies. The result is a globalized workforce that drives growth for companies while uplifting communities through better employment opportunities.
Conclusion
As global businesses continue to prioritize cost-efficiency and flexibility, remote staffing has become a cornerstone of modern outsourcing strategies. Businesses seeking to optimize operations should strongly consider the benefits of remote staffing, particularly with Filipino vendors, who offer unparalleled value, professionalism, and expertise. By strategically partnering with the right offshore locations, companies can drive growth, enhance efficiency, and deliver exceptional customer experiences in the coming years.
Further reading:
The Return to Office War: Why the Numbers Aren’t Necessarily Showing the Big Picture