10 Lessons Learned from Hiring in the Philippines

Offshoring isn’t new. But the way companies do it today is vastly different. We’ve worked with clients who scaled their operations faster, reduced costs, and found top-tier talent—all because they made one smart move: they hired in the Philippines.

At Penbrothers, we’ve seen how hiring Filipino professionals transforms businesses. Not just by filling roles, but by building reliable, motivated, and skilled teams that become an extension of your core. With more companies going global, understanding how to hire well in the Philippines is no longer optional—it’s a growth opportunity waiting to be unlocked.

In this article, I’ll share 10 lessons learned from working with international startups, scale-ups, and enterprises looking to hire smarter in the Philippines.

Lesson 1: There Are Clear-Cut Benefits to Hiring in the Philippines

Lower Costs, World-Class Talent

You save more than just money. Hiring in the Philippines reduces salary costs by up to 70% compared to U.S. and European markets. But the real value? It comes from the talent itself. Filipinos are highly educated, speak excellent English, and have global work experience.

In fact, according to the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), the IT-BPM industry generated USD 38 billion in revenues in 2024 and employed 1.82 million full-time professionals—a 7% year-on-year growth. This surge reflects the country’s strong pool of digital and customer-centric talent, driven by increasing global demand from sectors like banking, healthcare, and finance

English fluency and global communication

The Philippines is consistently ranked as one of the top English-speaking countries in Asia, and business English is widely used. This fluency makes collaboration easier—especially in roles requiring written reports, customer interaction, or cross-border teamwork.

Many Filipino professionals are also familiar with idiomatic and industry-specific English, making communication more natural and efficient. This reduces training time, eliminates miscommunication, and allows teams to hit the ground running from day one. Whether in technical documentation or sales emails, language isn’t a barrier—it’s a bridge.

Shared work culture and adaptability

Filipino employees are known for their service orientation, strong work ethic, and adaptability. They’re often trained in structured corporate environments and are comfortable with tools like Slack, HubSpot, and project management systems.

Most have experience working with global teams and understand Western business norms—like feedback cycles, deliverable deadlines, and async collaboration. They’re quick learners, and their professional agility makes it easy to plug them into your systems and workflows. This alignment speeds up onboarding and reduces the friction typically found in cross-cultural teams.

Willingness to work global time zones

Unlike many other regions, Filipino professionals are open to shifting work hours to match global clients—especially U.S. and Australian teams. This makes them ideal for roles in customer success, support, and real-time collaboration across departments.

It’s common to see Filipino teams working split shifts or graveyard hours without sacrificing productivity. Their flexibility also allows you to offer extended service windows or even 24/7 support without hiring in multiple regions. For businesses that rely on real-time operations, this time zone agility is a huge operational win.

Cultural compatibility and loyalty

Filipino culture emphasizes respect, teamwork, and family-like relationships in the workplace. As a result, Filipino professionals often view their company as an extension of their community, which drives loyalty and retention.

They value mentorship, recognition, and being part of a cohesive team—qualities that align well with collaborative company cultures. Once trust is established, they often go above and beyond, showing strong commitment to team goals and long-term success. That’s why many companies report lower attrition rates and higher morale when they build teams in the Philippines.

Lesson 2: There Are Unexpected Benefits Beyond the Obvious Cost Savings

Lower Operational Costs Beyond Salaries

It’s not just salaries—office space, utilities, and on-site perks all add up fast. By building remote teams in the Philippines, many companies are now able to bypass these hidden expenses altogether. A traditional office setup in cities like New York or Sydney can cost $10,000 to $15,000 per employee annually, once you factor in rent, utilities, and upkeep. According to Offices.net, office fit-out costs in the U.S. range from $90 to $220 per rentable square foot, depending on location, size, and labor demands.

In contrast, remote Filipino teams often work from home or co-working setups—without expecting subsidized lattes or catered lunches. And no, remote doesn’t mean disengaged. According to various studies, remote workers report up to 20% higher job satisfaction, especially when they’re trusted and supported.

Reduce Risk Through Market Diversification

While many companies looked to Eastern Europe or India in the past, recent global events have made risk diversification critical. The Philippines offers an alternative—politically stable, economically resilient, and less prone to geopolitical volatility.

In fact, the World Bank highlights the Philippines’ economic resilience and strong human capital development as key advantages for employers building remote or offshore teams. As part of the ASEAN region, it also benefits from strong foreign relations and a fast-developing digital economy.

By hiring in the Philippines, you’re not just offshoring—you’re distributing risk and building continuity into your operations.

Lesson 3: Filipino Talent Can Fill Almost Any Role—Not Just Customer Support

Yes, the Philippines is known for its world-class customer service sector. But that’s just the beginning. You can build tech, finance, marketing, legal, HR, and creative teams here.

JobStreet Philippines, in its latest job report, revealed that demand for roles in IT, marketing, and engineering saw a significant surge in 2023, showing the breadth of talent now available beyond BPO JobStreet Philippines 2023 Outlook.

At Penbrothers, we’ve staffed entire product teams, analytics departments, and growth squads. The versatility of the Filipino talent pool is what makes this market exceptional. And it’s time more companies move beyond stereotypes—here are some common myths about offshore teams that we’ve debunked.

Lesson 4: Fair Pay Looks Different Here—And It Matters More Than You Think

Compensation in the Philippines can be tricky for first-timers. It’s not just about slashing salaries. You need to understand local benchmarks, perks, and what’s considered competitive.

A fair salary, plus internet and healthcare allowances, can go a long way in attracting top talent. According to a Mercer Philippines study cited by Philstar, the average salary of Filipino professionals is expected to increase by 5.5% in 2025 — a reflection of inflation pressure and strong competition for skilled talent. Beyond salary, Mercer also noted that benefits like HMO coverage, remote work support, and career development remain top drivers of talent attraction and retention.

Working with a partner like Penbrothers helps you navigate this so you don’t just hire fast—you hire right. Check out our Salary Guide for the Philippines to understand role-based compensation expectations in today’s hiring landscape.

Lesson 5: Scaling With Filipino Talent Opens Up New Business Opportunities

Hiring locally often limits growth speed. In the Philippines, companies are building 10-, 20-, even 50-person teams in months, not years.

Lower costs give you the flexibility to experiment with new markets, support functions, or time zones. Whether you’re expanding sales coverage or improving 24/7 customer support, Filipino teams make it happen.

This scale unlocks strategic moves—like launching pilot teams, A/B testing new business units, or decentralizing customer experience ops.

And because Filipino professionals are already well-versed in global tools and systems, integration is quicker than you’d expect.

With the right partner, building agile, cross-functional teams becomes less of a risk—and more of a competitive advantage. See how Luxclusif scaled quickly with Penbrothers to power their international growth strategy.

Lesson 6: Structured Hiring Process Is Critical to Winning Top Filipino Talent

If you’re scaling a team in the Philippines, a messy hiring process will cost you. Top Filipino candidates are often fielding multiple offers—if your recruitment feels slow, unclear, or disorganized, they’ll walk.

We’ve seen the consequences firsthand when companies hire without a solid plan:

• Interviewers aren’t aligned. Without a defined owner, hiring gets stuck between teams. Candidates get left waiting, and the best ones drop out.
• Internal teams don’t know the process. If HR, founders, and managers aren’t working from the same roadmap, you’ll waste time repeating steps or asking the wrong questions.
• Candidates lose trust. Filipino professionals—especially experienced ones—value clarity, speed, and professionalism. A poorly run hiring process sends the wrong signal about how your company operates.

Before you even post the job, get aligned on these questions:

• Who’s making the final hiring decision?
• Do you expect a portfolio, a skills test, or a recorded response before the interview?
• How will you collect and share application materials across your team?

Spending 60–90 minutes mapping this out saves weeks of back-and-forth later. It also reflects well on your brand—especially when hiring across borders.

And if you’re not sure where to start, Penbrothers has you covered. We help our clients define the full hiring flow—from job scoping to screening to final interviews—so nothing falls through the cracks. With local recruiters guiding the process, you get structure, speed, and quality control built in.

Here’s what a streamlined hiring process can do for you:

• Secure top candidates faster. Speed matters when demand is high. A fast, clean process improves your chances of landing talent before competitors do.
• Lower hiring costs. Less time interviewing and sourcing means you spend fewer hours and dollars per hire.
• Enhance your company’s image. Organized hiring signals that you value structure and people’s time—two things Filipino professionals really appreciate.
• Avoid costly mis-hires. A clear process with consistent screening helps you make better decisions based on fit, not just first impressions.

If you’re hiring offshore, your process is part of your pitch. Make it sharp—and we’ll help you get there.

Lesson 7: Smart Screening Saves Time and Elevates Hiring Quality

Before starting your recruitment process in the Philippines, having a solid screening strategy isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. At Penbrothers, we’ve seen that when clients take screening seriously, they not only save time, but also end up with better, longer-lasting hires.

By the time you’re interviewing, you should already have a strong sense of whether someone is a good fit—technically, culturally, and professionally.

Resume Reviews

Start with clarity. What are the must-haves and nice-to-haves for this role?
Use your job description to define keywords, certifications, and industry experience that should show up in a strong resume.
To streamline this process, we often help clients build resume scorecards or filters in tools like Google Sheets. Local recruiters on our side handle the initial review, saving your team hours in pre-qualification.

Work Tests and Practical Assessments

Interviews can be polished. But real-world tests are revealing.
We help clients design short take-home projects or case studies based on the actual day-to-day of the role.
These not only assess technical competence, but also show how well a candidate follows instructions, communicates their thought process, and solves problems—core traits for remote success.
We also recommend quick values-alignment or situational questions to gauge cultural fit early on.

Asynchronous Video Interviews

Want to screen for communication skills, tone, and personality—without burning hours in meetings?
Use a tool like VideoAsk, Willo, or SparkHire to collect on-demand video responses to basic screening questions.
This lets you evaluate English fluency, presentation style, and thought clarity before committing to a live call.
At Penbrothers, we often combine these with recruiter insights to surface the top 5% of candidates fast.

If this sounds like a lot to build—don’t worry. We’ve already done it.
Our local recruitment team runs this full screening process for you, tailoring it to your role, brand, and expectations. You get clean shortlists, qualified candidates, and no wasted time.

Good screening protects your bandwidth and your brand. Done right, it turns hiring from a gamble into a competitive advantage.

Lesson 8: Modesty Is Cultural—Don’t Undervalue Quiet Confidence in Interviews

One of the most overlooked truths about hiring in the Philippines? Great candidates don’t always self-promote.
Filipino professionals are often raised in environments that value humility, deference to authority, and group harmony. This cultural grounding means they may not “sell” themselves assertively in interviews—especially compared to Western candidates who are encouraged to be outspoken and self-assured.

But make no mistake: modesty doesn’t mean mediocrity.

Some of the best-performing hires we’ve placed were soft-spoken in interviews—yet turned out to be punctual, consistent, and technically excellent once onboarded. Unfortunately, we’ve also seen clients pass over amazing candidates simply because they didn’t “stand out” in a traditional interview setting.

Here’s how to interview smarter in the Philippines:

1. Don’t judge based on first impressions alone

That opening handshake or Zoom intro won’t always reflect the candidate’s full potential. Instead of focusing on charisma, dig deeper with open-ended, role-relevant questions.

Example: “Tell me about a time when you solved a difficult problem without being asked.”
Why it works: It draws out real initiative, even from quieter candidates.

2. Use behavioral and situational prompts

Filipino candidates may hesitate to “brag.” Frame questions in a way that invites storytelling instead of self-praise.

Tip: Replace “Why should we hire you?” with “What kind of challenges do you enjoy solving at work?”

3. Rely more on assessments and work samples

If you’re hiring for design, code, copywriting, or ops—ask for actual outputs or brief test projects. This gives candidates a more comfortable medium to showcase their skills, especially if they’re more introverted in conversation.

4. Create space for follow-up questions

Some candidates may take longer to warm up or think through their responses. Leave room for clarification. Don’t rush to fill the silence.Pro tip: Use asynchronous interviews or second-round “casual chats” as a lower-pressure follow-up format.

Lesson 9: Onboarding Is an Extension of Hiring—Get It Right From Day One

You’ve made the hire. Now what? Onboarding in the Philippines sets the tone for everything. A warm welcome, clear expectations, and structured documentation make a big impact.

This is especially true in a remote environment. A well-onboarded employee performs faster and stays longer.

In Filipino culture, first impressions are tied to trust, loyalty, and pride in one’s work. Understanding Filipino cultural traits and values can help global employers approach interviews with deeper empathy and effectiveness.

That’s why we guide our clients to include local context in onboarding—like team culture explainers, local holidays, and communication do’s and don’ts.

At Penbrothers, we built our Hypercare onboarding framework to support this transition—providing hands-on guidance during the first 30 to 90 days to ensure alignment, engagement, and early performance.

A strong onboarding process isn’t fluff—it’s your retention plan in disguise.

Lesson 10: Strong Employer Brand Helps You Attract the Best Talent Faster

Filipino professionals do their homework. Before they even click “Apply,” they’re already checking your Glassdoor reviews, LinkedIn presence, website, and even asking peers in their network. In a digital-first job market, your reputation isn’t optional—it’s your front door.

LinkedIn’s Talent Trends Report notes that 75% of job seekers research company reputation and culture before applying—and this trend is even more pronounced in emerging markets like the Philippines, where word-of-mouth and peer recommendations carry serious weight.

And it’s not just about salary. Filipino candidates care about the bigger picture:

• “What kind of leadership does this company have?”
• “Do they invest in their people?”
• “Will I feel respected and supported here?”

Here’s how to make your employer brand work harder in the Philippines:

1. Showcase your values and culture—authentically

Generic mission statements don’t cut it. Share real team stories, internal milestones, and cultural rituals that help applicants feel what it’s like to work with you.

Tip: Highlight moments that align with Filipino values—like celebrating team wins, career milestones, or community initiatives.

2. Build a presence where your candidates are

If your company looks inactive on LinkedIn or has inconsistent messaging across platforms, that’s a red flag. Filipino talent will notice. Maintain an active, professional digital footprint—especially on channels like LinkedIn, JobStreet, and even Facebook groups relevant to your industry.

3. Make your application experience reflect your values

A respectful, streamlined, and transparent hiring process speaks volumes. It shows you value your candidates’ time and sets the tone for how they’ll be treated as employees.

Pro tip: Candidates will remember if you follow up, communicate clearly, and personalize outreach—even if they don’t get the job.

Final Thoughts

Hiring in the Philippines isn’t a shortcut. It’s a strategy. When done right, it opens doors to faster growth, greater flexibility, and long-term success. The lessons above aren’t just observations—they’re battle-tested insights from companies that made it work.

Whether you’re hiring your first offshore team or scaling an entire department, the Philippines offers a talent-rich, English-proficient, globally minded workforce ready to plug in.And if you need help doing it right, Penbrothers is here to guide you every step of the way. See how SpotShip saved significantly by offshoring with us—real numbers, real outcomes.