Navigating the Filipino Work Culture For Better Business
Work culture in the Philippines comes with unique quirks and definite advantages that make Filipino professionals great additions to offshore teams. Especially so in tandem with having in-demand skills in marketing, engineering, customer support, and more.
Yet with differences in culture at work, it’s quite understandable for international employers to find their office practices quite confusing at first.
We’re here to help.
If you’re one of many interested in hiring an offshore team in the Philippines, or even if you already have a Filipino team working for you, checking out the list below is sure to make navigating and developing your work relationship with Filipino employees a lot easier.
Filipino work culture in a nutshell
Respect for seniority and position
Filipino culture is heavy on respect, especially when it comes to the elderly. From a young age, Filipinos are taught to strictly follow the advice of their elders and to always keep their convenience in mind.
In the workplace, this translates to treating not only the elderly but also senior team members and people in higher positions with the respect due to them and more. Using titles and honorifics such as “Boss,”, “Ma’am/Sir,” “Ms./Mr.,” and even actual job titles like “Attorney,” or “Architect” before mentioning a person’s name is usually the default.
Often, unless specifically given permission, Filipinos may hesitate to say contrary opinions and share their thoughts with higher-ups. This may come as a surprise to international employers, especially those from the U.S. where people are more casual and outspoken in the office.
But don’t worry because simply by expressing your desired attitude, whether it be the dropping of honorifics and being more direct in conversation, Filipino employees will easily adapt for your comfort.
Use of English for business communications over their mother language
English is considered one of the Philippines’ official languages. In fact, it’s being taught in schools all over the country from as early as the elementary years. It is also used as the primary mode of teaching in many educational institutions to boost Filipinos’ global competitiveness.
True enough, with over 80% of the population knowing how to speak English, the Philippines has become one of the top destinations for outsourcing. Filipinos can easily keep up with English jargons and instructions, minimizing communication issues with the lack of a language barrier. This, in turn, boosts productivity and task completion rates.
Office relationships and food
If there’s one thing you need to know about Filipinos, it’s that they love food. Born to delicious cuisines like lechon, adobo, and sinigang, Filipinos look forward to any occasion where food is involved. So much so that not only is it at the center of most office gatherings but also serves as glue that bonds team members.
They take any excuse to get together and eat great food. Whether it’s having a meeting with the bosses, making a big sale, celebrating a teammate’s birthday, or simply having a stressful day and wanting a bit of encouragement, you’d be sure to find Filipino employees ordering food and sharing it with the team.
As an employer, sending over food, even if it’s just pizza or pancit, is one of the easiest ways to develop a closer relationship with your Filipino team members. Take it a step further and eat with them whether in person or online. Soon enough, you’ll be as tight as thieves.
Family at the heart of business
Filipinos are extremely family oriented. Like most Asians, they often live together with their extended families and take care of their elderly at home. As such, there is a heightened need for them to provide for larger family sizes.
At work, family serves as the main motivation for many Filipinos. It is one of the biggest reasons why millions of Filipinos brave working overseas where they can get better pay and opportunities compared to what they get offered in the Philippines. They sacrifice their desire to be with their families just to give them a better quality of life.
With family motivating them, it will be hard for you to find a more hardworking hire compared to a Filipino employee. Having family-centric benefits, such as additional HMO coverage for dependents, is also a sure way to keep Filipino employees loyal to your company.
Thankfully, with the boom of outsourcing globally, many Filipinos are now able to enjoy international-level benefits and salaries without leaving the Philippines. They are also able to develop skills that are relevant globally, leading to better competitiveness at home and abroad.
So while outsourcing in the Philippines is a budget-friendly option for international companies, their patronage of Filipino talents go a long way in improving Filipinos’ lives.
Outsource to the Philippines and enjoy great work culture and quality outputs
Filipinos are some of the most reliable offshore hires with skills that are widely recognized internationally and a work culture that pushes them to work smart and hard. They are respectful, English-proficient, and motivated team players that can fill up skill gaps in almost any industry.
And with Tahche, you can get access to their amazing pool of talents and build a Philippine offshore team in just 30 days or less.
Contact us to start your offshoring business journey.
