You can make the most out of your Outsource Philippines team when you’re aware of the work-cultural differences presented. Each nation has its own culture. This is something you need to keep in mind when looking for virtual assistant services in Dropshipping or eCommerce (Amazon, Shopify, AliExpress, WooCommerce, and eBay).
Ensuring that everyone in your online store workplace is on the same page is critical in any company. Nonetheless, there’s likely to be some hiccups when you’re working with a remote team in an entirely different continent.
Here is some brief insight into some of the cultural aspects defining your Outsource Philippines team:
The Importance of Relationship Building and Family
In the Western world, we typically think of the nuclear variety when we hear the word ‘family.’ This generally consists of parents, kids, and maybe a pet. However, this is a different story for Filipinos. Your Outsource Philippines team likely has a large extended family.
It’s quite common that many family members (grandparents, parents, siblings, and cousins) live under the same roof. Although this might sound strange from a Western standpoint, this is entirely normal.
Their daily interactions among family members create a hierarchy that’s primarily based on respect. Overall, Filipinos are more formal than we typically are when it comes to relationships. This is brought into office interactions as well.
Friendly Atmospheres
As we can all agree, friendly workspaces are the best environments to conduct work. This is the same in the Eastern world. Filipinos prefer working in atmospheres where they can interact with their co-workers. It’s evident that everyone likes to gossip and banter – it’s only human nature.
However, Filipinos go a little further in this regard. ‘Pakikisama’ is known more commonly as camaraderie and is a vital attribute in the Philippines and other Eastern cultures. Generally speaking, this is the idea that individuals should be helpful to their families regardless if they live together or not.
This bleeds into Filipino work culture as well. Your Outsource Philippines virtual team tends to go above and beyond to aid their colleagues. In some instances, this is done at their own expense (either with money or time).
Such cultural practices translate into Filipino’s going above the call of duty to ensure things are done correctly. This hardworking nature and talent makes Outsource Philippines teams excellent assets in eCommerce stores (like yours).
Workplace Hierarchy
As we talked about before, Filipinos place greater emphasis on recognizing status and hierarchy. Hence, you’re likely to find Filipino employees using ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’ when addressing clients or superiors. Such titles and honorifics find a way into even relatively casual conversations now and then.
However, this doesn’t mean that Filipinos prefer working in a more formal and rigid environment. Like the rest of us, these remote employees enjoy easy-going and positive workplaces. That’s why you shouldn’t make the mistake of insisting on excessive formality or treating them like automatons.
Saving Face
Did you know that 75 percent of Filipinos are fluent in English? This is primarily because of the massive Western influence in the country. Nonetheless, Filipinos still maintain an Eastern disposition. Saving face is a huge aspect of their culture.
Hence, most Filipinos don’t ask questions when they don’t understand something, as it’s seen as losing integrity. When effectively managing an Outsource Philippines team for your online store, you need to identify more appropriate ways of addressing Filipino team members. Understanding body language over video calls is an excellent way of understanding how a Filipino team member is feeling. This can be done even if they’re attempting to hide their emotions to save face.
Celebrations
We all look forward to the holiday season. This is evident in the Eastern world as well. It’s common to hear Christmas songs and jingles being played in Filipino malls from the beginning of August while Christmas trees can be seen from just as early. However, work doesn’t stop then.
While in the Philippines, the mood becomes very festive with most individuals shopping and in good spirits. Additionally, celebrations can last until almost the second week of January. Employers need to know and respect these times in January when looking at holiday events.
You want to avoid a resentful Outsource Philippines team, but you’re likely to create one if you deny them from spending time with their families during the festive season.
Final Considerations
From the information mentioned above, it’s easy to understand that Filipinos are resilient and hardworking people. They take pride in the work they offer and enjoy having a friendly office environment. However, not accommodating to their cultural practices and routines can prove detrimental to your online store’s success.
Considering that they love to party, value culture and traditions, and are religious can help you formulate the right managerial style to ensure you gain the best performance from this Outsource Philippines team.
