So, you’ve finally hired a Filipino remote worker. Great job!
Filipinos remote workers are highly motivated, whether they’re in the office or working from home. You can definitely expect quality work and great communications skills, if you treat them well and train them properly.
Speaking of, have you ever thought about how you’ll be delegating tasks to your virtual assistant? Outsourcing has plenty of advantages, but working with a remote VA does have a learning curve, especially with the distance and time zone differences involved. Add the cultural differences and well, the first few days might be overwhelming if you’re unprepared.
Fortunately, you’re not the first, and definitely not the last AU entrepreneur about to discover the benefits of working with remote staff from the Philippines. So, here’s a little checklist for properly delegating tasks to your Filipino VA just for you:
Know and Show Your Process
It’s important to lead the way, no matter how amazing your new hire is. Filipino VA’s can only work fast if they know what they’re doing, and this is where you come in.
You of all people should at least be familiar with your business’ key processes. Sure, you’ll be outsourcing some of them, but you should demonstrate how you want them. Or at least know how to describe the sort of output you expect from your VA.
Also, don’t forget to Introduce your VA to the rest of your team. Set up a video call, discuss your company background, and orient them on how things work in general. It might help to endorse your VA to the key team members they’ll be interacting with too.
Delegate the Right Tasks
Leaders have the tendency to micromanage to prove that they can do it all. Sorry to disappoint you, but that approach helps no one, least of all, you. Effective leaders understand that proper delegation is crucial for success. You can only do so much on your own. Why else did you hire a VA, right?
First, list down the tasks you need them to do. Pick ones that are critical yet tedious and don’t really require your creativity, expertise, or decision-making. If there are tasks that your VA can do better than you, that’s all the more reason to delegate it to them. The rest, you can keep for yourself.
Don’t forget to give your VA a bit of wiggle room and autonomy to carry out their tasks too. Instead of breathing down their neck every so often, put your newfound time and freedom towards important endeavours that only you can do. Growing your business, for instance.
Provide Context
Miscommunication at work happens all the time, that’s a given. But it can have more devastating consequences when you’re thousands of miles away from each other. Thus, it helps to provide context when assigning tasks to your remote employee. If they understand the purpose behind a task, they’ll be able to make better decisions.
For example, if you’re working with a Filipino copywriter on a marketing campaign, explain the reasons behind the new strategy. Sharing your company’s reasons and motivations always helps too. The bottomline is, your distributed team needs to understand why what we’re doing is necessary to your company’s success.
Use the Right Communication Tools
Remote work is reliant on effective communication. Thus, it’s important to have multiple tools that can facilitate this via different channels for different purposes.
Email, video conferencing software, project management tools, and instant messaging apps are all great communication tools. Multiple channels enable your remote employees to reach you faster whenever there are pressing issues that require urgent feedback.
Share Your Expectations
…and be specific about them. What sort of output do you need from your VA? How often do you expect them to provide such? What things do you expect them to handle on their own? Which matters should they always consult you about?
Be straightforward and clear about your expectations. This way, your remote workers can work with less confusion and more confidence.
Check On Their Progress
Just because you’ve delegated tasks to your remote team doesn’t mean that you should abandon them completely. It’s also important to check on their progress every now and then and see what additional support they might need.
Doing so also gives you up-to-date information that can enable you to make better decisions.
Give Feedback and Recognition
Nothing is more rewarding than knowing your efforts are appreciated. This is especially true if you’re working remotely and don’t really get any face-to-face interactions with your colleagues.
If you like someone’s work, tell them. It’s that simple. A quick “Hey, nice job on that project! You did really well!” can go a long way towards fostering loyalty among your distributed staff.
For more tips on how to effectively manage your Filipino remote workers, check this out.
Like it or not, outsourcing is here to stay. Many an AU SME has a team of Filipino remote workers propelling them to success. Why shouldn’t yours have the same?
Remote Staff has been partnering AU entrepreneurs with the best Filipino remote writers, designers, and assistants from the Philippines for more than 10 years.
Call us or schedule a callback so you won’t ever have to do everything on your own.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home. Hermits, aspiring hermits, and non-hermits with interesting project propositions may email her at serena.estrella10@gmail.com.
