Review of OnlineJobs.ph + 9 Tips for Hiring Effective Filipino Workers

I've been in the trenches of hiring virtual assistants, so I know the ups and downs of finding the right talent. That's why I turned to OnlineJobs.ph, and let me tell you, it's been quite the journey. 

Today, I'm spilling the beans on everything – the good, the bad, and my top 9 insider tips for snagging awesome Filipino workers.

So, let's get into the nitty-gritty of OnlineJobs.ph and see what it's all about.

Is OnlineJobs Worth It?

In my opinion, yes, OnlineJobs.ph is absolutely worth it.

The quality of the talent on the site is unmatched, and there is no other site with more Filipino freelancers available.

The low fee that you pay to use the service is beyond worth it since you get to negotiate rates directly with your freelancer and don’t have to pay a percentage of their price to OnlineJobs, nor do they take a percentage out of the freelancer’s pay.

It’s truly a win-win situation for top talent.

Overview of OnlineJobs.ph

OnlineJobs.ph is a job board dedicated to hiring people from the Philippines.

It was founded in 2008 by John Jonas and has grown to be the largest marketplace of Filipino virtual assistants.

Why Hire From the Philippines?

There are 3 primary reasons for hiring remote workers from the Philippines:

1. Language: The country has fluent English speakers
2. Work Ethic: Filipinos are known to be loyal and hardworking and typically look for long-term (if not lifetime) job placements.
3. Affordability: You can hire candidates with advanced education and experience at a fraction of the cost of hiring in the US

Virtual Assistant Specialties

The Philippines are well known for Virtual Assistants (VA’s) that can help with research, data-entry, customer support, and many other administrative tasks. But you may be surprised to learn you can also get well qualified…

• WordPress Developers
• SEO Experts
• Facebook Marketers
• Amazon Experts
• Shopify Developers
• Bookkeepers
• Video editors

What Companies Use OnlineJobs.ph?

Here are just a few of the big-name companies that use this job board to find remote talent.

Is OnlineJobs.ph Legit?

Yes, OnlineJobs.ph is legit. OnlineJobs.ph is a reputable platform that connects employers with a vast pool of talented Filipino virtual assistants.

It's trusted by thousands of users worldwide for its reliable and effective service, and hundreds have given it positive reviews all over the internet.

OnlineJobs.ph Review

Pros: Here’s what I like about OnlineJobs.ph

• At present, it’s the largest database of Filipino virtual workers (>500,000 profiles).
• Onlinejobs doesn’t take a commission out of workers’ rates. This means much lower cost to employers.
• Contractor rates are extremely affordable and one of the lowest worldwide. You can find a virtual assistant for as low as $300/month.
• Low employee turnover – Filipinos are known to be loyal and it’s in their culture to look for long-term jobs.
• Good user interface and filtering functions to find and communicate with candidates. The filtering function is top-notch, allowing you to sort resumes by date, skill level and type, and desired salary.
• The site has lots of training and resources that are worth reading even if you hire someone off another freelance website.
• Virtual Assistant Tracking Software -TimeProof – helps you keep track of timesheets and screenshots of your VA’s work. It just gives you that extra level of protection.
• You are not forced to pay workers through their system, but you can use their free payment system if desired (called EasyPay).

Cons: Here are the only things I don’t like about OnlineJobs.ph

• The job board only offers VAs from the Philippines.
• If you are in the U.S. there is a big time difference (13 hours from Eastern Time) which comes with pluses and minuses. The benefit is that work gets done overnight while you sleep; the downside is there are limited windows to connect in real time.
• You do have to do your own candidate screening. That said, tools like ID proof and background checks will help.  More on that in my VA hiring tips below.
• There is no dispute resolution for the rare times you might have disagreements with a contractor because you hire people directly.

Here are what other reviewers had to say about OnlineJobs.ph:

“I can't recommend this site for finding good quality talent who wants to work hard and really do their best. Each time I go through the whole experience of finding someone on this site I always come away with a good person.”

–Miles Beckler

“With well-documented processes or easy administration tasks, you can hire a freelancer through OnlineJobs for pennies on the dollar. You can hire most Filipino workers full-time for $400-$1,000/month. Fun things happen when you earn in dollars and pay in pesos.”

–Lancer Review

“if you are going to hire a part-time or full-time VA, I would recommend onlinejobs.ph 100%.” –

– Effective Ecommerce 

OnlineJobs.ph Pricing

OnlineJobs.ph has 2 simple pricing plans, Pro and Premium.  The rates are monthly, however, you can cancel as soon as you find a candidate, so you can really think of it as a one-time recruiting fee.  Here are the two plans in a nutshell:

• Pro: $69/month, contact 75 applicants/month, no background checks
• Premium: $99/month, contact 500 applicants/month, unlimited background checks

Unlike other freelance websites, Onlinejobs doesn’t take a cut of the virtual assistant’s rates.  You will negotiate the hourly or monthly rate directly with your VA.

They also provide a money-back guarantee for the first 30 days…for any reason!

More Pricing Details are here.

What Do Filipino Virtual Assistants Charge?

You can get a general administrative VA for as low as $300/month.  Specialists charge:

• Programmers: $550-1,300/month
• Designers: $400-1,100/month
• SEO Specialists: $400-1,100/month
• Social Media Experts: $400-1,100/month

Here’s a full list of VA salaries in the Philippines

You’ll also want to keep in mind that Filipino VAs have something known as the “13 month”.  This is an annual bonus most employers pay their workers in December.  It’s optional, but a good idea to increase employee retention and keep your workers happy.

OnlineJobs.ph Alternatives

OnlineJobs.ph is a great option to find affordable, hard-working virtual assistants. But if you want an alternative, you could try Fiverr or one of these other top-ranked virtual assistant websites.

• See how it compares to Upwork
• See how it compares to VirtualStaff.ph
• See how it compares to JobStreet

OnlineJobs.ph Review & Hiring Steps (Video)

9 Tips for Hiring Effective Filipino Workers

Here are a few tips to help you screen, interview, and hire the best possible virtual assistant.

1. Don’t just post a job and wait, proactively message top candidates to apply.
2. When you ask candidates to apply, have a plan to filter out the less desirable ones. You can do this by having them send work samples or complete a test assignment before hiring.
3. When filtering candidates, look for a high ID proof.  The more background information (Facebook URL, government ID, picture, skill descriptions, etc.) a candidate supplies, the higher the score.   This helps you, as the employer, determine that your candidates are who they say they are.  A high score does not ensure a good candidate, but it does filter out plenty of bad candidates.
4. Ask candidates to record a short video introducing themselves on their cell phones.  This will give you a chance to assess their communication skills, work environment, and Internet connectivity and see how well they complete the task.
5. Weed out any bad apples and get background checks on candidates.  You can sign up for the Pro account for $30 more, which comes with unlimited background checks.
6. Pay close attention to feedback ratings. If you see one bad rating, you can ask the candidate to explain.  But if you see more than one, consider it a red flag and move on to someone else.
7. After you’ve filtered your top applicants, do face-to-face Skype interviews.  Getting a personal feel for someone is an important hiring step.  You wouldn't hire someone in the U.S. without interviewing them first, right?
8. Consider looking for full-time resources. It’s not much more money to switch from part-time to full-time.  And if your VA is only working for you, you’ll be able to retain them longer and get a better work quality.
9. Don’t hire someone expecting them to be able to do everything… at least not right away. People can be trained to do a lot, but don’t expect a bookkeeper to be able to do video editing or a graphic designer to do content creation.  That said, you may get lucky and find a few candidates who bring a variety of skills to the table.

Frequently Asked Questions