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

Today I’m gonna review OnlineJobs.ph from the employer’s perspective.  I’ll share the pros and cons as well as my top 9 tips for hiring highly effective Filipino workers.

Let’s take a closer look at how OnlineJobs.ph works and the pluses and minuses.

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.

Check out our list of the best virtual assistant websites.

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, 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.

How OnlineJobs.ph Works

OnlineJobs.ph Review

Get Your Own Virtual AssistantTry Out OnlineJobs.ph today!

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 site has lots of training and resources that are worth reading even if you hire someone off another freelance website.
• 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 VA’s 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.

OnlineJobs.ph Review and Hiring Steps (Video)

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 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 VA’s 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.

9 Tips for Hiring Effective Filipino workers

Here are 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 phone.  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 that 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 that bring a variety of skills to the table.

Get Your Own Virtual AssistantTry Out OnlineJobs.ph today!

Frequently Asked Questions