When an OFS asks for payment upfront, before they start working or right after they start working, that’s ALWAYS a red flag.
When I saw this email, it prompted me to write about this topic again.
I attempted to hire someone from your company and the person asked for a favor to be paid before he started. He then disappeared on me. I have been told that because we had one phone call to discuss the job he deserves to keep the payment even though I waited a month for him and had to hire someone else. Is this correct?
No, that OFS doesn’t deserve to keep that money. He didn’t do any work.
DO NOT PRE-PAY FOR WORK.
Online Filipino workers who are serious about work won’t ask you to pre-pay for work.
If they’re asking you to pre-pay for work, it’s a red flag.
Also, with a new OFS, them asking for extras is also a red flag.
Don’t buy them a laptop.
Don’t pay their internet bill.
Don’t pay for their sister’s medical bills.
Don’t advance their salary.
Not with a new OFS.
If you want to prove to them that you’re not out to scam them, you can offer them a paid test task. It’s a good way of assessing their skills and one of the hiring steps that I talked about on OneVAAway.com.
During the first couple of months, do weekly payments. This may seem like additional work, but this is a way for you to build trust and see how well you work together.
Once someone has worked for you for a while you can advance them their salary if they need it or loan them money if they need it. You can buy computers or help pay their families medical bills (if you’re in a financial position to do this). But only after you trust them already.
Don’t pre-pay for work with a new person.
John