I sometimes get comments from people about how much turnover there is in the Philippines.
The TLDR of my response is, “turnover is a management issue.”
I know that answer is hard for a lot of people to hear. Nobody likes to be told they’re horrible managers.
I know that most of us don’t get into outsourcing to be bad bosses. But sometimes, it’s easy to forget to be nice when you don’t see the people you’re working with face-to-face. When we’re so focused on productivity and milestones and getting things done, we forget that the people doing the work aren’t perfect. Sometimes they make mistakes.
My OFS (Online Filipino Specialist), Jamie, found this in the Facebook group we manage for jobseekers. This explains perfectly why I think turnover is a management problem AND what you can do to be a better manager.
“Hello everyone. I would like to ask your insights and also to seek out more advice.
I am thinking to drop my work(full time) that pays me 25-30k/month but my mental health is at risk. It triggers my anxiety. My client doesn’t have empathy. She doesn’t accept her mistakes and worst she will pass the blame on me. She actually maltreated me. This is pureely based on what I have experienced.
I have a second work (part time) that pays me 16-17k per month. I am enjoying my work, my client is very clear with his instructions, the culture of my work is great. He knows how to appreciate my work.
I am still confused on what should be my decision since I’m almost the breadwinner of my family, and also the inflation right now is crazy. I also think of the ways if I will drop my first work with high pay, I will continue to upskill, apply again and again.”
It’s not that hard to be a good manager. The OFS who wrote this just listed down all you need to do:
– Create a good working relationship (you do this by building trust with your OFS)
– Give clear instructions (an easy way to do this is to use screen recordings)
– Show appreciation (a thank you email or a small bonus goes a long way).
Another way you can be a great boss is to give your Filipino worker on-the-job training. You don’t need to make that training yourself. You can buy the training you need at VAsMadeEasy.com and give that training to your OFS.
John