What is the specific outcome this person owns in the first 90 days? What do they own by month 12?
Is this a role you have hired for elsewhere, or a first-of-kind? First-of-kinds take longer, cost more, and need clearer scope on day one.
Is this a role that can be done well remotely, from the Philippines, without frequent in-person context? If not, the whole plan may not work.
Who on your team will manage them day to day? Is that person available for a real onboarding, or are they already overloaded?
Hiring & Search
What questions to ask before you hire in the Philippines
In short
Before hiring in the Philippines, get clear on five things: who legally employs the person, how payroll and statutory benefits are handled, what the true all-in cost is, how the person is vetted, and who supports the hire day to day. The answers separate a clean hire from an expensive mistake.
The questions you answer before you start determine how the whole hire lands. A checklist, ordered by what you need to know first.
About the role
About the person
What seniority actually fits? A junior for cost reasons will need more of your time than the salary saves. A senior for insurance will be underused if the work is standard.
What English fluency level do you actually need? Written for async work, or verbal for live meetings with clients?
What time zone overlap matters? Half the day for collaboration, or a couple of hours for check-ins?
What non-technical qualities matter? Comfort with ambiguity, ownership, communication rhythm, willingness to push back.
What English fluency level do you actually need? Written for async work, or verbal for live meetings with clients?
What time zone overlap matters? Half the day for collaboration, or a couple of hours for check-ins?
What non-technical qualities matter? Comfort with ambiguity, ownership, communication rhythm, willingness to push back.
About the employment structure
Do you have a Philippine entity? If yes, you can run the search only through a recruiter. If no, you need employer of record infrastructure or you need to build an entity.
Have you budgeted for the mandatory bonus (13th-month pay, one-twelfth of annual salary)?
Have you budgeted for the mandatory employer contributions (SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, roughly six to eight percent of gross)?
Do you have a policy on benefits beyond statutory (HMO, allowances, bonuses)?
Have you budgeted for the mandatory bonus (13th-month pay, one-twelfth of annual salary)?
Have you budgeted for the mandatory employer contributions (SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, roughly six to eight percent of gross)?
Do you have a policy on benefits beyond statutory (HMO, allowances, bonuses)?
About the ongoing relationship
Who will be their point of contact for questions, HR issues, payroll problems, benefits changes? Is that a person on your team, or is it your EOR provider?
How will you handle performance management? A written 90-day plan, or ad hoc?
What is your process if it is not working out in the first 90 days? Do you have a plan, or will you improvise?
How will you handle performance management? A written 90-day plan, or ad hoc?
What is your process if it is not working out in the first 90 days? Do you have a plan, or will you improvise?
About the exit
Philippine labor law has specific process requirements around involuntary separations. Do you know what they are, or do you have a partner who does?
Is the hire your point of accountability for their own resignation and offboarding, or is that on your provider?
Is the hire your point of accountability for their own resignation and offboarding, or is that on your provider?
What your finance team will ask
What is the fully loaded cost per month, including all statutory and infrastructure fees?
What is the currency of the invoice, and who bears the FX?
What is the payment cadence, and what happens if we are late?
How do we exit this arrangement if it does not work?
Answers to these should be in the MSA, not verbal.
What is the currency of the invoice, and who bears the FX?
What is the payment cadence, and what happens if we are late?
How do we exit this arrangement if it does not work?
Answers to these should be in the MSA, not verbal.
Hiring in the Philippines?
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