Building a remote engineering capability can be a smart decision for many startups that want to scale quickly and access global talent at a fraction of the cost compared to on-shore talent in the US, Europe, Singapore, Australia, etc. For many, the Philippines is one of the first locations to consider, given its skill base, high standard of English, and cost efficiency.
Lets explore these in a bit more detail....
1. Access to a Large Pool of Skilled Engineers
Computer Science is an aspirational career path in the Philippines. There is thus a a consistent pipeline of talent coming into the workforce each year through Universities such as; The University of the Philippines, AMA, Anteneo De Manila and De La Salle
2. Cost-Effectiveness
One of the most appealing advantages of a remote engineering team based in the Philippines lies in the costs involved. Overall, the cost of living in the Philippines is very low compared against many western countries. Also, professionals expect lower salaries when working in the Philippines. So, you could get very competitive rates for great talents, leading to more flexibility in your project’s budget and resource allocation.
3. Cultural Compatibility and English Proficiency
This sense of familiarity with the West is probably why the Philippines is considered one of the easiest outsourcing destinations for teams in western countries, especially the US. The standard of English is also very high which makes team integration seamless.
4. Strong Work Ethic and Professionalism
Filipino workers are known for their strong work ethic and for going above and beyond the call of duty. Having recruited in the Philippines for 8 years, I can say with confidence that this is 100% true. There is also a strong sense of loyalty both to their employer and also their team-mates which inevitably has a positive impact on team culture.
5. Time Zone Advantage
The Philippines is in a time zone that overlaps the time zones of the US and Europe. To be more exact, the Philippines has only about an eight-hour time difference from the US. This time zone overlap allows for teams from the US and Europe to interact with Philippines-based teams during the same time zone This sharing of working hours removes the need to wait whole days to discuss projects, and makes it possible to troubleshoot quickly and make any necessary decisions. Similar benefits apply even more to Singaporean and Australian-based businesses given their geographical proximity.