Employee Engagement

Filipinism in BPO: Why Filipino Values Make the Philippines a Strong Offshore Staffing Partner for Australian SMEs

Blog, Employee Engagement, Outsourcing in the Philippines / By

For Australian SMEs looking to expand their teams without significantly increasing local employment costs, the Philippines has become an established offshore staffing destination. Beyond cost efficiency, access to a large talent pool and English communication skills, there is another factor that often shapes the experience of working with Filipino professionals: Filipinism.

The term Filipinism can refer broadly to characteristics, behaviours, perspectives and cultural values associated with Filipino identity. In the workplace, these may include bayanihan, pakikisama, malasakit, respect, resilience, hospitality and a strong sense of responsibility.

These qualities can be particularly valuable when Filipino BPO employees work directly with Australian clients. However, like any cultural characteristic, Filipinism has both strengths and potential challenges. Understanding both sides can help Australian SMEs build stronger offshore teams while helping Filipino professionals adapt effectively to Australian workplace expectations.

Why the Philippines Is a Major Offshore Staffing Destination

The Philippines already has a substantial and mature business process outsourcing ecosystem.

According to the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), the Philippine IT-BPM industry generated US$38 billion in revenue and employed approximately 1.82 million people in 2024. The industry added around 120,000 jobs during the year.

The relationship between Australia and the Philippines is also well established. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade reports that more than 250 major Australian companies operate in the Philippines, employing more than 41,000 Filipinos across sectors including BPO, banking, telecommunications, infrastructure and education. Australia’s two-way trade with the Philippines reached A$10.8 billion in 2025.

This matters particularly to Australian SMEs. Small businesses make up around 97% of Australian businesses, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman. 

For an SME that needs additional accounting, administration, customer service, digital marketing, IT or other support, offshore staffing can provide access to skilled professionals without requiring every role to be based in Australia.

But numbers only tell part of the story.

The day-to-day relationship between an Australian business and its offshore team depends heavily on communication, trust, adaptability and how people work together. This is where Filipinism can become an important part of the offshore staffing experience.

What Is Filipinism in the BPO Workplace?

Filipinism isn’t a single workplace formula, and not every Filipino employee will demonstrate the same characteristics. Filipino culture is diverse, and individuals bring their own personalities, experiences and professional backgrounds.

However, several Filipino values are commonly associated with interpersonal relationships and community.

Bayanihan, for example, is associated with cooperation and community spirit. The Philippine government has described bayanihan as a form of teamwork that can be applied in the workplace. 

Pakikisama broadly relates to getting along with others and valuing group harmony. The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries describes it as an appreciation of togetherness and unity.

Other values frequently discussed in Filipino culture include paggalang (respect), malasakit (genuine concern for others), kasipagan (industriousness), katapatan (loyalty) and pananagutan (responsibility).

In an Australian BPO or offshore staffing relationship, these values can influence how employees communicate with managers, collaborate with colleagues and interact with clients.

The Pros of Filipinism When Working With Australian Clients

1. Strong relationship-building

Filipino employees often place importance on creating positive relationships with the people they work with.

For Australian SMEs, this can be useful because offshore staffing is not simply about completing tasks. Successful outsourcing often involves building trust between the client and offshore employee.

An employee who demonstrates courtesy, listens carefully and takes an interest in understanding the client’s business can become a valuable extension of the Australian team.

2. Bayanihan encourages teamwork

Bayanihan can translate naturally into collaborative work.

A Filipino employee may be willing to help a colleague meet a deadline, share knowledge or step in when additional support is needed.

The Philippine government has specifically linked bayanihan with teamwork and workplace productivity. 

For Australian SMEs operating with lean teams, this collaborative mindset can be particularly useful.

3. Malasakit can strengthen ownership

Malasakit is often used to describe genuine concern or care for others.

In a professional environment, this can translate into taking ownership rather than simply completing the minimum requirements of a task.

For example, an employee might notice a recurring customer issue and raise it with the client rather than simply processing each individual complaint.

That kind of initiative can turn an offshore employee from a task-based resource into a more integrated member of the business.

4. Resilience and adaptability

The Philippine BPO industry operates in a constantly changing global environment. Employees regularly work with international clients, new software, changing processes and evolving customer expectations.

The scale of the industry itself demonstrates the Philippines’ established capability in international services: the IT-BPM sector grew from US$35.5 billion in revenue in 2023 to US$38 billion in 2024, while employment increased from 1.7 million to 1.82 million. 

For Australian SMEs, adaptability can be especially important as businesses adopt new technologies and AI-enabled workflows.

The Cons of Filipinism: Where Cultural Differences Can Create Challenges

Filipinism can also create misunderstandings if Filipino workplace behaviours are interpreted through Australian workplace expectations.

1. Pakikisama can sometimes discourage disagreement

A strong desire to maintain harmony can occasionally make employees reluctant to disagree with a manager or client.

An Australian manager may say:

“What do you think we should do differently?”

The Filipino employee might have concerns but hesitate to challenge the proposed approach.

This can become a problem if the client expects direct feedback.

The solution: Filipino professionals should understand that respectful disagreement is not necessarily disrespect. Australian clients often value employees who can explain their reasoning and raise potential problems early.

2. Hiya can affect communication

Hiya, commonly associated with embarrassment or a desire to avoid shame, can sometimes contribute to reluctance to admit mistakes or ask questions.

In an offshore environment, however, hiding a problem can create a bigger problem.

The solution: Employees should develop the habit of communicating issues early:

“I’ve identified an issue with this process. Here’s what happened, and here’s what I recommend we do next.”

That approach combines Filipino respect with professional accountability.

3. Respect for authority can become excessive

Respect is an important Filipino value, but Australian workplaces often have relatively informal organisational structures.

A Filipino employee may initially feel uncomfortable challenging a manager or suggesting an alternative approach.

Australian SMEs can help by explicitly telling offshore employees that constructive feedback and questions are welcome.

4. Being helpful can lead to unclear boundaries

A willingness to help is valuable, but employees should still clarify priorities, deadlines and workload.

Instead of automatically saying “yes” to every request, an employee can respond:

“I can take that on. I currently have two tasks due today — which would you like me to prioritise?”

This preserves the helpful spirit while establishing professional boundaries.

How Filipino BPO Employees Can Use Filipinism to Build Stronger Australian Client Relationships

The goal isn’t to abandon Filipino values. It is to adapt them to the expectations of the Australian workplace.

Use bayanihan to become a team player

Help colleagues, share knowledge and contribute to team objectives — but don’t be afraid to take individual ownership of your responsibilities.

Turn pakikisama into professional collaboration

Build positive relationships while still expressing your professional opinion.

You can disagree respectfully:

“I understand the approach. One potential issue I can see is…”

Practise malasakit through proactive service

Don’t wait for a client to identify every problem.

If you see something that could improve the process, suggest it.

Combine paggalang with direct communication

Respect doesn’t mean avoiding difficult conversations.

Be polite, but clear and concise.

Use resilience to embrace change

New software, AI tools, processes and client expectations are part of modern BPO work.

Instead of viewing change as a disruption, treat it as an opportunity to develop new skills.

Build trust through consistency

One of the strongest ways to demonstrate Filipino values is simply to do what you say you will do.

Meet deadlines. Communicate early. Ask questions. Follow through.

Over time, these small behaviours can build significant client confidence.

What Australian SMEs Should Understand About Filipinism

Australian businesses working with Filipino offshore teams can also play an important role in making the relationship successful.

Don’t assume that Filipino employees will automatically understand every Australian workplace expectation.

Explain how your business communicates, how decisions are made, how feedback is given and when employees should escalate problems.

For example, tell your offshore employee:

“If you disagree with me, I want you to tell me why.”

Or:

“If you think a deadline is unrealistic, let me know as early as possible.”

This removes uncertainty and gives employees permission to combine their natural relationship-building skills with the direct communication expected by the client.

Australia’s business environment is also becoming increasingly technology-driven. The ABS reported that 46% of Australian businesses were innovation-active in 2024–25, while 12% reported using AI, up from just 1% in 2022–23.

That means offshore employees need more than traditional BPO skills. They increasingly need to be comfortable with digital tools, automation, AI and changing business processes.

Filipinism Can Be a Competitive Advantage — When Combined With Skills

Filipinism shouldn’t be viewed as a substitute for professional capability.

The strongest offshore employees combine cultural strengths with technical expertise, communication skills, accountability and commercial understanding.

For Australian SMEs, this combination can create an offshore team that isn’t simply performing repetitive tasks but actively contributes to the business.

The Philippines’ established IT-BPM industry, deep talent pool and strong economic relationship with Australia provide the infrastructure. Filipino values such as bayanihan, malasakit, pakikisama, respect and resilience can help strengthen the human relationship behind that infrastructure.

Ultimately, successful offshore staffing isn’t just about finding someone who can do the job. It’s about finding someone who can work with your team, understand your customers, adapt to your business and grow with your organisation.

Build Your Career With Dynamic Business Outsourcing Solutions

For Filipino professionals looking to work with international clients, Dynamic Business Outsourcing Solutions (DBOS) provides opportunities to build careers supporting Australian and New Zealand businesses across a range of functions. Opportunities can include Virtual Assistants, Accounting Specialists, Sales Specialists, QA Testers, Claims Specialists, Collections roles, Digital Marketing and other back-office positions. For Australian SMEs, partnering with DBOS can provide access to Filipino talent while maintaining a dedicated offshore team aligned with your business needs. Explore career opportunities or discover how DBOS can help you build your offshore team today.

remote worker engagement

5 Ways To Boost Remote Worker Engagement

Blog, Employee Engagement, Remote Work / By

Many businesses have transitioned to temporary remote work as a result of the pandemic and this has presented a challenge of keeping workers engaged and excited in a virtual workplace. The loss of face-to-face interaction has thrown employees into a new world of isolation and loneliness and they can only handle as many zoom trivia nights before they start losing passion and begin to feel unhappy and underappreciated.

To prevent this from happening, here are some creative ways to encourage worker engagement and keep them happy.

1. Make Company Culture Staff Driven

Together with your staff, co-create the new virtual culture. Give them control of creating the kind of employee engagement and experience they would like. This gives them the freedom to open up about what they want and need.

Many business leaders make the mistake of trying to copy other companies and expect that this culture would work in their organisation the same way. By letting your staff drive the new online culture, you will be able to build an organisation they are excited about and committed to.

You only need to guide them and help refine whatever they come up with.

2. Encourage Employee To Engage in Side Projects

You can create a culture of innovation and creativity by giving employees the autonomy to work on personal projects that align with your business goals.

Yes, this may seem counterproductive, but it works. Gmail is an example of a program that was produced from Google’s side project. Now employees at Google spend 20% of their time creating new products.

There will likely be times when work may be slower and a spark of innovation and creativity is required, giving your employees the freedom to create new products and services can be just what is needed to get out of the rut.

3. Create a Community Culture

As social creatures, humans are always looking for connection and a community that makes them feel included. To replace the local cafe or break room, create virtual spaces where employees don’t have to be so uptight but feel free to be themselves.

Managers should spend some time before meetings begin to interact with staff and ask about personal matters like their family and how they spent their weekend, etc.

Another way to do this virtually is by creating a networking system where employees can talk to one another or engage in group discussions with colleagues without the presence of the manager. This fosters greater connectivity as employees are supporting each other.

4. Appreciate Employees

It is important to recognise and appreciate the effort employees put into work. They have been forced to adopt a method of working that they have not signed up and they find it just as challenging as you are.

You would make employees feel appreciated by thanking them for the work they are doing. Even acknowledging how challenging remote work may be for them and how well they are adapting to the sudden changes goes a long way in showing you care and endears them to the company.

Even the simplest of gestures can greatly impact employee engagement. Employees that feel they are appreciated and cared about will go any length to make the business successful.

Related article: 6 Ways to Show Your Co-workers You Care

5. Send Care Packages

By sending your employees’ care packages, you show them that you have them in mind and are thinking about their well-being. You could send them coffee and tea to boost morale and make the remote workplace more enjoyable.

It can be incredibly powerful to be creative with care packages. Things like sending puzzle or a DIY kit provides a fun activity that they can all take part in even though they cannot be together physically.

By creating this shared experience, everyone can get a sense of togetherness and bond as a team.

Summary

Transitioning from a physical workplace to remote work has created several challenges for many organisations especially with regards to employee engagement. Many employees are losing a sense of purpose and interest in their work which contributes to burnout. By following these five tips, employers can facilitate a better remote workplace that employees are happy to be a part of.

employee-appreciation-day

Employee Appreciation Day: 6 Ways to Show Your Co-workers You Care

Blog, Employee Engagement, Human Resources / By

Do you remember when is employee appreciation day? If you do, that means you care about your co-workers. If you don’t, then it is the first Friday in March, a holiday set aside for bosses and companies to properly recognize their employees.

Aside from your family and friends, your co-workers are the people you spend a bulk part of your day with. Don’t you think you should appreciate them for being supportive in the workplace?

Now, employee appreciation day is not only for bosses to appreciate their workers. Employees can also appreciate their colleagues. So how can you show some appreciation on this day? Here are some tips to help.

1. Thank them

One easy way to appreciate your co-workers without having to go overboard is by simply saying thank you. If you feel saying it is informal, you can send a card or note.

When writing a note to an employee, try to personalise it, so it looks authentic. Think of the ways your colleague has helped you, their contribution to the team, and write an appreciation note along that line. They’ll be thrilled to know you notice their efforts.

2. Get breakfast

You know how difficult it is to grab breakfast when leaving home for work as you have to beat the traffic and arrive at work early. Now imagine the joy your co-workers will feel if they could get breakfast in the office, for free too. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, danish rolls, doughnuts, and croissants are all great breakfast choices. Let them know they are getting breakfast because of their contributions to the workplace.

3. Take them out for lunch

Too busy to get breakfast for your colleagues? You can take them out during the lunch break to get something nice to eat. Not only will it create a chance to appreciate them, but it also encourages office bonding.

Eating out works well with a small team. But it could be a problem if you have a large group. You can always divide it into smaller units and take them out throughout the week. Employee appreciation day doesn’t have to hold for only a day. You can stretch it to a week or two to please your colleagues.

4. Offer assistance to your colleagues

Another way to show appreciation is to offer your help to colleagues that may need it. Are you skilful with something that a colleague struggles with? Offer to teach the person the technique. Or help out with a project they are trying to complete. There are numerous ways to offer assistance to your colleagues as a way of appreciating their effort.

5. Shower praises in meetings

Sing praises of your co-workers who deserve it during meetings. Don’t make it sound like flattery, but let it be genuine by highlighting the specific things they have done. You never can tell if your praises will help their next appraisal and get them the promotion they have been working hard for.

6. Ask personal follow-up questions

Recall the times when you had personal discussions with them and try to ask follow-up questions. If a co-worker had told you about her son’s football game, you could ask about the game’s outcome. Discussions do not always have to centre around work and projects. Take out time to get personal and listen to your colleague’s life outside work. They’ll sure appreciate it.

Related article: Why Leaders Need to Embrace Employee Motivation

Conclusion

Aside from the employee appreciation day, it would be best if you took out time to appreciate your colleagues every day to make the work environment less tense and more enjoyable.

working-culture-remote-work

How To Maintain a Great Workplace Culture In a Remote Model

Blog, Employee Engagement, Offshoring in the Philippines, Remote Work / By

A company’s culture is the heart of any organisation. It isn’t built overnight, but instead, it involves the participation of employees, HR, and leadership. HR cultivate an environment of belonging that unites the entire team together wherever they may be around the globe and boosts productivity.

You don’t develop a productive and happy team culture by chance. If you’ve done a great job of building an amazing office-based culture you might be wondering how to keep it up even when everyone now works remotely.

In this article, you will learn how to continue growing a positive company culture with your remote team even when scattered around the globe.

Encourage Inclusivity

When people who use to work together now work separately, some will feel fine with it. They will still connect with their colleagues perfectly. But others won’t. New members on the team might not have had the chance to build a rapport as the old-timers have. Ensure you check in on everyone’s needs. Run surveys, ask questions. Introduce ideas that foster inclusiveness, implement them so everyone can feel they belong.

Welcome New Employees In Front Of The Entire Team

As a follow up to the last tip, help new employees blend in by welcoming them in front of the team just like you would when everyone was in an office setting. One way to do this is to ask the new hires questions about themselves, then circulate the answers to the team through email, along with a welcome message. 

Encourage new employees to have one on one meetings with the team members. This way, they can get to know one another and start building some rapport.

Encourage Open Communication And Feedback

Promote transparency by keeping communication channels clear and open. It encourages team connection which is vital to any organisation. Everyone should have a voice in the team, not just the loud extroverts. Reduce any formality or red tape that may keep some employees quiet. Depending on your team size, the more casual and laid-back you are with team communication channels, the more open and honest they typically are. 

Set Expectations On Communication Methods

Clearly defining what purposes each communication channel serves helps to make communication flow better. For example, you may want serious documentation by email, whereas casual team discussions by Skype or Slack.

You can provide a simple guide about where and what to post, so everyone is on the same page. And when new members come in, let them know right away the communication and collaboration tools you use, so they don’t have to email the team to find out.

Keep The ‘Water Cooler Effect’ Going

The ‘watercooler effect’ refers to a common phenomenon in the workplace when employees gather around the office water cooler to chat. It describes the gathering and connection building between people in a certain environment. Like a physical office, this should also be encouraged virtually. You can consider creating a channel for this on your company-wide text tool. You may have to lay ground rules on content, organisation language, humour, so no one gets offended.

Communicate Non-Stop

Great workplace culture is built on communication. Get it wrong, and the culture you seek won’t stick. 

Set aside specific and regular times weekly for an all-hands chat if possible. You can arrange two meetings if time zones prevent this. Go over what the team is working on. Provide details on decisions that might affect the team, and stress on feedback and free flow of communication. These kinds of meetings help disseminate news and get the team motivated.

With regards to the chat software, maintain an always-on policy, even if you may not be at the desk always, someone should be able to message you, so you can see it whenever you get back. Discourage round the clockwork, as this can lead to burnout and breed contempt.

Hold meetings through video conferencing, as this allows everyone to recognise each other, see facial expressions and reactions. Body language is very effective in communication. And finally, try to have regular (or at least) annual face to face meetings.

Related article: Why Leaders Need to Embrace Employee Motivation

Conclusion

Whether you are thinking of adding a new remote team by going the offshore staffing in Manila route or looking to transition your organisation from an on-ground team to a remote one. You need to be equipped with the knowledge on how to preserve the team culture to enable an environment of trust, transparency, and confidence that will keep moving your business forward.

dbos-year-end-party-2019

DBOS Year-End Party 2019: Retro Night

Employee Engagement / By

Before the year officially ends, the Dynamic Business Outsourcing Solutions spent a fun and epic Saturday retro party at Tiyo Craft Kitchen & Bar on December 7, 2019. Entering the venue was like a flashback from the 50s up to the 80s as it was filled with handmade vintage decorations all over the place, whilst the ambience also complimented the theme.

dbos vinyl
The centrepiece of all designs – a huge handmade DBOS vinyl hanging on the centre stage.

glitzy silhouettes
Barbie, Lucy and Simon, our glitzy silhouettes adorned the centre stage.

signage post
The staff avoided getting lost on the venue with this very helpful signage post.

table setup
Everything is customised retro including our vinyl-inspired placemats and all other table pieces.

Far from the usual office setting, the party looks exactly like an overlap of generations as our staff partied the night away wearing their own interpretation of retro OOTDs. From the classy and elegant outfits to the hippies of that generation, everything was definitely on point.

alpha
The gorgeous ladies of Alpha team.

DKG
Team DKG with Jacqui and Daphny.

glimp
The Glimpers on their very groovy outfits!

The party has not even started yet but everyone was visibly excited with all the raffle prizes that were given on the same night. The winners are highly anticipated as loads of different prizes have been taken home by our lucky winners. But the happiest of them all, the 5 grand prize winners who won the best prizes for that night.

raffle winners
Raffle draws are not just made for anyone. But here are the few lucky people on the first wave of raffle draws!

raffle 2
Here are more lucky winners of the biggest prizes of the night!

The night is still young and everyone has kept their costumes and looks on point until the best-dressed awardees have been announced. But out of all the dazzling and eye-catching costumes, two of them have definitely stood out from every single person on that night.

best dressed
Best dressed female – Cheryll Ann Sigua; Best dressed male -Nelson Manglalallal

To hype the crowd and make them jam to the melody of the 50s to 80s, a specially formed DBOS band graced the stage. From the hit ballads to the grooviest dance songs of that era, they’ve got the music covered.

DBOS band

And before the night ends, the most important awards – the core value awardees were announced and was given their respective plaques. These are the role model employees that have shown remarkable output and attitude that live up to the company’s goals.

Core Value Awardees

Special appreciations and tokens of gratitude were also handed to those who made an effort to make the company’s year-end party even more memorable for every staff. But more than all the awards and raffle prizes at tow, the employees have mostly enjoyed the memories about that night. And until the party has ended, everyone has remained with high spirits.

Watch this video to see more of what went down during the DBOS Year End Party 2019.

Extending our gratitude and heartfelt thank you for all the client’s support, most especially the staff for the whole year. It was not an easy journey to be operating in the offshore staffing industry in the Philippines, however, we made it this year and we made it very far!

employee-motivation

Why Leaders Need to Embrace Employee Motivation

Blog, Careers, Employee Engagement, Human Resources / By

While all too focused on the income-generating aspects of their company, some employers tend to forget the welfare of their best asset – the employees. At times, some companies sadly fail to understand the importance of employee motivation. Although not everyone does.

But, what is employee motivation and how does it affects a business?

By definition, employee motivation is the level of energy, commitment, and creativity that company workers bring to their jobs. If the employees are motivated, they become passionate about their job and actively works to achieve the organization’s goal. On the other hand, employees who lack motivation do all the opposite of what a passionate employee is doing. And even though the signs are there, some employers still tend to disregard these things, completely not knowing its effects on their business until its too late.

To help prevent the case of unmotivated employees, we created an infographic about a significant study as to why leaders need to promote employee motivation.

employee motivation

The Importance of Employee Motivation

Increased productivity, high-quality output, and meeting the company’s goals can be achieved through an employee’s hard work. With enough motivation and satisfaction, the employees will surely work towards the company’s best interest.

To further understand how crucial is employee motivation for a business, here are some reasons why:

Motivated people are always in action.
A company equipped with skilled employees are lucky, but a business with motivated people are luckier. Encouraged employees are without a doubt, the most willing to walk an extra mile for the company, if necessary. They are most likely to do what needs to be done regardless if they have to spend additional time at work.

Visible improvement on overall performance.
Motivated employees visibly aim to provide the best work performance for the company. In most instances, they display their ability to produce high-quality output and the willingness to go the extra mile to do the job well.

Leads to a stable workforce.
A stable workforce is a crucial key to a company’s success. When employees are motivated, they remain loyal to the company as they feel needed and valued. This will lead to a stable workforce that will also serve as a good image for the company which can also attract more qualified talents.

Enumerated above are just a few reasons why we can say that employee motivation is more than just a feeling.  It is a driving force that encourages people to do the best kind of work for the company that they provide their services to. Moreover, the effect it gives to an individual can never be compared.

Takeaway

Company leaders should realise that motivating their employees are as important as growing their businesses. Why? It’s because the employees are those who will work with them to achieve success. Now, it is not too late for company leaders to start promoting employee motivation in their businesses.

Just like how we do it here in DBOS! The secret of our successful 4 years in the offshore staffing industry in the Philippines lies in the hands of our employees. And it is the exact same reason why we make sure that their needs are always fairly met. Above that, we also promote employee engagement and self-development to the best of our ability.

Want to be a part of our growing family? Check out our job opportunities today!