The Philippines is now the second largest offshoring services provider in the world, second only to India. American companies that are outsourcing jobs take advantage of the large talent pool, the manageable rates, and the affinity with the English language that the country has to offer. With the gap between the Philippines and India as outsourcing services providers closing, the number of employment opportunities available is set to expand. Experts have also seen that the variety of these opportunities is beginning to expand, branching off from the original focus on contact center services that still dominate the industry.
SEO-related services
One of the most common tasks to outsource to the Philippines these days are functions related to search engine optimization (SEO) marketing. Outsourcing jobs in this category include the production of content and the submission of the keyword-laden content onto sites. The basic purpose is to increase traffic to a client website, which can in turn lead to an increase in business. American companies are adept at taking advantage of the local population’s fluency in both spoken and written English, which makes it easier to train writers. According to some estimates, SEO and content services are among the largest areas of expansion for IT outsourcing.
Transcription services
This is the second largest field for BPO companies. Originally, the services included only medical transcription. This covered consultation reports, out-patient updates, and other health care documentation. Outsourcing jobs in transcription later expanded to include media and entertainment transcription. The most recent expansion comes in the form of legal transcription. In comparison to India, the Philippine talent pool is more familiar with the U.S. justice system. Companies outsource legal support teams to the Philippines because of this familiarity. There is also much less training required compared to India due to the similarity of the legal systems in the U.S. and the Philippines.
Back office functions
Back office functions are also increasingly outsourced to the Philippines. This includes accounting, human resources, and clerical duties. Essentially, anything that is not essential and can be performed at a different location from the main office may become outsourcing jobs in the Philippines. This is not yet a common practice, but reports indicate that more companies are considering this as an option.
Contact centers
This is still the largest single function that BPO companies have in the Philippines. Operations began over a decade ago and most companies continue to expand. The local affinity for American English makes it easier to train agents in the correct grammar and accent. The familiarity with U.S. culture also makes them better at tasks such as customer service. Client companies have recently begun to shift their focus from cost-effectiveness to quality, and the training has adjusted to compensate. Operations of companies that outsource to the Philippines were originally based only in certain business districts. However, recent developments have shown that the larger companies have expanded and now occupy office space in various areas of the country.
Overall, the outsourcing opportunities in the Philippines are vast, and experts predict that it will continue to expand in the near future. With more companies outsourcing jobs here to take advantage of the local talent pool, there are likely to be numerous openings that qualified individuals can apply for.