Marie Browne, leading a team of nine, recognized the potential of offshoring to enhance her services. Influenced by discussions in an accounting forum and driven by the desire for strong English-speaking skills, robust education, and exemplary work ethic, Marie decided to focus her recruitment efforts in the Philippines.

Hiring through a BPO wasn't an option

Marie was particularly clear about not wanting to hire through an Business Process Outsourcing company, or BPO.

BPO companies, also called offshoring companies, are outsourcing businesses, usually located overseas, that hire staff locally and then contract them through you.

They handle payroll and compliance, and they usually have an office where people commute to where they provide laptops, desks, and everything that they need to do their work.

However, they come with their downsides.

The biggest problem with BPOs for Marie was that she wanted to work with her staff directly and bring them into her company culture.

“These BPO companies tend to have management layers.” says Marie. “I wanted the ability to train my team members and work within our values. We're a small team. We're cross-training one another and we work together. We support one another and I wanted to hire people who would genuinely be part of our team.”

Turning to TeamUp

Marie says the recruitment process through TeamUp was seamless.

“I interviewed quite a few people and I liked that TeamUp provides video clip where I could take a quick look at the candidates that they’d found and easily assess their English-speaking skills,” says Marie.

Marie says the candidates se ended up with had very strong English skills.

“After that, I tested them by having some email correspondence after we did an interview to see how they answered my emails and what their communication style was.”

Her first hire didn't work out

Despite this, the first candidate Marie’s team brought on board ended up being a bad fit. Unfortunately, bad hires can happen to the best companies - whether they’re hiring on or offshore.

Marie says that TeamUp stepped in to help quickly.

“I appreciated how TeamUp stepped right up and helped me correct that,” she says. “From the minute that I said that this just wasn't working out.”

TeamUp shared tests, resumes, and references with Marie to provide a clear picture of each candidate's capabilities. At the end of the process, Marie managed to bring two skilled Filippino bookkeepers onboard through TeamUp.

Their new bookkeepers are amazing

Marie says her Filipino employees are diligent, skilled, and show a deep understanding of accounting software and client communication.

“They take care of the work to the nth degree,” says Marie. “They ask the good questions and I’m pleased with the way they're communicating with the clients.”

Marie works closely with them, offering guidance to refine their interaction with US clients, thereby enriching their professional development and enhancing client relationships.

“Sometimes I give them a little tip about a way to maybe make it sound a little more Americanized,” says Marie. “And they're very receptive to that. I think they like to sound more American when they're working with their US clients, so that's been a win and interesting to watch.”

Marie highly recommends that business owners dive into hiring in the Philippines.

“You’re going to find a very competent and capable bookkeeper.”

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