A RECENT job report by online job portal Jobstreet has revealed that many Filipinos have reportedly shown interest to work remotely rather than working abroad as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to put health and safety at risk.
Dubbed “Decoding Global Talent,” the report revealed that 49 percent of Filipinos said they are willing to work for a remote employer versus 57 percent globally. Countries like Australia, Canada, and the United States are the top three countries preferred for remote employment.
“For the past year, we have seen a growing demand for remote jobs, and more Filipinos are starting to adapt to this new working environment due to the current situation. Companies should invest more or provide a flexible working infrastructure to attract talents at this time,” said JobStreet Philippines country manager Philip Gioca, in a statement.
As many industries, both global and local, are also starting to offer remote jobs, Gioca added that candidates’ readiness to a work from home setup increases the possibility to be hired immediately.
As of March 2021, there are more than 12,000 work-from-home jobs available on the JobStreet platform, including customer service representative, information technology / tech support, web developer, digital marketer, virtual assistant and online English teacher, among others.
The jobs report likewise revealed that the coronavirus pandemic has also impacted the willingness of jobseekers to work abroad. The job report has seen a downward trend where only 54 percent of Filipinos said they still consider working overseas at this time versus 75 percent in 2018. However, the number is still higher than the current global average, which is 50 percent.
The survey also revealed that Filipino skilled workers are the ones who are more likely to find jobs abroad. Twenty-two out of 23 surveyed job roles are open to leaving the Philippines, with engineering and technical jobs topping the list, followed by digitization and automation, information technology, art and creatives, and media and information.
Canada and Australia have remained the top two work destinations of Filipinos followed by New Zealand. Filipino candidates have also started considering working in other Asian countries such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
“In 2018, many Filipinos preferred western countries to pursue their careers. With the pandemic, we have seen that more Asian countries have grown in popularity among jobseekers likely due to better management of Covid-19,” Gioca said.
The report also shared that the Covid-19 crisis has reduced the willingness to travel abroad for work, considering the uncertainty and traveling being perceived as unsafe.
As working remotely becomes more popular, JobStreet recommends hirers to adapt to the virtual talent pool.
Employers should consider having a specialized human resource team for global insurance and payroll, shift towards asynchronous communication for varying time zones, and enforce a trial period to ensure foreign employees’ suitability.
More than 190 countries, including the Philippines, participated in JobStreet’s latest job report. (KOC)