As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform the working environment, many Filipinos have reportedly shown interest to work remotely while the willingness to work abroad decreases.
Online job portal JobStreet has released its latest job report entitled Decoding Global Talent. More than 190 countries participated, including the Philippines, to determine people’s willingness to work overseas, the emergence of mobility, and the top countries and cities people wish to work in.
Willingness to work remotely
With the new normal opening flexible job opportunities, the report reveals that 49% of Filipinos said they are willing to work for a remote employer vs. 57% 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.
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 is more than 12,000 work from home jobs available on the JobStreet platform, including Customer Service Representative, IT/Tech Support, Web Developer, Digital Marketer, Virtual Assistant, Online English Teacher, and more.
Willingness to work abroad
The pandemic has also impacted the willingness of jobseekers to work abroad. The job report has seen a downward trend where only 54% of Filipinos said they still consider working overseas at this time vs. 75% in 2018. However, the number is still higher than the current global average, which is 50%.
The survey also reveals that Filipino skilled workers are the ones who are more likely to find jobs abroad. 22 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, IT & Technology, Art & Creatives, and Media & Information.
In terms of the countries where Filipinos prefer to work in, Canada and Australia remained the top two choices while New Zealand enters the third spot. Filipino candidates have also started considering working in other Asian countries as Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and UAE joins the top 10 list.
“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 shared.
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. However, as virtual work becomes a trend, people may not need to move abroad anymore to find work but can do so remotely with foreign or local employers.
JobStreet recommends hirers to adapt to the virtual talent pool. Employers should consider having a specialized HR team for global insurance and payroll, shift towards asynchronous communication for varying time zones, and enforce a trial period to ensure foreign employees’ suitability.
As virtual mobility becomes the new norm, it also offers benefits to hirers and candidates. Hiring employees remotely will expand talent pools and help improve diversity. Remote international work is also an opportunity for jobseekers to get hired by the highest bidder without leaving their families.
