Episode#71

The prospect of reduced costs through engaging offshore talent can be highly enticing for many. 

However, the execution becomes the critical factor in success, so what is the best way to scale a franchise or any business for that matter, using offshore talent?

In Episode#71 - Tiffany English is the CEO of Access Offshoring, connecting Australian businesses with offshore talent from the Philippines with highly skilled, Philippines-based workers for roles ranging from back-office support to senior management positions.

In a discussion on a variety of key factors in successfully engaging offshore team members, the key points include:

Offshoring for Franchise Growth: Tiffany outlines how offshoring helps franchises scale by leveraging skilled talent from the Philippines, covering a wide range of roles, including accounting, legal, marketing, and even technical positions like drafting and construction administration.

Difference Between Offshoring and Outsourcing: Distinguishing offshoring as a model where employees work full-time for a business remotely, compared to outsourcing, where tasks are handled on a project-by-project basis with less direct management. Other models include freelancing and agencies, each offering different levels of flexibility.

Challenges for Business Owners: The hesitation that some business owners feel about relinquishing control, especially when it comes to critical functions like accounting or legal work. She notes that easing into offshoring and providing support roles before moving to higher responsibilities helps businesses adjust.

Common Mistakes in Offshoring: Many businesses mistakenly treat freelancers as full-time employees, leading to mismanagement and poor outcomes. Companies should also be mindful of their capacity to lead offshore teams effectively.

Cultural Differences: There are significant cultural nuances of working with Filipino employees, particularly their hesitance to show initiative due to hierarchical workplace norms. Tiffany stressed the importance of Australian business owners fostering an environment that encourages open communication and creativity from their offshore teams.

Cost Savings and Job Growth: While offshoring can save businesses about two-thirds of the cost of hiring locally, Tiffany emphasises that this model often also leads to increased local employment, as businesses can scale faster and more sustainably.

Social Responsibility: The positive social impact offshoring can have on Filipino communities, where employment can provide significant financial support to workers' families and improve their overall quality of life.

0:00 Introduction and welcome to Tiffany English, CEO of Access Offshoring. Discussion about the event and the topic of using offshore talent to scale franchises.

0:35 What is Access Offshoring?

1:00 When Tiffany recruited the first offshoring staff member and he she started the business

1:24 An ex-franchisor and that journey before starting Access Offshoring

2:07 What sort of talent is in the market for businesses

3:21 The barriers stopping people engaging offshore staff

4:30 Differences between the terms to describe offshoring / outsourcing / freelancers / Agencies 

5:51 Where things commonly go wrong 

7:21 The pain points that the remote workers feel and culture differences in particular 

9:51 What does best practice look like in managing a Philippines remote worker 

11:11 Compliance matters with remote employees

12:59 Typical cost savings seen 

14:17 Feedback of ‘you should be hiring local’ 

14:57 Social responsibility

16:49 Wrap up

Podcast Produced by: magnetic business media

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