Blog
Your Guide To Building High-Performing Filipino Teams
Practical insights for ANZ SMBs on offshore staffing, Filipino work culture, and team performance.
Direct Feedback Works — But Only When Delivered Warmly
Direct ANZ-style feedback only lands well with Filipino team members when delivered with warmth, and silence usually signals a psychological-safety gap rather than a skills gap.
How to Write a Job Brief That Actually Works
A strong job brief covers four elements — company, role, skills, and behaviours — but the real value comes from a consultative briefing session that surfaces what the client never put on paper.
What Is Offshoring Really? A Plain-English Guide for SMBs
A plain-English guide for ANZ SMBs on the difference between offshoring (a full-time employee abroad) and outsourcing (buying an outcome), why the Philippines works, and the five things SMBs get wrong.
Not All Offshore Talent Providers Are Created Equal: DIY vs. Boutique vs. Scaled (And Why It Matters More Than You Think)
David Barlow breaks down the three offshore staffing delivery models — DIY, Scaled, and Boutique Premium — and argues that the real cost of offshore staffing is your time, making the right model choice critical.
The SME Offshore Outsourcing Model Is Broken And Everyone Knows It – Except the Industry
David Barlow argues the traditional SME offshore outsourcing model is broken — built for volume and cost-cutting, not quality — and lays out a consultative, seven-step recruitment process built for high-calibre Filipino talent.
The Top 10 Mistakes When Building a High-Performing Offshore Filipino Team
David Barlow’s list of the top 10 mistakes when building an offshore Filipino team — from chasing cheap labour and forcing office commutes to weak executive sponsorship, compliance pitfalls, and poor remote communication.
You Beauty! Australia Just Took a Stand for Offshore Workers
The Fair Work Commission’s ruling in Pascua v Doessel Group found a remote Filipino paralegal was an employee, not a contractor — a landmark wake-up call that Australian employment protections can cross borders.
The Secret Sauce: Remuneration Strategies for High Performing Teams in the Philippines
A detailed guide to remunerating Filipino teams: pay a premium to attract high-calibre, culturally-aligned talent, and back it with competitive benefits like WFH, HMO, new IT equipment, and team activities.
Five Fun Facts About the Philippines
Five fun facts about the Philippines: iconic Jeepneys, the street-food adventure of balut, a former airport in Makati’s heart, the world’s texting capital, and a Christmas season that starts in September.