Why Do My Hires from the Philippines Keep Disappearing?

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“I hired someone from the Philippines, and they just disappeared. No warning, no explanation. They were so great, I don’t know what happened.”

Sound familiar? If you’ve ever been left scrambling to fill a gap in your team, you’re not alone, and there’s a reason this keeps happening.

Quick note: the last time I wrote about this topic we got a bunch of hate from some founders’ Filipino Executive Assistants. If that’s you, please read the whole thing before sending me hate mail… you might actually agree with me. :)

The Cultural Differences That Complicate Hiring

Picture this. You’re running an SEO agency, and you’ve got a critical role to fill. You hire a VA from the Philippines with great rates, solid English, and tons of experience. Everything’s going fine and you keep piling on the work, which they do faithfully, until one day, they stop responding.

Deadlines pile up, clients get antsy, and you’re back to square one, working 15-hour days to cover the gap.

What went wrong? 

It’s not about skill. It’s about culture.

First off, let me say: there are great people everywhere.

If you have great team members in the Philippines, that’s great.

That’s not what this is about.

What I’m interested in is what cultural attributes some cultures have that make it harder or easier to work with US companies.

These are just the facts. 

In the Philippines, saying “no” or admitting a problem can feel disrespectful. So instead of telling you they’re overwhelmed or can’t meet a deadline, they might just vanish.

Not everyone is like this, but enough people are that it’s the #1 reason I heard from my clients regarding why they plan to stop hiring in the Philippines.

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Why Eastern Europe, South Africa, and Latin America Win

So how do you fix this? 

Hire from a region with broader cultural overlap. 

At my company, we focus on Eastern Europe, South Africa, and Latin America because these areas offer talented individuals whose cultures align closely with Western business norms. 

They’re goldmines for building reliable teams. Here’s why. 

Take South Africa, a country where 55% of the population speaks English fluently. That widespread fluency fosters a straightforward communication style, and the no-nonsense attitude at work means your South African team members won’t hesitate to speak up if they need extra support or have ideas to improve your processes.

South Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe share a mindset of clear communication and accountability, making them seamless fits for your business.

Last week, I spoke with an SEO agency owner who’d just fired a VA from the Philippines for overinflating hours and dodging accountability. 

He was desperate, stuck working 15-hour days to cover a backlink-building role himself. He needed someone fast, someone reliable, and he was done with late-night training calls. We tapped our South Africa and Latin America pools, and within 48 hours, he had candidates in front of him. 

Now, he’s got a hire who speaks up, owns the role, and fits his Pacific Coast hours. 

No more ghosting, no more chaos. That’s the difference cultural overlap makes.

Build a Solid Team Fast

Why risk another disappearing act when you can have talent that communicates, delivers, and stays? At Go Carpathian, we’ll show you the first candidates in 2 days. 

50% of clients hire someone we introduce them to within 2 days of onboarding.

That’s why agencies, tech companies and many others trust us to build teams that last. 

Click here to book a free consultation with our recruiting specialists

Until next time,

Nathan

PS: Check out what one of our clients has to say about working with Go Carpathian: