Our Story

Our story started with a simple search for a Filipino virtual assistant many years ago.

I was told by a good friend of mine how incredible the talent is that you can easily find remotely, and I went to test things out for myself.

Fast forward many years later, and I have a whole team I’ve built up with various specialties that do tons of work for my business each week.

Their talent, dedication, and the seamless harmony we’d developed made them indispensable to my operations. So naturally, when a new project landed on my desk, I knew exactly where to look for help.

Or so I thought.

Every single time I needed someone new, I went to existing platforms. These platforms felt like returning to an old friend – except this old friend had changed, and not for the better. Every… single… time

Here’s the kicker: I was ready to offer competitive rates higher than my previous hires. But when I connected with a fellow entrepreneur who’d recently hired an expert VA, his words stopped me. “The rates haven’t budged in years,” he said, almost proudly. I’ll admit, my wallet did a little happy dance, but something felt off.

My curiosity led me down a rabbit hole of disturbing discoveries. The platform’s owner brazenly advertised Filipino VA services for a mere $3 per hour! Reddit was ablaze with horror stories – ghosting, scams, lowball offers. The platform I once trusted had become a race to the bottom. And whenever I posted a job, talent competed for the lowest possible offer. It drove talented workers in the Philippines of the platform either back to in-person jobs or only working directly with agencies. It was quite frankly disgusting.

Desperate for alternatives, I turned to some VA agencies that seemed to multiply overnight. The result? Three hires, two disasters, and one keeper. One vanished into thin air, another was all show and no substance, and I wondered:

How do these agencies actually vet their talent?

I dug deeper into how legitimate agencies actually operate. I discovered that the good ones implement a thorough, multi-layered vetting process that leaves no stone unturned. And there’s no reason a self-serving platform couldn’t do the same.

First, they screen applications (resumes and portfolios). Then comes the conduct of background checks, verification of past employment, and sometimes, they test internet connections and equipment setups.

After this comes actually skills, which can be initially tested with assessments (to test for specific skill, tool, or industry expertise).

What really caught my attention was how the best agencies emphasize cultural fit and work ethics. They invest in cultural awareness training to ensure their VAs understand international client expectations.

This research validated my suspicions – the “race to the bottom” platforms were skipping these crucial steps, while legitimate agencies invested significant resources into proper vetting. It became clear that building a platform that prioritized thorough vetting while still giving you the flexibility to hire who you want, when you want, would be essential to solving the problems I’d encountered.

That’s when it hit me. Sometimes, the best opportunities arise from our greatest frustrations. I scrapped my original project entirely and redirected my energy toward solving this growing problem. It wasn’t just about finding good help anymore – it was about creating a platform that honored the Filipino professionals who had helped build my success.

Thus, HireTalent.ph was born. But this is NOT another Filipino hiring website. It’s a mission born from gratitude and frustration, shaped by experience and determination. It’s our way of building bridges between talented professionals and businesses who value quality over quick fixes. This is not the platform to hire someone you don’t care about.

This is our story – not just mine, but every entrepreneur who’s struggled to find natural talent and every Filipino professional who deserves better opportunities. And we’re just getting started.