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How to choose an offshore staffing provider in Australia: 12 questions to ask before you sign

By , Co-founder and CEO, Offshored. Published . Last updated .

A buyer's guide for Australian business owners and managers. It names no providers and works on any of them, including us.

How do you choose an offshore staffing provider?

To choose an offshore staffing provider, put the same twelve questions to every provider and ask for the answers in writing: who legally employs the staff, where they work, what the monthly fee includes, what other fees apply, who chooses the person, how long hiring takes, what happens when someone leaves, how your data is protected, who manages performance, whether there is an Australian company and office, whether you can speak to current clients, and what the contract says about term, notice and price changes. A provider worth choosing answers all twelve plainly, and its answers match its published terms.

Most providers can find you a capable person. The differences that cost money later sit in the structure behind that person: the employer, the fee, the contract and what happens when something goes wrong. Each question below comes with what a good answer sounds like, then how Offshored answers it, stated as our terms stand today. Where our answer has a limit, we say so.

Download the one page checklist (PDF)No form, no email address needed.
  1. Who legally employs the staff?
  2. Where do the staff work?
  3. What is included in the monthly fee?
  4. What other fees could I pay?
  5. Do I choose the person, and how are candidates screened?
  6. How long will hiring take?
  7. What happens if the person leaves or is not the right fit?
  8. How is my data protected?
  9. Who manages performance, and what support do I get after the hire?
  10. Is there an Australian company and office?
  11. Can I speak to current clients?
  12. What are the contract terms?
Questions 1 to 4

Structure and cost: who employs the person, where they work and what you pay

1. Who legally employs the staff?

This decides who carries the employment risk. A sound answer names a registered company in the staff member's own country that holds the employment contract, runs payroll and pays the statutory contributions. Take care where the person is really an independent contractor whom you direct like an employee, because that arrangement can raise questions under Australian workplace law. Ask for the employing entity's name and registration number.

How Offshored answersEvery team member is employed in the Philippines by Australian Pathways OPC (Company Reg. 2023010082245-00), a registered Philippine company. You contract with Offshored Pty Ltd in Australia, so you engage a staffing service rather than employing an overseas worker. Our guide Is offshoring legal in Australia? explains the structure.

2. Where do the staff work?

Office, home and hybrid arrangements can all work well. What matters is that the provider tells you plainly which one applies to your person, because it affects equipment, supervision and data security. Ask who supplies the computer, and whether an office seat is available if your role needs one.

How Offshored answersTeam members work from Offshored's office in BGC, Manila, or from home, depending on the role and your requirements. Most work from home today, which widens the talent pool. Office based staff use company supplied laptops. Home based staff usually use their own hardware, and you can require a company supplied device.

3. What is included in the monthly fee?

Ask for the inclusions in writing, line by line. A complete fee covers salary, the 13th month pay required in the Philippines, government contributions, health cover, payroll, recruitment and HR support. A low headline price that leaves some of these out cannot be compared with an all-inclusive one.

How Offshored answersOne all-inclusive monthly fee, from A$1,900. It covers salary, 13th month pay, SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG contributions, HMO health insurance after the six month probation, payroll and tax withholding, recruitment, replacement and day to day HR, plus office space and equipment for office based staff. The band for each role is on our pricing page.

4. What other fees could I pay?

Extras in this industry can include setup or recruitment fees, equipment charges and exit fees. None is unreasonable in itself. What matters is that you know the total before you sign. Ask for a list of every circumstance in which you would pay more than the monthly fee.

How Offshored answersThere are no recruitment, placement, setup or exit fees, and the service is free until you choose a candidate and sign. The only other charge is a late payment fee of A$30 per day for each team member on an overdue invoice, which is published in our Terms of Service.

Questions 5 to 7

The hire: who chooses the person, how long it takes and what happens if it does not work out

5. Do I choose the person, and how are candidates screened?

You will manage this person every day, so you should interview and choose them yourself. Ask what screening happens before a candidate reaches you, such as interviews, skills checks and a police clearance. Ask too whether the person will work only for your business or be shared across several clients.

How Offshored answersYou interview the shortlist and make the hiring decision. Before that, every candidate has a pre-screening interview with Offshored's recruitment team, and every hire provides an NBI clearance, the Philippine national police check. Your team member works full time for your business only.

6. How long will hiring take?

Anything from one week to six can be realistic, depending on the role. A fast answer is only useful if it is true, so ask what the timeline assumes and how long recent hires for similar roles actually took.

How Offshored answersTypically one to two weeks. A 20-minute call scopes the role, shortlisting takes three to four days, then you interview and choose. The steps are set out in How it works.

7. What happens if the person leaves or is not the right fit?

People resign, and some hires do not work out, with every provider. A replacement guarantee should tell you who pays for the new search, how quickly candidates arrive and whether a time limit applies. It does not remove the disruption of retraining, so ask how handovers are managed as well.

How Offshored answersOffshored replaces the team member at our cost, with no re-recruitment fee, whether they resign or are not the right fit. Replacement candidates are presented for your review before the handover date, and leave cover is arranged the same way.

Questions 8 and 9

Risk and management: how your data is protected and who manages performance

8. How is my data protected?

Under the Privacy Act 1988 your business remains accountable for personal information handled overseas, so this answer needs detail. Look for background checks, confidentiality and intellectual property clauses in the employment contract, device controls and a clear process for removing access when someone leaves. Treat any certification as unconfirmed until you have seen the certificate.

How Offshored answersWork is done in your systems under logins you control, and Offshored holds no client data on its own infrastructure. The employment contract includes a confidentiality clause, which continues after employment ends, and an intellectual property assignment. USB ports and personal cloud drives are blocked on company supplied devices, and every login is removed on the last day. Offshored is not ISO 27001 certified today. The detail is on our data security page.

9. Who manages performance, and what support do I get after the hire?

In a dedicated staffing model you direct the daily work and the provider manages the employment around it. Ask who your contact is, how often feedback is collected, how attendance is tracked and what happens when performance slips. A promise to sort it out is not a process.

How Offshored answersEvery client has a named account manager. KPIs are agreed at onboarding, we ask for your feedback at the end of months one, three and six of the probation period, and there is an annual review each November. Shifts are logged on our timekeeping platform. If performance does not improve, we mediate first and then replace.

Questions 10 to 12

Accountability: who you can hold to account, who will vouch for them and what you are signing

10. Is there an Australian company and office?

An Australian contracting company means an agreement with a business you can look up on the ABN register, and usually someone you can meet in person. It is not essential, and some good providers operate entirely from overseas, but it changes your recourse if something goes wrong. Ask for the ABN and the office address, and check both.

How Offshored answersYou contract with Offshored Pty Ltd (ABN 84 664 866 433), founded in 2023. Our Sydney office is at Level 7, 99 York Street, where clients are welcome by appointment, and our Manila base is Suite 706, HSS Corporate Building, BGC. We have no office in Melbourne or Brisbane and work with clients there by phone and video.

11. Can I speak to current clients?

Testimonials on a website are chosen by the provider. Independent reviews and named clients carry more weight, and a conversation with a current client in your industry carries the most. Ask for one. A provider may reasonably wait until you are a serious buyer, and should ask its client's permission first.

How Offshored answersYes. On request, Offshored will put a serious buyer in touch with a current client in a similar industry, once that client agrees. In the meantime, our Google reviews are public and rated 5.0, and the clients named on our website appear with their written permission.

12. What are the contract terms?

Read four things: the minimum term, the notice period, how and when the fee can change, and what happens to your team member if you leave. A longer term is not wrong if it comes with something in return, but you should choose it knowingly. Ask for the full terms before the first call ends.

How Offshored answersThere is no lock-in contract. After you sign a Memorandum of Understanding you pay month to month, invoiced in advance, and you can end the arrangement with 30 days' notice, with the final invoice prorated and no exit fee. If you approve a salary increase at the annual review, the fee is adjusted from 1 January. Our full Terms of Service are published.

Using the answers

How to compare the answers you get

Put the same twelve questions to two or three providers, ask for the answers by email, and set them side by side. Price is one line of twelve. Three signs deserve a second look before you sign with anyone:

  • An answer given on the sales call changes, or disappears, in the written agreement.
  • The provider will not list in writing what the monthly fee includes.
  • The provider cannot name the company that will employ your team member.

Still deciding which model suits you? Offshoring, outsourcing and virtual assistants compared covers that choice, and the cost guide shows what a full-time team member costs.

Checklist

The one page provider checklist

All twelve questions on a single page, with what to look for and space to score three providers. Print it or fill it in on screen.

Download the checklist (PDF)Free to use and share.
  1. Who legally employs the staff? A named, registered employing company in the staff member's country, with its registration number.
  2. Where do the staff work? A plain statement of office, home or hybrid for your person, and who supplies the computer.
  3. What is included in the monthly fee? A written list of inclusions: salary, 13th month pay, government contributions, health cover, payroll, recruitment, HR.
  4. What other fees could I pay? Every circumstance in which you would pay more than the monthly fee: setup, recruitment, equipment, exit, late payment.
  5. Do I choose the person, and how are candidates screened? You interview and decide. Screening steps are named. The person works for your business only.
  6. How long will hiring take? A timeline with its assumptions, and how long recent similar hires took.
  7. What happens if the person leaves or is not the right fit? Who pays for the replacement search, how fast candidates arrive, any time limit, and how handover works.
  8. How is my data protected? Background checks, confidentiality and IP clauses, device controls, access removed on exit. Certificates shown, not claimed.
  9. Who manages performance, and what support do I get after the hire? A named contact, set feedback points, attendance records and a written process for poor performance.
  10. Is there an Australian company and office? An ABN you can look up and an office address you can visit. Check both.
  11. Can I speak to current clients? Independent reviews, named clients and a reference call with a current client in your industry.
  12. What are the contract terms? Minimum term, notice period, how the fee can change, and what happens when you leave. Full terms supplied up front.
FAQ

Questions about choosing a provider

What is the most important question to ask an offshore staffing provider?

Who legally employs the staff. The answer decides who carries the employment risk, who pays the statutory contributions and what happens if there is a dispute. Offshored team members are employed in the Philippines by Australian Pathways OPC, a registered Philippine company, and the client contracts with Offshored Pty Ltd in Australia.

Should I choose the cheapest offshore staffing provider?

Only after you have compared like with like. Ask each provider to list in writing what its monthly fee includes and every extra charge, then compare the totals. Offshored charges one all-inclusive monthly fee from A$1,900, with no recruitment, setup or exit fees.

Do I need an offshore staffing provider with an Australian office?

It is not essential, but an Australian company gives you an agreement with a business you can look up on the ABN register and meet in person. Offshored Pty Ltd (ABN 84 664 866 433) has its office at Level 7, 99 York Street, Sydney.

How many offshore staffing providers should I compare?

Two or three is usually enough. Put the same twelve questions to each, ask for the answers in writing, and compare them side by side using the one page checklist on this page.

This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Offshored's answers reflect our published terms at the "Last updated" date above.

Put the twelve questions to us.

Book a 20-minute call and ask every one of them. You will get straight answers and, if the fit is right, a fixed monthly fee for your role. We reply within one business hour, 8am to 6pm AEST, Monday to Friday.

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