When you're running a small business, every decision counts — especially when it comes to building your team. One of the most important areas where you need dependable support is Human Resources. But the question is: Should you build an in-house HR team, or is it better to hire remote HR professionals or a dedicated HR virtual assistant?
With platforms like VirtualStaff.ph making it easy to hire reliable virtual staff in the Philippines, more small business owners are rethinking the traditional HR model.
In this blog, we’ll help you explore both options in detail. By the end, you'll know which HR setup is better suited to your business goals, budget, and day-to-day operations.
What Does HR Do in a Small Business?
Whether remote or in-house, your HR team handles key responsibilities that affect the entire organization. Here's what a typical HR function looks like for small businesses:
- Recruiting and onboarding new employees
- Handling contracts and legal documents
- Managing employee records and benefits
- Overseeing compliance and workplace regulations
- Addressing employee relations and grievances
- Supporting payroll coordination and timesheet approvals
- Conducting performance reviews and enforcing HR policies
These functions are non-negotiable — but how you choose to handle them can significantly affect your efficiency, cost, and scalability.
Option 1: Hiring In-House HR Staff
Let’s start with the traditional route. Many businesses begin by hiring a full-time, in-office HR manager or team. This option is often chosen because it's familiar and feels easier to supervise.
Advantages of In-House HR
- Physical Presence: Your HR team is physically available to assist employees and leadership.
- Direct Control: You oversee their day-to-day work closely.
- Culture Integration: They participate in office culture, team events, and face-to-face collaboration.
Limitations of In-House HR
Despite these benefits, in-house HR often comes with hidden challenges for small business owners:
- High Cost: Hiring in-house means paying full-time local salaries, which can exceed $4,000/month for a skilled HR professional in the U.S., UK, or Australia.
- Limited Flexibility: You may not always need full-time HR support, yet you’re paying for it anyway.
- Office Overheads: Workspace, equipment, and supplies are additional recurring costs.
- Local Hiring Challenges: Recruiting locally can be time-consuming and restrictive, especially in smaller cities or towns.
For small businesses working with tight budgets, this setup can limit your ability to scale efficiently.
Option 2: Hire Remote HR Professionals or an HR Virtual Assistant
Hiring a remote HR professional or virtual assistant is a modern, flexible, and cost-effective way to handle HR operations — especially when you use a platform like VirtualStaff.ph.
What Is a Remote HR Professional?
A remote HR professional works from outside your physical office — usually from home or a co-working space. They can be full-time or part-time and are often based in countries like the Philippines, where you can access top-tier talent at a fraction of the cost.
At VirtualStaff.ph, you can hire full-time or part-time HR virtual assistants for $500–$1,500/month, depending on the experience and role complexity.
Tasks You Can Delegate to an HR Virtual Assistant
- Posting job openings and screening applicants
- Scheduling interviews and assisting in onboarding
- Managing employee records and contracts
- Preparing HR reports and compliance documentation
- Responding to employee questions and coordinating with payroll
- Supporting employee engagement programs and performance tracking
- You stay in control of your HR direction — while your virtual staff handles the day-to-day admin.
Benefits of Hiring Remote HR Professionals
1. Cost Savings
- You save thousands of dollars monthly compared to hiring local HR staff.
- No need to pay for physical office space, equipment, or local benefits packages.
With VirtualStaff.ph, there are no middlemen or salary markups — 100% of what you pay goes to your HR virtual assistant.
2. Flexibility
- Hire part-time or full-time depending on your business needs.
- Scale your HR support as your company grows — just add more seats.
- You choose who to hire and what to pay.
3. No Legal Hassles
VirtualStaff.ph handles payroll, compliance, and HR admin so you don’t have to deal with international employment laws or tax compliance.
4. Access to Pre-Vetted Talent
- Choose from 1 million+ pre-vetted Filipino professionals with experience in HR, recruitment, and administration.
- The platform makes it easy to filter and find qualified candidates who fit your exact requirements.
5. Built for Small Businesses
- VirtualStaff.ph is designed specifically for SMEs.
- Whether you need someone to handle employee records, recruitment, or HR reporting, the platform simplifies the process.
Comparing Remote HR and In-House HR: A Side-by-Side Look
What Type of Business Should Consider Hiring Remote HR Professionals?
Hiring remote HR staff is an ideal solution for:
- Startups looking to streamline costs and focus on core operations
- Small and medium businesses that don’t need a full-time HR person but still want proper support
- Business owners managing remote or hybrid teams
- Companies expanding internationally without local HR infrastructure
If you're running a business where every dollar matters, choosing to hire remote HR professionals or a qualified HR virtual assistant can give you the same results at a much lower cost.
How to Hire HR Virtual Assistants Through VirtualStaff.ph
Getting started is simple — here's how it works:
Step 1: Buy a Seat
Each seat lets you hire one full-time or part-time HR virtual assistant. It only costs $99/month per seat, and you can cancel anytime.
Step 2: Open Your HR Role
Tell VirtualStaff.ph exactly what you’re looking for. The platform will publish your role and match you with pre-vetted HR virtual assistants.
Step 3: Hire and Go
You pick the candidate that fits best. VirtualStaff.ph handles the rest — payroll, HR admin, compliance, and onboarding.
Bonus: 14-Day Hiring Guarantee
If you don’t find the right person within 14 days, you get your money back.
Use Cases: Real Scenarios Where Remote HR Is More Effective
Hiring remote HR professionals isn’t just about saving money — it’s also about improving efficiency and getting more done. Let’s look at some examples where remote HR virtual assistants make more sense than in-house staff.
1. You Only Need HR Help a Few Hours a Day
Many small businesses don’t need full-time HR. You might just need someone to:
- Post job listings
- Help schedule interviews
- Manage onboarding paperwork
- Track time-off requests
A part-time HR virtual assistant through VirtualStaff.ph can easily cover these tasks — at a fraction of what you’d pay for full-time, in-house help.
2. You’re Scaling Fast and Need to Hire Quickly
If you’re in growth mode, you need to hire — fast. But building an in-house HR team can take months. With VirtualStaff.ph, you can:
- Post a job today
- Get pre-vetted applications within 24–48 hours
- Hire and onboard your HR virtual assistant in days, not weeks
3. You’re Running a Fully Remote or Hybrid Team
Managing a distributed team requires a digital-first HR approach. A remote HR professional is already set up to:
- Use cloud tools like Slack, Zoom, and Trello
- Communicate asynchronously
- Track documents, benefits, and employee records virtually
That makes them a natural fit for small businesses that don’t operate from a single office.
4. You Want to Focus on Strategy — Not Admin
You didn’t start your business to spend hours organizing employee files or updating HR spreadsheets. When you hire remote HR professionals, you free up time to focus on growing your company.
Why VirtualStaff.ph Is the #1 Platform to Hire HR Virtual Assistants
Thousands of small businesses have already discovered the benefits of hiring remote HR professionals through VirtualStaff.ph — and here’s why the platform stands out.
You Choose Who to Hire and What to Pay
- No salary markups
- No bundled fees
- No agency gatekeeping
- You see the real candidates and make the hiring decisions
Payroll, HR, and Compliance? We Handle It.
- No legal registration required
- No local tax or admin headaches
- Everything is included in a simple $99/month per seat price
Trusted by 25,000+ Businesses
VirtualStaff.ph has been helping SMEs build remote teams in the Philippines for over a decade. It’s built specifically for business owners like you.
Access to 1M+ Pre-Vetted Filipino Staff
You get instant access to one of the largest pools of vetted remote workers in the Philippines. Whether you’re hiring for:
- HR and admin
- Bookkeeping
- Customer service
- Social media and marketing
…you’ll find the right people quickly.
Start Fast — With a 14-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Not sure if it’ll work for you? Try it risk-free. If you don’t hire someone within 14 days, you’ll get a full refund. Learn how it works here.
Final Verdict: What’s Better for Small Businesses — In-House HR or Remote HR?
If you’re running a small business and want to stay lean, move fast, and stay focused on growth, hiring remote HR professionals through VirtualStaff.ph is the smarter, more cost-effective option.
Choose In-House HR If:
- You need physical, onsite support every day
- You have the budget for full-time local salaries
- Your team is entirely in-office and prefers face-to-face processes
Choose Remote HR via VirtualStaff.ph If:
- You want to save thousands per month
- You only need part-time HR support
- Your team is remote or hybrid
- You want flexibility without legal and payroll stress
- You’re ready to scale efficiently with full control over hiring
Ready to Hire an HR Virtual Assistant?
Hiring remote HR staff doesn’t have to be complicated. With VirtualStaff.ph, it’s simple, fast, and affordable.
Get started for just $99/month per seat. No bundled fees. No markups. Just great people doing great work — directly for your business.
