FAQs | Isla Outsourcing
Answers to common questions about hiring with Isla Outsourcing, pricing, onboarding, compliance, replacements, and how our Australian-managed model works.
How quickly can we get started?
Most clients have a shortlist of qualified candidates within 3 to 5 business days of the discovery call. Once you choose your professional, onboarding can be completed in as little as 3 business days, depending on your systems and access requirements.
Here is how the time usually breaks down:
- Day 1: a 15-minute discovery call about the role, your systems and the hours you need covered.
- Days 1 to 5: we build the role and send you a shortlist of qualified candidates.
- Your choice: you interview the shortlist and choose the professional who fits.
- About 3 business days: the onboarding form, the agreements, the security deposit, your Client Portal and a kickoff call to hand over.
The biggest variable is usually access. If your professional needs logins, licences or VPN access to your systems, having those ready shortens the start. Your account manager confirms exactly what is needed before the kickoff call.
What does Isla manage for us?
Isla provides a fully managed staffing solution. You direct the day-to-day work, and we manage everything behind the scenes.
That includes:
- Recruitment and candidate sourcing, matched to your role and systems
- HR onboarding and ongoing HR support
- Payroll administration
- Performance and KPI management, with structured check-ins
- Productivity monitoring
- A dedicated account manager as your point of contact
- IT support and secure workstations
- Workforce retention and employee engagement
- Replacement and continuity support if a placement changes
All of it is covered by one inclusive hourly rate, so there are no separate recruitment fees, payroll charges or equipment costs to add on.
Is my team member dedicated exclusively to my business?
Yes. Your professional works exclusively for your business during their agreed working hours. They are never shared across multiple clients.
That matters for more than availability. A dedicated professional learns your systems, your clients and the way you like things done, and gets better at it every week. They become part of your team rather than a queue you send work into.
What dedicated looks like in practice:
- An agreed schedule aligned with your Australian working hours
- Your systems, your processes and your priorities, set by you
- An end of day report in your Client Portal: what they finished, anything in their way and what is next
- A named account manager at Isla supporting both of you
A back up VA can also be named for your account, so someone who already knows your work steps in when your professional is on leave.
What if the person isn't the right fit?
Finding the right long-term fit matters. If your professional is not the right match, we work with you to understand why and source a replacement at no additional recruitment cost.
How it works:
- Tell your account manager what is not working. Specific feedback helps us get the next match right.
- We review the role with you, in case the job has changed since it was first written.
- We source and shortlist new candidates, and you choose again.
- We manage the handover so the disruption to your work stays small.
Problems usually surface early, which is why every placement has structured check-ins at two weeks, one month, three months, six months and a year. You do not need to wait for one, though. You can raise a concern with your account manager at any time.
Replacements are handled in accordance with your service agreement.
Am I locked into a long-term contract?
No. We do not lock clients into lengthy agreements. If you decide to end the engagement, we ask for 30 days' written notice.
The notice period is there for a smooth transition, for your business and for your professional. It gives time to hand over work, document processes and close out access to your systems.
Your engagement is set out in a service agreement you sign during onboarding, together with a data privacy agreement and an NDA. Your one-month security deposit is refunded once the account is finalised and any outstanding invoices are settled.
Needs can also change without ending anything. Hours can go up, a second professional can join, or the role can be reshaped. Talk to your account manager about what you need.
Is my security deposit refundable?
Yes. Your one-month security deposit is fully refundable once your account has been finalised and all outstanding invoices have been settled, in accordance with your service agreement.
How it works:
- Our Accounts team sends the deposit invoice during onboarding, with the amount and the payment instructions.
- The rest of onboarding, including your Client Welcome Packet, follows once the deposit is confirmed.
- When an engagement ends, after the 30 days' notice, the final invoices are settled and the deposit is returned.
If you have a question about the amount or the timing, our Accounts team or your account manager can walk you through it before you pay.
How secure is my business data?
Protecting your information is one of our highest priorities. Every Isla professional signs a Confidentiality Agreement, a Non-Disclosure Agreement and a Data Privacy Agreement before starting work, and access to your systems stays under your control.
The safeguards in place:
- Signed confidentiality, non-disclosure and data privacy agreements for every professional
- A data privacy agreement and NDA between your business and Isla, signed during onboarding
- Secure equipment and monitored working environments
- Productivity monitoring software with SOC 2 Type II compliance
- Access you grant, inside your own systems, and can remove at any time
Your data stays within your existing platforms and security policies. We recommend giving your professional their own login rather than a shared one, with only the permissions the role needs, so every action can be traced and access can be removed in one step.
For care, health and finance work, professionals are briefed on the confidentiality and information handling expected in your sector before they access live systems.
Who manages my dedicated professional?
You do. You allocate the work, set priorities and manage the day-to-day tasks. Isla manages everything else.
Who does what:
- You: assign tasks, set priorities, give feedback and approve hours
- Isla: recruitment, onboarding, HR support, payroll administration, performance management, equipment, IT support and employee engagement
- Your account manager: your point of contact for the placement, from questions about hours to concerns about performance
Most clients find a simple rhythm works best: a short daily check-in, a clear list of priorities for the week, and the end of day report your professional sends through your Client Portal.
If something is not working, raise it with your account manager rather than carrying it yourself. That is what they are there for.
What happens if there are internet or power interruptions?
Business continuity matters to us. Our professionals have access to backup connectivity where available, and our account management team monitors attendance and productivity closely.
If an interruption happens:
- Your professional lets you and their account manager know as soon as they can.
- We tell you promptly what the impact is likely to be.
- Work resumes as soon as the connection or power is back, with anything time sensitive done first.
For longer absences such as leave, a back up VA can be named for your account, so someone who already knows your work can step in.
If continuity is critical for the role, for example intake or rostering, tell us on the discovery call and we will plan cover from the start.
Why hire professionals from the Philippines?
The Philippines is one of the world's leading destinations for professional outsourcing. Businesses benefit from highly educated, English-speaking professionals with strong experience supporting Australian organisations, and time zones close enough for real-time collaboration through the business day.
What Australian businesses tend to value most:
- Clear English communication, written and spoken
- Working hours that line up with the Australian business day
- Experience supporting Australian organisations across construction, healthcare, finance, real estate, customer service and administration
- A strong service culture and a large pool of university-educated professionals
Isla is Australian-managed and Philippines-based. Your engagement is run to Australian expectations, while your professional is supported on the ground by our team in Angeles City.
Are your professionals paid fairly?
Absolutely. At Isla, we are committed to building sustainable careers, not simply filling positions.
We offer competitive compensation based on experience and role, together with benefits designed to support long-term retention. As our business grows, we are continuing to invest in our people through initiatives such as healthcare benefits, paid leave, professional development and employee recognition programs.
We believe that when our people are supported, our clients receive better service, stronger continuity and higher-performing teams. Low turnover is one of the quiet advantages of a managed model: the person who learns your business stays to use what they learned.
How much can outsourcing save my business?
Every business is different, but many of our clients reduce employment-related costs by up to 70% compared with hiring an equivalent local position.
The saving comes from more than the hourly rate. One inclusive Isla rate covers costs a local hire adds on top of salary:
- Recruitment and advertising
- Payroll administration and HR support
- Equipment, workstations and IT support
- Desk space in your office
- Replacement if the hire does not work out
Rates start from $12 an hour, all inclusive. For a figure for your own role, try the Cost Estimator. It takes about 30 seconds and asks for no email.
Why choose Isla instead of a recruitment agency?
A recruitment agency helps you hire. Isla helps you build and manage a dedicated offshore team, and stays with you after the hire.
The difference in practice:
- An agency finds a candidate and steps away. Isla recruits, onboards and then manages payroll, HR, performance and equipment for as long as you work together.
- With an agency, a hire that does not work out often means starting again. With Isla, replacement support is part of the service.
- An agency fee is usually a one-off charge on top of salary. Isla is one inclusive hourly rate.
- An agency hands you an employee. Isla gives you a named account manager to support the placement.
You still choose who joins your team. We take care of the people behind the scenes so you can focus on growing the business.
What is an NDIS virtual assistant?
An NDIS virtual assistant is a dedicated remote professional who handles the administration behind NDIS services. With Isla, they work exclusively for your organisation inside your own systems, while Isla manages their recruitment, payroll and performance.
The work they typically take on:
- Participant intake and onboarding paperwork
- Rostering and scheduling
- Service agreements, records and registers
- Compliance records and audit preparation
- HR and recruitment administration
- Invoicing and payment follow-ups
- Communication with participants, families, workers and stakeholders
Before they access live systems, they are briefed on the relevant NDIS and care sector requirements, participant confidentiality, documentation standards and your own procedures.
What they do not do is replace your clinical or support workers. The aim is to take the administration off the people delivering care, so they can spend more of their time on it.
How much does a virtual assistant cost in Australia?
Isla's dedicated professionals cost from AUD $12 to $18 an hour, depending on the role and the experience required. Recruitment, onboarding, payroll administration, account management and IT support are all included in that rate.
What moves the rate within that range:
- The kind of work, for example general administration compared with bookkeeping or technical support
- The experience level the role needs
- Specific systems or sector knowledge, such as NDIS or healthcare software
What is included, whatever the rate:
- Recruitment, screening and onboarding
- Payroll administration and HR support
- A named account manager
- Equipment, secure workstations and IT support
- Replacement support if a placement is not the right fit
The only other amount is a one-month security deposit, fully refundable when your account is finalised. For a figure for your own role, try the Cost Estimator: about 30 seconds, no email needed.
Are there recruitment fees or hidden costs?
No. Sourcing, screening and onboarding are part of the hourly rate, and if a placement is not the right fit we source a replacement at no additional recruitment cost.
What you pay:
- One inclusive hourly rate for the hours your professional works, which you approve in your Client Portal
- A one-month security deposit, refunded once your account is finalised and all invoices are settled
What you do not pay:
- Recruitment or placement fees
- Separate charges for payroll, HR or account management
- Equipment or IT support costs
- A fee to replace a placement that is not the right fit
Your rate and the terms are set out in your service agreement before anything starts, so there are no surprises on the first invoice.
Can I interview candidates before they start?
Yes. We send you a shortlist of qualified candidates, usually within 3 to 5 business days, and you choose who joins your team. Onboarding can then be completed in as little as 3 business days, depending on your systems and access requirements.
How the interviews work:
- Each shortlisted candidate comes with their experience and the tools they have used.
- You meet them by video, so you can judge communication and fit for yourself.
- Ask them to walk you through a task they would do for you. It tells you more than a CV.
- If none of the shortlist is right, tell us why and we will look again.
Once you choose, we take care of the onboarding: the agreements, the security deposit, your Client Portal and a kickoff call to introduce your professional.
Can I start with part-time support?
Yes. Our Starter arrangement is 20 hours a week with one dedicated professional, which suits solo practitioners and businesses outsourcing for the first time.
Part time works well when:
- You want to test what a dedicated professional can take on before committing to more
- The work is steady but not enough for a full week
- You need cover for a particular part of the day, such as mornings for intake or afternoons for invoicing
As your workload grows, you can move to full-time support with backup cover, or add team members. Your account manager handles the change, and your professional stays the same.
Will my assistant work Australian business hours?
Yes. Your professional works the hours agreed with you, aligned to your Australian business day, so they are online when your team is.
The Philippines is two to three hours behind the Australian east coast, depending on daylight saving, which makes a shared working day straightforward. Your schedule is confirmed in the onboarding form and can be adjusted later if your needs change.
What that means day to day:
- Your professional is available for questions and calls while your team is working
- Work handed over in the morning can be finished the same day
- An end of day report in your Client Portal shows what was done, anything in the way and what is next
If you need cover outside standard hours, for example early starts or rostered shifts across a wider window, tell us on the discovery call and we will plan for it.