Nerrizza "Nerri" Nicor didn't picture herself as a leader. A self-described introvert with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, Nerri found her niche as a virtual employee, working from the comfort of her home in the Philippines.
But when HireSmart Virtual Employees offered a leadership class, Nerri's perspective changed. "I was afraid," she admits, "but then I realized that as a virtual employee, I did not have five or 10 years of experience. I needed to have something more."
Nerri, a delinquency coordinator for a U.S. community association management agency, exemplifies the commitment to continuous improvement she shares with so many of her HireSmart teammates. She wants to invest in herself, and HireSmart is thrilled to invest in her and all of its VEs to help them shape a brighter future for themselves and their clients.
HireSmart Filipino Scholarship — Diana’s Story
That's why HireSmart co-founder Anne Lackey holds an annual leadership course for VEs, a way for them to gain the skills and confidence needed to grow into leadership positions.
From Hesitation to Empowerment
The leadership class covers a range of topics, from time management to goal setting, all tailored to the unique challenges faced by virtual employees. For Nerri, one of the most impactful aspects was hearing Anne's personal experiences building HireSmart.
"What resounded with me the most is that Anne mentioned there are a lot of opinions around her, but she would only listen to opinions that would actually reflect what she wants HireSmart to be in the future, or the opinions of people that actually propelled their careers or their businesses into success," said Nerri.
The HireSmart VE said Anne's course gave her a greater perspective on success while boosting her confidence.
"I have more confidence now," she said. "Sometimes I think successful people just got there overnight. But when Anne shared her experiences, it wasn't very easy from the beginning. There is actually a stairway that gets harder the more you go up. It was very humbling and also very inspiring at the same time."
This confidence translates into more effective work. Nerri feels more equipped to handle challenges and contribute meaningfully to her team. She also said it's a joy to work with her clients.
"Everyone on the accounting team has been very supportive," she says. "You just really need to know how to ask the right questions and when to ask them."
This ability to communicate effectively and take initiative is crucial in a virtual setting, where clear communication and self-motivation are paramount.
HireSmart's Comprehensive Support for Virtual Employees
While the leadership class is a standout feature of HireSmart's commitment to its VEs, it's just one part of a comprehensive support system.
HireSmart's investment in its VEs goes beyond the workplace. The company offers health and dental benefits, educational scholarships for VEs' children, and even financial support during times of crisis, such as when Typhoon Rai hit the Philippines in 2021. VEs also become part of a supportive community, with access to resources for personal and professional growth.
HireSmart Cares Typhoon Relief — Bernard's Story
This combination of professional opportunity, personal support, and community creates an environment where VEs can thrive, grow, and build long-term, fulfilling careers in the virtual employment space.
Nerri says HireSmart has improved her family's lives. She lives with her mom, Nathalie; father, Reyman; brother, Reyman Jr.; and grandfather, Nathaniel — and two dogs, Shine and Knight.
The avid reader and painter said her civil engineering degree didn't translate into the salary she needed.
"Civil engineering is a very competitive industry, even here in the Philippines, but the salaries, just wanting to be honest, the salary isn't competitive itself," she said. "It's not equivalent to the work that you've put in. And through my work, through the work from home (with HireSmart) the salary is very, very good, as well as the benefits."
Nerri found previous online employers to be "fishy." But she said HireSmart has been open and honest about everything.
See C.E.O. Anne Lackey and Operations Manager Julia Roberts Discuss HireSmart's Core Values
"That's why I'm very grateful for HireSmart because everything has been transparent," she said. "I'm joining a company that's already communicated everything they need in a person, what they expect from you, and what you should expect from them. So I was very happy to be able to join."
Creating Value for Clients Through Employee Growth
The benefits of this comprehensive support and leadership training are significant for clients partnering with HireSmart. They gain access to a workforce skilled in their specific roles and equipped with leadership capabilities and a growth mindset. This means virtual employees can take on more complex tasks, show greater initiative, and provide more strategic value to the businesses they support.
As Nerri puts it, "Unless you try and push yourself to learn, you don't know what the future holds. So just keep trying." This willingness to take on new challenges is precisely what many businesses look for in their team members, whether in-house or virtual.
HireSmart's investment in its VEs is all about building an environment for success for all involved. Virtual employees like Nerri gain valuable skills, confidence, and a supportive work environment, enhancing their career prospects and job satisfaction. Clients, in turn, benefit from working with more capable, motivated, and proactive virtual team members.
By empowering virtual employees to grow professionally, HireSmart is not just filling positions — it's building careers and enhancing the overall quality of virtual workforce solutions.
Sheryl Shares How Insurance Through HireSmart Made a Difference
HireSmart's approach offers a compelling proposition for businesses considering virtual employment solutions: access to skilled and confident team members equipped with leadership skills and a commitment to excellence.
If this sounds like the right place for you, click here to apply to HireSmart Virtual Employees.
For seven years, Christy Subeldia has helped her U.S. property management client succeed as a HireSmart virtual employee. Now, HireSmart is helping Christy's daughter, Zanna, succeed by providing an educational scholarship that allows the 10-year-old to attend one of the Philippines' premier private schools.
"It's a big blessing to us," said Christy. "For my daughter, it means that she would be able to bring out her full potential and get introduced to different kinds of people from different walks of life. Education is the best gift that we could give to our children."
HireSmart Filipino Scholarship — Diana's Story
Zanna is a fifth grader at one of the top schools in the family's area. The scholarship allows both Zanna and her 16-year-old brother, Theodore, to attend quality schools without straining family finances as Christy and her husband, Paul Brian, also work to establish their photography business.
"She is a smart, happy kid who is always ready to take on the world," said Christy about Zanna. "She's curious. She wants to do a lot of things. She wants to be able to prove herself in everything that she does."
Zanna loves swimming and practices regularly at her community pool. She has big dreams, too.
"When I asked her what she wants to be, she said, 'I want to be a CEO and run my own company,'" said Christy.
The Future in Their Faces: Helping Kids is Our Focus
After 15 years in a call center, Christy transitioned to working from home during a difficult pregnancy with Zanna that required bed rest. She discovered she loved the flexibility of remote work and joined HireSmart seven years ago. She started in customer service, handling calls and administrative tasks, and has since been promoted to business development associate, working with property owners interested in management services.
Christy says HireSmart stands apart from other agencies by focusing on long-term success rather than just filling immediate needs. She expressed deep gratitude to HireSmart CEO Anne Lackey and the company.
"Being with HireSmart is a blessing," she said. "Getting hired and meeting my client, it's a blessing for me. I love that Anne was able to assess my qualities, like my strengths and weaknesses, and pair me with my client. That's why I stayed here for so long."
The work-life balance has allowed Christy to be present for her family while maintaining a rewarding career. The compensation has helped the family achieve major goals.
"We were able to buy our own home," she said. "I was able to spend more time with my kids and my family, which is what I love the most."
HireSmart provides its virtual employees with good wages, health and dental insurance, and educational opportunities for advancement. This year, the company awarded 25 educational scholarships to help Filipino children receive quality instruction.
"Since I started working with HireSmart, our lives became better," said Christy. "We were able to buy things that we were not able to buy before, and we were able to put our son and our daughter into a beautiful school, the best school here. We started living the life that we wanted, like buying this home, buying this condo, and at the same time, building a new home. I couldn't ask for more."
HireSmart VE Is Always Available for His Family and Profession
If you're interested in helping HireSmart expand its Filipino educational scholarship program, or you'd like to support one of our other workforce development or educational initiatives, donate here.
To learn more about adding a HireSmart virtual employee to your team, click here to set up a free consultation.
If you want to join HireSmart as a virtual employee, click here.
Jonalyn's children are getting the attention they deserve thanks to an educational scholarship through her employer, HireSmart Virtual Employees.
The five-year HireSmart veteran is one of 25 employees receiving funding for a private education for their children, which means 6-year-old Marciella Audrey has the opportunity to thrive in a quality environment, while her brother, Marcus, who is diagnosed with "echolalia," the non-voluntary repetition of another individual's speech, receives the attention he needs.
Jonalyn, whose oldest child, Mark Neil, is studying information technology in college, feared having to choose between Marciella's education and Marcus's speech therapy, but the scholarship allows her to provide for both.
The proud mom says Marciella "is a really smart kid." She loves watching her daughter find joy in being active.
"She is interested in music, dancing, singing, gymnastics," she said. "Right now, we want her to focus on her studies, but if she still shows interest in any other activities, then we will do that in the summer."
Jonalyn said Marcus has shown progress over the past year.
"Over the past year, it's a lot," she said of his improvements. "We can converse with him in basic conversations. What do you want to eat? Where do you want to go? Brush your teeth. Although right now, he still cannot do the whole sentence, he can do more little by little."
Jonalyn said her job handling lease renewals and cancellations for a U.S. property management firm is going well. She offered to help cover the duties of another employee who left the job. Jonalyn approaches her work with a service mentality and urges other VEs to do the same.
"My advice is always to go above and beyond, and your client will always appreciate that," she said. "If I see things not being taken care of, I always do them. And then I let them know that this is already done and they don't have to worry about it, and they will always thank you. They will always value you in their company. That's why I've been with them for a long time."
Jonalyn said she's thankful for the educational scholarship and grateful for HireSmart and how it supports its VEs, such as providing a new work home if a job with a U.S. client comes to a close.
"The agency is always there to help me, but if you are on your own, it's very hard to find a good client," she said. "I've been there, and I don't want to do that anymore."
HireSmart Virtual Employees succeeds because it invests in employees like Jonalyn and recognizes how important they truly are. HireSmart offers educational scholarships for the children of its employees while also providing health and dental benefits at no cost to U.S. clients.
"Everything is going great, and I'm very thankful for HireSmart," said Jonalyn.
Filipino citizens interested in a career with HireSmart can click here to apply.
HireSmart Cares empowers the children of its Filipino virtual employees to learn the skills they need to succeed.
Vanessa is full of pride for her daughter, Jana, who thrived last year in the best private school in her area, an experience that wouldn’t have been possible without a scholarship from HireSmart Cares.
Jana earned an academic excellence award in her new school and made many new friends.
“I am so proud,” said Vanessa. “It's a new school and new environment, yet she fit in so well. The academic excellence award shows that she is really doing well.”
Jana received one of HireSmart Cares’ 25 educational scholarships last year and continues to receive the assistance this year. HireSmart awards private school funding for up to four years for each Filipino educational scholarship recipient.
Vanessa and her husband, Edgar, also have a son, Josiah, who is attending college and plans to be a civil engineer. Jana talks about being an architect.
Vanessa is in her sixth year as a HireSmart employee, serving the entire time with a community association management client in the U.S. She said she considers her U.S. co-workers as family, and noted how caring they were this past year as her mother, Ruth, battled cancer and passed away.
“I love them,” she said. “They’re family, and throughout the journey I had with my mom, they were there for me. They’re amazing. I can’t ask for anything more. I'm enjoying working with them.”
She said she and her three sisters are leaning on each other through the tough time.
“I'm just so thankful that all my sisters are here with me,” she said. “I still have my father. So all our love and affection are on him now.”
Vanessa said she feels deep loyalty to her U.S. client.
“I have this genuine concern for what the company is doing,” she said.
The accounting department employee said several years ago another department with the company had a wave of resignations.
“I was concerned why we're having those issues,” she said. “And so I reached out to the management and offered help. I don't want everyone to be discouraged because I love the company and I love my job. I love the people I'm working with.”
Her client’s management team assigned Vanessa to the troubled department for several weeks, and she helped them pull through the ordeal.
“I was glad to help in a tough time,” she said.
Vanessa’s actions show several of HireSmart’s SMARTER core values at work. She focused on being of “service” to others by being “available” in a time of need, and she strengthened the “relationship” with her client, who also supported her as she faced hardship this past year.
HireSmart Cares invests in its Filipino families because they are all part of a bigger family. And we support one another. The scholarship program is that principle put to action.
If you want to contribute to HireSmart’s Filipino scholarship fund, click here.
Hydee’s pride in her son, Prince Javier, is obvious as she smiles while talking about him — and for good reason.
The 9-year-old HireSmart scholarship recipient won citizenship and academic awards this past school year, receiving his class’s “Peacemaker Award” and “Little Teacher Award,” while earning a fourth rank in his class.
“I am very proud, of course,” said Hydee, a mother of three who can keep her children in a quality private school thanks to an educational scholarship through her employer, HireSmart Virtual Employees.
Hydee says the scholarship makes a huge difference for her family.
“It’s a great help when it comes to our financials,” she said. “I don’t have to think about the problem of paying the tuition fees every month because of this scholarship. I can focus more on my child’s learning and his development.”
Hydee is proud of how Prince Javier, who enjoys painting landscapes, overcame initial shyness at his school and has now made many friends. He likes having them visit his house, or he meets friends to play basketball or be a part of group studies.
Prince Javier also looks out for his little brother, who is also at the school.
“He’s very responsible,” she said. “He will go out and check on his little brother during snacks and lunchtime.”
Hydee has worked with HireSmart Virtual Employees for three years, handling accounting and bookkeeping for a property management client in the U.S.
She said she finds great peace of mind working with HireSmart instead of trying to link with an online client independently.
“Working on your own, they can just end your contract, and everything ends there,” she said. “They will leave you hanging. When you are with an agency, especially HireSmart, if we lose our client, they will get you another if you have a good record with your previous client. It gives us peace of mind and inspires us to work hard because HireSmart is there.”
Hydee urges new virtual employees to do their best and be patient.
“The first and second month, the stress is there,” she said. “Everything is not in order. It’s like a puzzle and everything is scrambled, and you need to find a way to make them orderly. Each day, as you learn, everything will go straight.”
HireSmart recognizes that its employees make the company special, and they need to be treated that way. That’s why HireSmart provides 25 educational scholarships for the children of its employees. The company also provides health and dental benefits at no cost to the U.S. clients.
HireSmart wants children like Prince Javier to have a bright future.
“He’s not definite (on a career path),” said Hydee. “He mentioned wanting to be a priest. The principal is a priest. He also told us he wanted to be an engineer.”
Prince Javier has plenty of time to figure that out. In the meantime, he can get a quality education with HireSmart’s help.
Filipino citizens interested in a career with HireSmart can click here to apply.
When a home burns to the ground, there’s the loss of both past and future — the memories and the plans — along with a disorienting plunge into a chaotic present for families who escape the blaze minus all their belongings.
Day or night, it’s a nightmare.
Unfortunately, such tragedies are all too common. And we can’t help every suffering family. We don’t have that power. But here at HireSmart Cares, we do what we can to make life better for as many as possible.
HireSmart’s primary philanthropic focus is helping kids build a good life through a variety of vocational and agricultural scholarships and initiatives, but our nonprofit also focuses on helping people rebuild their lives, whether it’s with assistance for the local food bank or providing aid for families struggling after natural disasters, as we did when we helped 31 Filipino families after Typhoon Rai in 2021.
HireSmart answered the call again recently when one of its Filipino employees and her family lost their home in a devastating fire.
“Our home was engulfed in flames, resulting in the destruction of our belongings, cherished memories, and a place we once called our safe haven,” the employee said. “The fire spread rapidly, leaving us with nothing on our backs and an overwhelming sense of uncertainty about our future.”
HireSmart jumped in with financial assistance to help the employee and her family in their recovery.
The grateful employee said assistance in a time of need restores “our faith in humanity and gives us the strength to move forward.”
“Words cannot express the gratitude we feel,” the employee said. “Your kindness and compassion make an immense difference in our lives and bring hope where it is desperately needed.”