Admin outsourcing with an assistant you hire directly

What an offshore admin assistant does, from enquiry to invoice

Builders, trades, NDIS providers and allied health practices run on the same back-office cycle. When the people doing the work also do the paperwork, something slips. An offshore admin assistant owns each stage:

• Enquiry: answer the phone and shared inbox, and log each enquiry in ServiceM8, Tradify, ShiftCare or Cliniko.
• Booking: schedule jobs, appointments or shifts within your rules, and send confirmations and reminders.
• Delivery: keep job, client or service records complete, and match supplier bills and documents to the right file.
• Billing: prepare invoices from completed work, track what is outstanding and follow up overdue accounts.

They also keep staff licence and insurance records current and flag expiries before they lapse.

Each industry uses the role differently. Our pages for builders and trades, NDIS providers and allied health practices show the common setups.

What stays with you onshore

• Quoting decisions, scope and pricing
• Clinical, support or technical decisions
• Payment approvals and anything outside the agreed process

Start with the tasks that take the most time today, and write down price lists, booking rules and approval limits.

How we test admin assistants

Each search typically starts with 1,000+ candidates from job advertising, direct headhunting and referrals through vetted local networks in the Philippines. Out of 1,000, about 400 (40%) pass CV and quality screening, 200 (20%) the video screen, 100 (10%) the practical assessment and 50 (5%) the structured interview. About 20 (2%) reach finalist review, and you receive a shortlist of 3–4, usually within about 2 weeks.

The practical assessment could include an industry scenario. A trades candidate might schedule three jobs around a crew’s availability and invoice a completed job sheet. A health or NDIS candidate might rebook a cancelled appointment or shift and update the record. When you interview, look for accuracy, sensible prioritising, and a candidate who notices when something does not fit the process.

Outsourced admin services: what the monthly margin adds up to

Many outsourced admin services run through managed agencies that charge a fee every month on top of salary. Staff Domain, for example, publishes $1,099 per person per month, about $13,188 a year, plus $1,200 per hire (checked October 2026). Over three years that is about $40,764 in fees.

With Tarino you pay a one-time fee, and your assistant keeps their full salary because you pay them directly. Compare agency fees with a one-time fee, or work out the markup on an admin salary.

Setting your assistant up for the first week

Give them your booking rules and invoice templates on day one, and review their first week of invoices before they go out. Read how the Philippines minimum wage works by region as background before you set pay. If the work is mostly NDIS rosters and claims, an NDIS admin assistant is the better fit; if it spans the whole business, consider a virtual assistant. More than 95% of Tarino placements are still in the role at 6 months, which matters in a role built on knowing your customers and price lists. See how we run each search.