What it does: Grab Philippines engages in mobile app-based digital payments, food and grocery deliveries, parcel, and ride-hailing services.
Best known for: being the first ride-hailing service in the Philippines
Staff stats: more than 200 employees
Financials: approximately Php3 billion in investments between 2018 and 2019
The good bits: Grab Philippines pays above-average for some entry-level roles. For example, data analysts may earn Php25,000 per month.
The not-so-good bits: Grab Philippines expects new hires to work well with ambiguity, which is typical in a start-up company’s culture.
Grab Philippines started in 2013 originally as GrabTaxi and became the first app-based, ride-hailing service in the country. The company eventually expanded with different products and services available to consumers by using just one mobile app:
In 2019, Grab Philippines achieved a milestone of travelling 300 billion kilometers in the country. The company also acquired an e-money license for the GrabPay digital wallet in the same year.
Most of the app-based services cater to customers in Metro Manila and key cities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The biggest challenge for new hires at Grab Philippines would have a lot to do with their bosses. Some insiders claimed that a manager may ultimately decide a person’s career path at the company.
For instance, some managers may consider an employee’s tenure for a promotion instead of relying on merit. Other employees simply said that the company doesn’t offer plenty of career growth opportunities.
Despite the challenges, most employees agree that Grab Philippines offer competitive benefits and salaries for fresh grads. The company’s rapid growth also implies long-term job security for them.
These factors are only some of the reasons why the company ranks among the top employers in the country. In 2021, Grab joined the Top 100 Graduate Employers in the Philippines.
Grab Philippines’ competitors include 2GO Express, foodpanda Philippines, LBC, MetroMart, Ninja Van, and Zomato.
In 2020, Grab Philippines confirmed a decision to lay off some office-based employees because of COVID-19’s impact on operations.
Grab Philippines’ corporate social responsibility projects include socio-economic initiatives. In 2020, the company raised Php5.9 million for healthcare workers’ personal protective equipment.
The GrabBayanihan Program also protected the livelihood and safety of at least 3.6 million Filipinos amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grab Philippines’ exponential growth since its launch opens countless opportunities for fresh grads to learn more about mobile app services.
New hires will thrive at the company if they adapt well to abrupt changes and a dynamic workplace—factors that shape a start-up’s development.
Fresh grads should expect up to four rounds of interviews at Grab Philippines. In general, the company’s recruitment stages may happen in this order:
The actual process depends on the role. For instance, internship applicants may only have to ace an aptitude test and one interview round.
On the other hand, previous candidates for tech roles attended several panel interviews after passing an initial screening and exam. They answered behavioral and situational questions, aside from describing themselves and what they know about the company.
Grab Philippines processed online applications within a few days before the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, fresh grads should assume a longer timeline that may take several weeks.
Insiders said that Grab Philippines pays up to Php7,000 per month for internship roles. Full-time employees like data analysts may earn up to Php25,000 per month.
Other entry-level roles such as accounting and customer service associates earn Php21,000 per month on average. Some city operations executives earn at least Php29,000 per month, but fresh grads should expect a lower rate.
The compensation package includes 30 days of vacation and sick leave, health insurance, monthly allowances, and year salary appraisals. Some employees can also work from home or enjoy flexible working hours.
The company’s entry-level roles for fresh grads include city operation executives and data analysts. The company offers internships from time to time.
This role needs someone with superb communication skills in English and Filipino. Fresh grads with fluency in another dialect and/or language will have an edge over their peers.
City operation executives also travel within their designated area, which is perfect for on-the-go individuals.
Most of the job’s responsibilities focus on planning, research, and strategy for exploring new market opportunities.
Grab Philippines’ data analysts completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Analytics, Computer Science, or Data Science. The company also accepts computer engineering, information systems, and mathematics graduates.
Fresh grads with internship experience in a data centric-role, and proficiency in SQL and Python will stand out for this role.