English as a Second Language is a booming industry that has helped many Filipinos. It has become a great alternative for employees who are tired of commuting and shifting schedules. There are a lot of ESL companies to choose from in the Philippines and one of them is Keyeye English. Unlike other ESL companies such as Rarejob, 51Talk, AcadSoc, or Bibo, there is limited information found on social media about Keyeye English. If you are considering to join this ESL company, below are some of the information gathered about its culture, salary, and feedbacks from its previous employees.
KeyEye English Background
Keyeye English is an ESL company catering to Japanese students. They hire teachers 18 years old and above with a great educational background or a good grasp of the English language. Of course, they require you to have the proper equipment to teach such as
- A working laptop/desktop (must be at least dual-core processor 1Ghz or above, Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 or AMD with minimum 2GB of RAM & 60GB free hard disk space)
- External/built-in webcam
- Noise-canceling headset
- Fast internet connection
They are strict when it comes to the teachers’ availability during their peak hours. But you don’t have to worry as you can open slots 24/7 and start working as early as 4:30 AM.
How to Apply at KeyEye English
There are several stages in the application process before you can finally start teaching in Keyeye English. The company strictly wants their ESL teachers to be from the Philippines, so if you are located abroad, it is not advised to apply here. First, you have to submit a resume to their human resource department ([email protected]). Make sure all information is correct before sending your files. There will be a documentary exam and once you made it, the next step is taking a demo class. A facilitator will schedule a demo class that determines your teaching capabilities. There is a demo lesson guide to help an applicant ace the assessment so remember to read it. Once you passed, a one-on-one orientation with a trainer will be provided. Try to utilize this opportunity to clarify the information you need.
Once accepted, you will be asked to create a tutor profile that contains a video presentation of yourself, a profile photo, as well as a written introduction. These are the deciding factors for students to book slots. Provide the best photo and introduction to attract more students since Keyeye English uses a booking system, just like other ESL companies. There is said to be a standby support team in case you encounter issues during your initial booked classes with Keyeye English.
KeyEye English Teaching Rates
The main things people ask when looking for an ESL company is the rate. Unfortunately, Keyeye English seems to offer a fairly low rate compared to other ESL companies. They only provide PHP90/hour and worst, they only offer PHP40/hour on the first months of teaching. This is discouraging especially to those who are looking for an extra income online. Since most ESL companies offer a minimum of PHP100/hour, Keyeye English’s offer is lower than the standard rate.
Culture Overview
The results of the research about Keyeye isn’t promising at all. Many former Keyeye employees do not recommend it to ESL teachers looking for a new company to work for. Most teachers agree that the positive thing about Keyeye English is the courteousness of the students and the flexibility of the times where one can open slots. You can start as early as 4:00 AM as the system is open 24/7. It’s also a booking system so you can select which time slots are convenient for you.
The Pros
Tax Exemption
The PHP40/hour rate applies on a probation period where you need to reach a certain number of booked classes before being a regular teacher where the rate increases to PHP90/hour. Other Japan-based ESL companies offer from PHP110-PHP150/hour. But do not forget to note that almost all Japanese ESL Companies (Rarejob, Bibo, Weblio, etc.) impose a 10% tax on their employees while Keyeye doesn’t do this making it logical that they only offer PHP90/hour.
Convenience and Growth
Some employees noted that Keyeye English offers an excellent opportunity for those who are looking for a part-time job. The pros are there: you can work from home, manage your own schedule. They also offer performance bonuses and incentives as per an employee’s review.
Consideration for Penalties
The bad reviews about their penalties may not be true for everyone and also depends on the situation as there are accounts that Keyeye English are somehow considerate if there are documentations of the mishaps to avoid the penalties.
Free Nihongo Classes
Keyeye English offers Nihongo classes to their teachers. Though there is limited information as to how this works, this can be a great opportunity for ESL teachers to gain basic Nihongo knowledge.
Sadly, there’s also a significant amount of bad reviews for the company. The negative feedbacks are collectively about the culture, pay, and technical support the company offers. Below are three negative things about Keyeye English.
The Cons
Low Teaching Rates
The probation period requires you to teach from 4:00 AM-8:00 AM, something that is not worth sacrificing a good night’s sleep as the pay is the only PHP40/hour. If you fail to complete the required working hours in the probation period, you lose the chance of increasing your teaching rate to PHP90/hour, which is low compared to its competitors in the industry.
Unorganized Cut-off and Salary System
Keyeye English has a bad reputation for paying their teachers due to their unorganized and weird cut-off system. There are instances where teachers had to wait for almost 30-45 days before they get their salary from the previous month’s work. This is unprofessional as teachers have worked hard for it, and they need money to sustain a living.
Inconsiderate Administrative Support
Keyeye English’s administrative support team is often unavailable. They are not proactive in resolving technical problem resolutions, especially during the early morning shift (4 AM-8 AM). They accept documentation for internet problems and device breakdown. However, it is collectively proven that its management only favors the students and never considers the side of the teachers. The management appears to be only focusing on profits and doesn’t have a say in improving the welfare of their teachers.
Excessive Penalties and Anti-Teacher Policies
The penalties of Keyeye English are reportedly “alarming.” The policies of the management are created to side with students. There are excessive deductions which are not properly elaborated to teachers. For the fact that they pay below the standard teaching rates in the Philippine ESL industry, teachers are angered by the huge penalties they deduct. Plus, salary appraisals aren’t justifiable as it takes too long to process and lack of incentives tend to cause a high attrition rate.
Tips
At the end of the day, taking precautions in applying for a company is a must. ESL teaching is a great opportunity to get away from the buzzing noise of city life and daily drastic commutes. But, make sure to choose an ESL company that will compensate for your needs- career and money-wise.
By passion and profession, Eunice is a content writer, ESL teacher, and social media manager.
Eunice worked in Accenture and Nestlé Business Services where she gained experience in content moderation, process training, customer service, and eContent asset management. Her passion for English and marketing landed her part-time writing jobs while working in a corporate office.
She discovered ESL Teaching that same year she started content writing and soon realized that it’s also something she wanted to pursue. She left her corporate job to become a freelance writer and ESL teacher.
Eunice has grown a network of clients in her content writing and ESL teaching career. Eunice consistently widens her expertise in marketing by learning new skills. She just started her career as a social media manager for clients abroad and in the Philippines.
You may check some of Eunice’s works on howpo.info.