🐈
» Support » Product Release Notes » Job size will now be factored into your JSS
Page options

Job size will now be factored into your JSS

lenaellis
Community Member

UPDATE: The JSS Metric has been updated to reflect the changes that were announced below. As of today, March 1st, all Job Success Scores are now displaying the updated value.


We will soon update JSS metrics to reflect job value in the calculation. Today, a one-week $20 job typically carries the same weight as a one-week $1,000 job in JSS. Soon, JSS will be weighted by job earnings. For example, a one-week $1,000 job will be weighted more than a one-week $20 job. JSS will also exclude contracts with $0 earned and positive feedback. All other JSS policies will remain unchanged.



What does this mean?

We are making this change so a freelancer’s Job Success Score will display a more comprehensive representation of their freelancer workWe understand not all jobs are equal. We know higher budget contracts require more work and freelancers who complete these more complex contracts successfully should get credit for them. Just as longer-term contracts hold more weight in JSS calculations than shorter ones, we believe contract value should also hold significance in the calculation. By giving these jobs more weight, these jobs will have a greater influence on a JSS. 

 

Many freelancers will see an increase in their scores if they’ve successfully completed higher budget contracts in the past. At the same time, a small percentage of freelancers may lose their JSS, see a drop in their scores, or lose their Top Rated badge. Today, we are emailing freelancers whose JSS will see a decline of 5% or more, to let them know they will be affected.  Freelancers that see a drop in their score can improve their JSS by completing more jobs with positive feedback, as it works today. Larger budget contracts with positive feedback will result in a higher increase in JSS, however, all great feedback contributes to JSS and whether you work on large or small contracts you can still reach 100% JSS.

 

This change will take effect in March, at which time all Job Success Scores will be updated retroactively. We know many of you will have questions about this update. We won’t be able to discuss your individual score or outcomes of specific contracts. We have listed some anticipated questions below, let us know if you have any additional questions.



FAQS:

 

Can I know what my new JSS is now before this launches?

We will not be able to provide you with your updated score until the JSS calculation refreshes at launch, in March.

 

Does this mean if I don’t get big contracts I’ll never be able to get a JSS of 100%?

Receiving stellar feedback on smaller budget jobs can still get you to a JSS of 100%. We are only changing the impact of jobs based on earnings. This means that strong client feedback on a higher-budget job could boost your score more than a lower-budget job. All other aspects of JSS will remain the same.

 

How will I know if it affects me?

The majority of freelancers will be affected positively by this change and will see an increase in their scores. We are sending out emails to those who will likely see a drop in their score once the new JSS calculation goes into effect in March. 

 

Can this affect me positively, will my JSS go up?

Yes! The vast majority of freelancers on the platform will see an increase or very little change in their scores. This is because you may have worked on one or more higher paying contracts in the past, and because you received great feedback that great feedback is being weighted more. 

 

Can I lose my JSS?

A small percentage of freelancers may lose their JSS. This is because they had one or more jobs with no earnings. Positive feedback on contracts with no earnings will not be factored into JSS once we move to the new calculation. As a result, some freelancers won’t have enough outcomes to be eligible for a JSS until they successfully complete more jobs. Nearly all freelancers have scores after completing eight projects. 

 

How does weighting work specifically? 

To ensure fairness and avoid manipulation, we don’t share the specifics about how we calculate the Job Success Score. Thanks for your understanding.

 

So if I take a bigger job and get negative feedback that counts more than positive feedback on smaller jobs?
Yes. A job with higher earnings will always impact your Job Success Score (JSS) more than a smaller job. For example, feedback on a $1,000 job carries more weight on your JSS compared to a $20 job. However, receiving poor feedback on a job with more earnings can be balanced out by doing well on a job of the same size in the future or on a number of smaller jobs. 

 

Can I lose my Top Rated badge?

Yes, a small percentage of freelancers who see a decline in their JSS may drop below 90% and lose their Top Rated badge. This is because they received less-than-positive public or private feedback on one or more of their higher-paying contracts. Feedback on contracts with higher earnings will affect JSS more after this new change.

925 Comments
jossnaz
Community Member

Pretty much all freelancers are very unhappy with the JSS and this step is no improvement. Just look up the JSS article of upwork, 6000+ down votes, 4000 upvotes. Lenghty discussions in forums what the heck is going on with JSS scores. The JSS isnt communicated transparently to freelancers and you are making things worse actually, because by the time people learn how it works, to correct bad JSS now requires huge jobs.

What about letting clients fix their private feedback? because private feedback isn't private if it drops your public JSS. 

 

This is situation is disappointing for many freelancers.

lysis10
Community Member

FIRST PAGE

 

Have a Corgi, friends!

 

Image result for corgi gifs

versailles
Community Member

I used to believe that the JSS was dollar weighted and it hit me as a surprise when I learned it wasn't the case. I think it makes sense to have big jobs weighting more in the JSS than the smaller ones.

 

 

 

wendy_writes
Community Member

A much needed ... and even more appreciated ... change.  And one that makes sense.

designspot
Community Member

I am a veteran freelancer on upwork. I gave up finding good jobs here and started co find my prospects through other methods. Now I have a decent income.

 

What I find frustrating is that when I left upwork, my score was around 90%, now is near 50%. I don't care much, but please upwork,  stp hurting yourself. You are setting yourself on fire with these decisions.

 

You destroyed a good system like eLance, you are hurting freelancers with an unfair rating sistem and you are chasing your clients away with providing poor quality freelance pool.

petra_r
Community Member

Lena E wrote:

Just as longer-term contracts hold more weight in JSS calculations than shorter ones, we believe contract value should also hold significance in the calculation. By giving these jobs more weight, these jobs will have a greater influence on a JSS. 


Excellent news!

I have never understood why the JSS was NOT taking the size of the contract(s) into consideration!

sara_duves
Community Member

I agree- things that just make getting a good score more difficult does not make me want to continue finding work on Upwork. I personally don't like the rating system at all. Some clients are unreasonable and if you score less than 5/5 stars, you are penalized. It has put so much unnecessary stress on me. 

epae
Community Member

The only relevant indicator of the quality of the freelancer profile was the algorithm who was on oDesk
With the advent of Upwork and their policies, many profiles of serious experts have been destroyed (and mine). Many professionals are dissatisfied and some have left the platform.
Check out my ratings and customer review during oDesk and now. You are destroy professional freelancers.
I lost the will to work on a platform like this.
There are many illogicalities in your JSS that clients abuse.
I'm afraid you're going in the wrong direction again. Ever since that JSS show up I just look how to migrate from Upwork. I do this gradually because I have invested a lot of time in my freelance career.
Believe me, listen to me, bring back the oDesk algorithm.
I'm vetran freelancer, I'm not a freelancer from "yesterday".
Upwork sent me a message me to be the ambassador of Upwork in my city. I didn't answer because you never heard what freelachers think and their suggestions to perfect the platform, because it is also a part of us.

8005617a
Community Member

This is a terrible, terrible idea.  UpWork arbitrarily changes their policies without feedback from the people who make their site possible - us, the freelancers.  I'd like to see these 'community managers' try to earn a living by freelancing.  It's a greuling, difficult business.  UpWork is making it increasingly more difficult for people who work for a living for themselves to get jobs.  When we have to compete with offshore freelancers who charge less, and submit dozens of applications for what jobs actually pay well, and (to top it off) when companies who post jobs never get back to you after job submission you begin to get a taste of how difficult it is to earn a living freelancing on UpWork.  

 

Hey UpWork - how about if you focus on getting clients to provide mandatory replies to job submissions?  Or helping freelancers to connect with better-paying clients?   Better yet, stop earning a salary at UpWork and try paying the bills as a freelancer for a few months and then see how you like it. 

 

You would not exist without us freelancers, so why not get OUR feedback without making arbitrary decisions that impact our ability to find meaningful work?  Some of us take on jobs that are smaller because it's a cutthroat world on UpWork, and you're removing out ability to actually GET better paying clients by changing your score calculations.

 

It's unethical and unfair.

8005617a
Community Member

They're making it increasingly difficult to find meaningful work.  There's no sense of looking out for the people who make this platform possible - freelancers.  The only people who will provide freelancing work here are going to be overseas contractors.