Job size will now be factored into your JSS

[lenaellis]

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 work. We 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.

[marafx]

Hi, I read your post, I'm not an agency, but a freelancer with a status.
1. Upwork fee is ok. 20%  - it is ok as long as biding is done right. If... that's the issue. People are to lazy to think that they can start bidding  adding  the 20% to the  price ... it is far more easy to complaint.
2. Employer has no budget above 500? Well if  you don't mind,  how can you approve this? A good professional knows how to discuss and make the client understand that he needs to invest if he needs to earn quality... else... hel'' pay nuts and get monkeys.
3. By rating based on earning per task  they will finally eliminate the dirty  games of subcontracting tasks, dumping prices encouraging low quality.
A task has a price. Period.  It has a value. Like it or not. One should not expect to find nearly **Edited for Community Guidelines** to work for him.... no way.
I hope this way Upwork will  evolve into what I always believed it was meant to be: a quality, fair price freelancing  circuit

[joelvallereyes]

This is great!! Thanks Upwork!

[artselena]

Hello dear Upwork Team!

Some categories of jobs a priory have lower budgets than others (example IT vs embroidery digitizing).

So how to deal with it? If the average embroidery digitizing project has 5-10$ budget does it mean my skills are lower than these people who earn 50$ per project working in a completely different niche? 

I'm not sure if it will be fair if working on 10 small projects vs 1 higher rate project will decrease the value of the work. And also in some way it may discredit many customers who are not able to pay a higher rate for a specific project. And this can end up freelancers will be simpy ignoring small projects... 

Maybe this situation needs some additional regulation.

Kind regards,

Elena

[therishabhpandey]

This change makes a lot of sense. I support this fully.

[marafx]

ummm I think what matters most is your earning per contract/time
like 1k/week against 100/week
or 1 month for 5k against 1 month for 5oo

Not sure either how hourlies will work and be evaluated against fixed price.
I guess they have the algo but  we still need to see how it will deploy

keep up the good work and mostly never go dumping prices. They never help either you or the contractor.

[marafx]

I don't see this urge to be employed like 24/7
Instead I see a push towards a more realistic approach to the bidding and negotiation.

Employers should have a clear image of what the value is for the work they ask.
can't stand to see 100 USD for a month: set my Analytics, do my ppc, do my laundry and wash my kids... do all get nothing jobs.
Such should not even be considered. 

Who believes freelancer = slave for free should not  be given the possibility to hire for 2 penny. It is despicable

[marafx]

Oleksander, your work is worth more than 100 UD -20% that is  for sure.

The one thinking wrong is the one  that wants to hire a  graphicist, buy the copyright to use a creation for waht? The price of 10 packs of tabacco? hell no!

It is the right time to push employers towards  more realistic evaluation of the jobs they offer.
And the first step is bidding without  trying to win by dumping but by quality. 

[sstoilovv]

Hello Support,

I do not believe this innovation will improve the objective evaluation of freelancers.

When the question is for money, valuation is no longer objective. How you will rate which work is better between two professionals at an different hourly rates of $10 or $40 for example? Or different earnings between $600 and $1600???

How you will determine which earning is lower and which is higher? This means putting some specific boundaries for different types of work. Creating additional criteria is already a subjective intervention in the real outcome.

In any cases, this will not make me work more or earn more, presumably this is already a fact before I look for a job in the platform.

I don't think it's a good marketing solution.

[seanpratt]

I know, I know. Another question about Job Success Score in here but I've done some reading around and I want to ask you all if this makes sense...

On February 29th I was at 100% but had a bunch of outstanding finished contracts in the "My Jobs" section. I closed some of them out and the next morning after the recent update I am down to 87%. At that time, I had 9 5-star reviews and 8 no feedbacks.

I was able to get a few clients to plug in some feedback and now my profile has 11 5-star reviews and 6 no feedback given. I understand that the ratio there isn't ideal, but most of those 6, I closed myself. 

My question; is that the reason for the 13% drop? My "client recommend" metric is still at 100% and even some of the contracts I closed finished with a "We'll contact you directly next time work like this pops up" so I have a somewhat hard time envisioning bad private feedback. 

At first I was like "it'll go back up" but a lot of the better paying opportunities have a "90%+" threshold which I'm now exempt from due to me closing contracts. Grrr...

[gracielima]

Bravo!