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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
articlesondemand
Community Member

I think I joined Elance around 2007 and then rolled over to Upwork when they acquired EL. I used to be active in the community with EL. I find it amazing that the complaints that appear here, are almost identical to those that appeared on EL 13 years ago. It tells me that this industry has not evolved one bit.

 

I think the lesson that needs to be learned is to use your disappointments to learn your market better. Yes, there are crappy clients. But they all tend to write the same way, have rediculous budget numbers, have payment records that are less than enthusiastic. Learn to avoid them. Don't waste your time. Learn from the good clients.

 

Learn how to write a proposal that actually addresses what the client wants. Don't waste their time. Effective, to the point short proposals that include published work, a competitive (but not low ball) price, and an invitation to chat about the project on Upwork is all the hook you need. 

 

I don't know why I added this but it might help one person.

varpness
Community Member

You are, of course, absolutely right. What this lack of transparency does is creates an environment where freelancers are hounding clients for feedback, pushing to close contracts early, and find other means of manipulating a system which shouldn't otherwise need manipuation to be fair. The idea that there is public feedback and private feedback is absurd. I could contact every one of my clients, whether they gave me a rating or not, and ask if they were satifed with my work, and 100% would say they were. The idea that they somehow secretly contacted Upwork to share their dissatifaction with my work, and that contributed to my sub-90% rating, is nonsense.

 

As for rating being old so they don't count anymore, how does this factor in when 100% of feedback is 5-star? I can see if a freelancer gets a bunch of 5-stars at the beginning, but a year later starts to lack in quality; of course newer ratings should be worth more. But how does that make sense when all a freelancer ever gets is top ratings? If I have to take some time off to care for my ailing grandmother, why on earth does that mean I'm not going to be a great freelancer when I come back? Why penalize someone for having other priorities besides work when there has never been a complaint by a client?

 

If you want clients to take Upwork seriously (and I happen to be a client as well who spends some of the money I earn here on other freelancers), you need to get rid of this shady, behind-the-scenes scoring which penalizes freelancers for making it more convenient for clients to request additonal work, show courtesy to clients by not begging for feedback, and may go through periods of time where they aren't able to take on as much work as in the past.

marjorielom-oc
Community Member

UW is a brand. We are bringing the brand. So that's it!

I'll just think it that way so I won't get sad.

But I hope sooner they'll have a brighter solutions with regards to some of our client issues. I am looking forward to that.

8db515b6
Community Member

 


Vlad M wrote:

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.


@Vlad M and any others that use other platforms / methods and liked them:

 

What other methods and / or platforms do you use? 

rahulinphp
Community Member

This is a welcome change, for me it makes sense!

I am sure this will help the freelancers and employers as well to figure reliable freelancers.

:thumbsup:

chrisjunemann
Community Member

What the actual **bleep**?

I made 5.5k in last 2 months and suddenly my JSS drops from 97 to 87 and out of Top Rated? 
I have 0 negative reviews, in fact only 5 star reviews, but a few contracts which are running but Im not currently working on them. This is due to seasonility and clients not having work at the moment, but they want to keep the contract going for later. Should I cancel the contracts because of JSS?
Upwork please enlighten me. 

I guess Upwork doesn't want more money? Doesn't make sense. 

chrisjunemann
Community Member

Couldnt have described it better mate.
Same thing for me.

andrew_croft
Community Member

Christian - you are being punished for doing what we all strive to do.

 

I went from 97% to 92%. That's a massive drop for no actual problems on my end.

 

Upwork has no real bona fide plausible response to this.

 

It's pathetic.

abinadab-agbo
Community Member

Valeria K wrote:

Hi Andrew,

 

I can confirm the information Jennifer shared. Long-term relationships are a plus and can help boost Job Success score while not having them won't count against it. That will continue to be true.


You better make sure that long term relationships are weighing more heavily than dollar value in the JSS formula.

Freelancers who can keep a client coming back for more are the freelancers you really want to incentivise.

bestmindscape
Community Member

this step will certainly reduce low bid freelancers and boost upwork's profit. But what about those clients who will die but not close the contract and leave feedback even if they are happy with the work.