Job size will now be factored into your JSS

lenaellis · ‎02-03-2020

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 · ‎03-03-2020

if one tries to translate this algo change in poor words:
If you are JSS 85% and want to become 95% or more you can do it either by doing some 5star high budget tasks or double or more 5star low budget tasks.

Till this change happend there was no importance wether you were acumulating 1000 tasks of 10 dollars or 1000 tasks of 10000 dollars.
Now there is finally a difference.

What does it happens?
Well, those doing logos will have to do more than 1 logo for 10 dollars and 5 stars to see a jump = more clients for low budgets to see a jump in JSS, while those doing 1000 USD task will earn JSs faster for less of such big tasks.

It is a fair way to evaluate.

Why?
because 1 logo for 10 dollars and 5 stars does not involve that much time as a market study for 1k. As you see I am not taling about know how.

I think it is fair that someone that works a month for 1k has more Jss than someone that delivers 10 logos for 10 dollars in 20 days.

shannonskelley · ‎03-03-2020

Hi, Wendy.

I'm hoping you will expand on your comment. Why is it needed? What Business Objective does this solve?

- Weed out clients posting small jobs because no one will bid on them?

- Clients complaining because they hire a top rated professional who is quickly under water on a large complex contract cause they've only done small piecework?

- ???

The high paying vs low paying is very subjective. What is high paying? Their example of $20 vs $1000 per week really is meaningless, except to their fee.

Say I do the $20 job in 20 minutes. They make $4, and my effective hourly rate is $48

Likewise, I spend 40 hours on the $1000 job. They make $200 and my effective hourly rate is only $20

This change is certainly not in us worker bees best interest. I welcome your insights, as I feel I'm missing some key piece of this.

Mini Rant: I think this is really crappy to make this retroactive. (Disclaminer: my score is not changing.)

Shannon

anilthapa81 · ‎03-03-2020

Can we just focus on how futile upwork is becoming day by day. What I am going to do with my 100 percent JSS and top rated badge when most of the clients are just coming with cheapest rates and there are some middle men who are just delivering nothing to experiences freelancers. It seems like nowadays I have many things to loose but clients got nothing to offer. I am mostly working with my old clients and it's been long time that I got any new proposals.

jrothman01 · ‎03-03-2020

yitwail · ‎03-03-2020

Andrew C wrote:

This is not just about how the rating is measured, it is about how a lot of us dropped 5-10% in ONE DAY and Upwork **Edited for Community Guidelines** they can't see how this IMMEDIATELY affects our ability to get jobs RIGHT NOW.

You're aware that a lot of freelancers' JSS went UP at the same time? Those freelancers could argue that JSS was harming THEIR ability to get jobs until the calculation was revised.

mindhunteroo7 · ‎03-03-2020

There is no future on Upwork for new freelancers. Because they have to work at low prices and these will not make any change in JSS. They will be stuck in the system.

Upwork, you have to make some rules for the minimum amount of project and maximum lowest price. Because if the client adds a project for $500, then the lowest bids are $5.

You have to update the lowest price for fixed from $5 to $10 and for hourly to the minimum limit is $3-5.

Thanks

alialkis · ‎03-03-2020

I don't think this method has been employed starting with the 1 March updates. Because I only have two bad reviews (10 and 15 USD each) and just because of them I got still 93 JSS, even though I have 500 USD, 150 USD or such amounts 5 full stars.

abinadab-agbo · ‎03-03-2020

Upwork, step back a bit and take a look at the backlash you caused.

Aye.

Would you have done anything differently if you could forsee this much outrage from this many freelancers?

Who knows?

marafx · ‎03-03-2020

Why would I work for low wages? I built myself without any help, working my B every single task, pushing my JSS, performing at best, increasing my price and building negotiation skills, learning the real value I produce.
Why someone has to sale itself for less? Employers, real ones not sub contractors that live at the back of the naive people, the real employers know that getting a freelancer at 50 or 70/hour is by far less expensive than hiring a new employee- reason? less taxes to pay.

So please, do not say we are here to work for low amounts: this is not true.

ellennaa · ‎03-03-2020

I have one contract without any earnings. It made my JSS lower. But client left good private feedback.
We'll have JSS updates in March 2020. Does it affect to my JSS?