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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
martina_plaschka
Community Member

Muhammad Tayyab H wrote:

Hello Everyone,

I am new to upwork, I have completed 5 jobs here out of which 3 were ended with positive 5 star feedback, one client didn't give the feedback and one was a 100% refund. It shows that my job success score is 69%. Why is that when I completed 4 out of 5 jobs?


A job with no money paid is bad for your rating, your private feedback might have been bad, and public stars don't have much weight on JSS, consider them purely window-dressing. 

tayyab146
Community Member

what is this private feedback? is this possible that client who left 5-star still give bad private feedback

adeyemi187
Community Member
Dear Colleagues,
My job success score just dropped to 87% without any negative review. All my reviews are 5 stars, can some please tell me what could be the reason?
yitwail
Community Member

Odetayo, it might be the four closed contracts with no feedback given. Now someone might come along and say that doesn't/shouldn't lower your score, but if so, let's hope they can tell us what did lower it.

abdullah-pk85
Community Member

Hi everyone,

 

I have recently been hired by a client who had posted a (fixed) job with brief description. I applied because the description was clear about the goal of the project of what needs to be done and I had the required skills.

 

Before the hire of course, as a habit, I did my research on the client (he had worked with one freelancer, good feedback) as well as discussed the details of the job in the interview. The first thing he said about the job was that the budget defined by himself in the job post was a bit higher and he would pay less. After some discussion, I agreed to that because I knew what needed to be done and his new lower offer was fine too. Before creating the milestones he sent me the list of tasks on chat dividied into 2 milestones. Going through the task, I realized there was much more to the job than originally described in the post. I immediately shared my concerns about the budget being insufficient and the deadline too short. I decided not to proceed.

 

He contacted me later asking what was a suitable duration and budget for the project. I told him what I thought and he agreed to increase his original offer and showed some flexibility in timeline. I went through the details of each task he listed with him and asked important questions which he answered on chat. There were parts where I would require help from him/his team and he agreed (in writing) he will provide me the necessary help. Conrtact awarded with a single milestone (all tasks included) because he was having trouble dividing them into two.. some PayPal issue.

 

After the first day update, when I shared the details he was pleased with the work. And then all of a sudden he said that he was comfortable giving me the additional parts which he (or his team) was supposed to do. When I reminded him about his "promise" he then said he would do those parts himself "with my help". Again, this was not agreed to before and I did not include "my help" because this part required me spending extra hours with him.

 

The project is still new, it has been 2 days since he hired me. I have done some work but from the experience I have dealing with clients (on and off Upwork), I feel he intends to get a lot more work done using the tactics I described above. I am willing to end/cancel the contract without payment of course but I am concerned about my JSS which is at 100% (after 8 successful projects). I have read on posts here that JSS is negatively impacted if I close a project without payment. And worse, if the client leaves a bad private feedback. I think a public feedback in a non-payment project is not applicable. My question is how low will my JSS go down if out of 9 projects, I cancel this one without payment? 

 

I need the advice of experts please. The job is still active and I am working on the tasks given by the client. But I feel the tasks list will expand with time and I won't be able to complete the project in due time giving the client an excuse to leave a bad feedback. At this stage, I am not concerned about the payment. I am more concerned about my JSS. Please help.

 

I want to add that he asked more than once whether I was okay communicating on a different medium (outside Upwork) and I disagreed.

 

Thanks,
Abdullah

JoanneP
Moderator

Hi Mr. A,

 

Contracts with no earnings and no feedback, whether closed or not, can significantly lower your JSS because they indicate client dissatisfaction. If the contract won't move forward, closing it as soon as possible or asking the client to do so and leave feedback will minimize the negative impact on your score. I also encourage you to check this announcement with information about the recent update to the JSS calculation. We are now weighing jobs with higher earnings. Thank you.

andrew_croft
Community Member

>>Contracts with no earnings and no feedback, whether closed or not, can significantly lower your JSS because they indicate client dissatisfaction.

 

So - here's where exactly this goes completely off the rails for ALL Upwork users.

 

Clients are often lazy.

 

Clients are often forgetful.

 

Clients often don't give a crap about how Upwork operates and couldn't care the slightest about leaving feedback or even bothering to close off a project - they're moved on in their little lives.

 

WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE ALL FREELANCERS WHO ARE ***PAYING*** TO USE THIS SITE?????

 

Really, so sick and tired of the useless dribble being thrown at us on this.

 

Until Upwork comes up with a bullet-proof method to ensure freelancers aren't screwed - your whole JSS scoring and explaining is just utterly worthless.

 

Sorry. But you are going to ahve to do a hell of a lot better to win our respect here.

 

Use some/most/all of the money we spend on this system and IMPROVE it.

 

Jebus.

abdullah-pk85
Community Member

Thank you Joanne for the explanation. I have also had a look at the link shared.

 

This is sad though, for the freelancers as there are clients who are not cooperative and WILL give bad private feedback that directly affects JSS since that is how it works as per your explanation/link.

 

And then this "...a one-week $1,000 job will be weighted more than a one-week $20 job..." which means I really have to take care while bidding on a project with a higher budget and agree to more work (for free) if a client forces and even threatens to leave bad feedback. And the post also mentions "Positive feedback on contracts with no earnings will not be factored into JSS once we move to the new calculation.", why? A client leaving a positive feedback without earnings means the client/freenalcer agreed mutually on ending a contract with no hard feelings.

 

I guess I agree with most of the posts related to JSS on this community forum requesting/suggesting Upwork to work on their JSS calculation to attract more freelancers. I have read posts by freelancers who were shocked to see the drop in JSS all of sudden, even with positive project completion rate.

 

As for my current dilemma, I guess I can only pray that the client does not push me to do extra work and when the contract ends, he gives me a positive "private" feedback. Because that is what matters now, not the feedback we see publicily on a profile. I guess from now on, I have to request (beg) the client to leave a positive "private" feedback.

 

Thanks

researchediting
Community Member

Joanne Marie P wrote:

 

...If the contract won't move forward, closing it as soon as possible or asking the client to do so and leave feedback will minimize the negative impact on your score.


Clients cannot close a job without leaving feedback. Accepting this advice, asking the client to close the job is sufficient. Like many others here, I will do everything possible to avoid mentioning feedback, or any other internal Upwork process, to clients. Also, that "will minimize" is rather strong without knowing, as no one can know, exactly what kind of feedback the client will leave.

ninh_le
Community Member

I want to know why my JSS score dropped sharply when I just finished 2 contracts with 5 stars from 1 customer. I have recently completed 2 jobs (1 job over 6 months and 1 job for 10 days) and both end up with the best satisfaction from the customer. But I was quite surprised when my JSS score dropped sharply from 100% to 77% 😞 . Please tell me what's going on with me. I'm really confused now!
Regards,
NinhLe