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No feedback contracts no longer impact Job Success Score (JSS)

mitchell-jason
Community Member

I am excited to announce a new change to the Job Success Score (JSS). We know that JSS is a hot topic. This post aims to provide transparency into the changes and answer any questions you might have. 

 

On November 8th, 2020, we updated the JSS calculation process to exclude contracts that ended without feedback. Before, if a freelancer or agency had a large number of contracts that ended without feedback, those contracts could have negatively impacted their JSS. 

 

What is JSS?

Your JSS measures and reflects your Upwork clients’ satisfaction with the projects you complete for them. You can view your score on your My Stats page and learn more about JSS here.

 

What does this mean?

We removed projects where clients didn't leave feedback from consideration in the JSS calculation in November. This means that it will no longer negatively impact your JSS if a client does not leave feedback at the end of a project. Note that, as a result of this change, a small set of professionals no longer had enough outcomes with different clients to earn a JSS. To minimize this impact, we reduced the minimum number of distinct clients required to earn a JSS from 3 to 2. 

 

What’s the problem with including contracts that end without feedback in the JSS calculation?

Picture a contract where a professional and a client work together, and at the end of it, the client does not leave feedback. Before the change, if the professional already had a high percentage of completed contracts without feedback, the professional’s JSS could have been negatively affected.

 

The original design was based on a study that found clients who had negative experiences would often avoid filling out the feedback form altogether instead of giving negative reviews. More recent analysis suggests this may no longer be true. As a result, we are changing the calculation to reflect today’s reality. 

 

How does this change affect you?

  • If you had contracts before the change where a client did not leave feedback counting against your JSS, you may notice a boost in your score from this change. 
  • If you do not have sufficient outcomes from at least 2 distinct clients, you may no longer meet the threshold for JSS, and you may see your JSS go away. Getting more jobs can help minimize this impact. 

What’s next?

This is just one of several changes we’re planning to implement in the coming months, so stay tuned!

 

This post itself is in response to your feedback that you want to be informed when changes are made. Thanks to everyone who has offered feedback on JSS communication through our customer surveys and social media, through the Upwork Community, and directly to our team. Be on the lookout for more changes to JSS and other aspects of the Upwork experience in the near future. 

 

We are all looking forward to this next chapter together! 

956 Comments
hw3624
Community Member
Execellent move...I have been one of those that have been negatively impacted...thanks
w62n
Community Member

i've had several clients who–regardless of how many times i asked–simply never would leave feedback.

no idea if they were lazy, afraid to expose themselves in a semi-public arena, or just didnt care. but after about 3-4 requests, i stop badgering them, as i assume there must be SOME reason for thier unwillingness.


makeing
Community Member

Hello, Valeria!

 

We have the same problem - in July we've had 12/16 eligible weeks for the Top Rated come back after a long time of the reincarnation of it since March 2020, and then was a contract without feedback and one opened contract, and after 16 weeks of going down, 15 weeks of going up - we've lost that chance, and it's very sad, cause it's not showing the reality - we've rebranded ourselves, created a totally new website on the pretty good level, finished a couple of projects, have no problems with the contracts, almost all of them are 5 stars - and we've had at that moment a falling of the JSS from 93% to 88% before 1 week to the 13/16 week - it's very strange at the time when we're finalizing the contracts with good reviews, and didn't know that the contracts without reviews. and one opened contract made that bad impact. We don't like the situation when we're growing, and the UpWork creates the vision that we're going down..

 

Can you and your team please help us with that moment? Thank you.

w62n
Community Member

wouldnt your "friend" have to be hiring and paying you for jobs to make that work?

bevlowen
Community Member

It's about time Upwork did this!

I have clients who retain me for years, or who just don't care about (or have time to) ending a contract (and that's their right, too).  I shouldn't have to ask busy clients to end contracts, and my rating souldn't be lowered because they don't end the contract.

Thanks.  Bev Lowenstein

 

studiovela
Community Member

Is there an update on this, who do I have to talk to so my profile can be reviewed?

musadiq-ali
Community Member

Thank you for this great news. 

 

Do you know anything about the contract put on HOLD by the client for a longer time? 

biplob_kuet
Community Member

Finally, a freelancer friendly change is coming. Thanks.

kochubei_valeria
Community Member

Hi Peg, 

 

This change has already been implemented. A lack of feedback no longer impacts your JSS even if it constitutes a significant portion of your Work History.

studiovela
Community Member

Thanks for getting back to me Valeria. I understand that part, but from yesterday's update I've seen zero change. I had 16 no feedback contracts. Wouldn't this shift somewhat from the 87% it updated to 2 weeks ago? I'm confused how it's a change if it's not shown this way for my profile.