Boosted Proposals Negatively Impacting My Ability to Filter and Vet Freelancers

[#1]

As a client this feature is not helping me find the most qualified freelancers. It is really just negatively impacting my ability to adjust the filtering to show me the most recent applicants or to sort by other categories. When I try to filter by newest so I can see and respond to the most recent ones, it keeps the boosted proposals on top, even though I've already both shortlisted those two and responded, and so I have to scroll down even further to see new proposals. I don't care who has boosted their post. I am looking for the best fit, not who paid to annoy me in my filtering ability. 

I understand why freelancers would think this would be useful, but whether or not the proposal is boosted is not going to impact my vetting and selection of a consultant. I look at each of the proposals and vet them based on specific criteria. And where they show up in the list is not part of that criteria. I think most discerning clients would agree. When you force these boosted proposals on top, it means I have to scroll more and makes it harder for me to organize who I've looked at and who I haven't.

Please remove this feature and just let me select freelancers based on how I want to select them. Also, the best match is ridiculous still. I posted for a health coach, and I didn't select any skills related to business coaching, but none of the health coaches are best matches, and all of the business coaches are best matches. 

[#2]

Your assumption is wrong. There were 3 boosted proposals.

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You may not have noticed, but I directly quoted you regarding 2 boosted proposals. Here's a screenshot of your post as evidence.

Please don't speak for me or try to hijack my thread.

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Please point to where I "spoke for you". And how did I hijack your thread? As I understand it, hijacking a thread means taking it in a different, usually orthogonal, direction. Simply presenting a mix of counter-argument and consensus is not "hijacking" but "discussion".

[#3]

I never said they were the only ones who boosted. You are speaking for me when you assume you know the full situation. I don't need to explain every single detail to explain my problem AS A CLIENT with boosting. You are here trying to insert what you think you know about Upwork. 

[#4]

I never said they were the only ones who boosted. You are speaking for me when you assume you know the full situation. I don't need to explain every single detail to explain my problem AS A CLIENT with boosting.

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An assumption is a statement/thought made without contextual evidence to support it. An inference is a statement/thought made based on the contextual evidence.

You gave no contextual evidence that there were anything other than 2 boosted proposals.

You gave concrete evidence that you shortlisted the 2 boosted proposals that kept appearing at the top of your feed.

Any statement/thought, based on your post, that there were any final number of boosted proposals other than 2 is an actual assumption.

You are here trying to insert what you think you know about Upwork. 

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😕  That's because we are in a forum. Where people discuss things. By inserting their ideas, knowledge, interpretation, speculation, feelings.

[#5]

And your "knowledge" and assumptions have been corrected. Numerous times. Perhaps it would be good to do more reading and learning and listening before continue to insert your "ideas". 

[#6]

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Amanda L wrote:

And your "knowledge" and assumptions have been corrected. Numerous times. 

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Yes, like when I assumed that you have no experience as a freelancer on this platform. For that, I apologize. While I can be stubborn, I do my best to base my statements on evidence. And when I speculate, I do my best to label it as such. When I am wrong, I try to rectify those statements.

[#7]

Upworks boosted feature creates a condition where the bidding process contradicts itself.  Normally, you would submit a proposal and the client would evaluate each on their own merits - particularly experience, a freelancer's history, and the value that they provide.

Those elements of the proposal are still there.  However, Upwork has introduced the "boost" feature to move a proposal to one of three spots at the top of the pile, for those who want to get noticed.  The problem with this is that the client still needs to make a decision based on the same merits (experience, history, value, etc).  Whether the freelancer is in the #1 slot or the #50 slot is irrelevant to a client who cares more about spending their money for quality work.

[#8]

I  absolutely agree with your post.
Not only for a client, but also for a freelancer Boost function is very bad!!!
Client can't hire skilled and fittest freelancer and also Freelancers who have better tech skills can't be hired.

[#9]

Wow, I'm glad someone feel the way I do. I'm a freelancer but a times I find the boosted proposal to be fraustrating and not of help to choose the best. Many are skilled but deprived of the opportunity because of boosted profiles. Also the matches don't work well, my colleague is a coach but get matches for graphic design and unralated skills

[#10]

Hi Amanda, 

I'm a freelancer, and I see no value to this feature except siphoning more money out of us.

I've worked my way up on Upwork for the past 7 years. Good reviews, badges, and so on. 

I had no problems getting hired before Upwork introduced the feature, but it's tougher now because I'm reluctant to boost. 

I chose to write more attractive proposals and, hopefully, get noticed by clients who spend their time scrolling. 

I guess this is a lose-lose situation for both clients and freelancers. It just doesn't make sense. 

[#11]

Hi Amanda ,

I' am a freelancer and I don't boost my application . Hoping Upwork have filter selection for you to choose the best fit . I hope all clients are like you 🙂

[#12]

To be honest I also feel there should be a recommendation system such as one used in Linkedin. The best candidate for work comes on top as BEST MATCH. Upwork had it in the past, if I am right. 

Boosting proposal theme is just bad and, looks highly unprofessional if I boost my proposal for a client. I believe clients should approach me for my skills not because I want to seek attention by boosting proposal. 90% of time I am using boost when even the job ad is just a few sentences that it is vaguely clear what it is about, which is common for my field. 

How can I be excited for something and boost it when I have no idea what the full job is about?

[#13]

It's true that some options labeled best match based on a very rudimentary algorithm used to show up at the top. I would be surprised to find many clients saying that they were indeed the best matches.

[#14]

boost system is a very bad system.

[#15]

Absolutely agree with you Amanda. The feature with boosting proposal is useless. Inspite the fact that freelancers pay more for that places on top of the list it doesn't mean that they possess the required skills. 

I have several job postings and each time I try to evaluate the candidates among the boosted proposals I find out that none of them fits to my requirements. But I'm not sure that Upwork will remove this feature as it's just their additional way to get more income. 

[#16]

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Thomas M wrote:

Absolutely agree with you Amanda. The feature with boosting proposal is useless. Inspite the fact that freelancers pay more for that places on top of the list it doesn't mean that they possess the required skills. 

I have several job postings and each time I try to evaluate the candidates among the boosted proposals I find out that none of them fits to my requirements. But I'm not sure that Upwork will remove this feature as it's just their additional way to get more income. 

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Thank you, Thomas. I would much prefer Upwork allow us more advanced filtering features in sorting proposals. But no, I think it's here to stay as well, it's a money maker, and fortunately it is only one of many minor inconveniences in the UI for clients. But there will be a tipping point eventually.

[#17]

I am a new freelancer and I am so in agreement with the removal of the boosted feature.  Most times it's the one with the money getting the preference and not the one with the experience.  We are here to earn and if we can't get a job we are not able to boost any proposal.

I hope the relevant personnel will look into this feature.

Thank you for listening.

[#18]

The stats are from March 2022, but the evidence suggests that boosting has very, very little effect. Placebo Boosts? 

[#19]

Occasionally I'm a client, and I agree that from this side of things, it's annoying. I don't want the spendiest freelancer, I want the best freelancer for the job.

[#20]

Yes

That is right

[#21]

Can someone tell me (I think I saw Amanda say it, but don't want to backread the whole thread)... clients see new proposals at the top of the heap no matter what? I had used boosts because I tend to apply to jobs late (if at all) and I wanted to make sure clients saw my proposal. But if my proposal basically goes to the top anyway (except for the boosted posts) then I guess there's no point in boosting.

[#22]

No, she was saying that boosted proposals always do appear at the top of the list, and she doesn't like it. There would indeed be no point in boosting if that wasn't the case.

[#23]

That's True. But everyone want a place to get the best of the job and skills. For the same reason, people use boosted proposal to bypass the queue and be first in the queue. I would have recommended the FIFO mechanism so that early movers get the advantage of getting their proposal viewed.

 However for the client there is always a way to get the best of the talent pool by equally reviewing / screening the profile. You can use various filters combination to find the best fit for your requirement as you correctly mentioned with the example of health coach.

  How do you screen the profile - 

1. Define the multiple criteria based on Skills, experience, Rate, Location and other keyword relevant to you

2. You must appreciate that you are scrolling more as your job post is keeping many freelancer interested in the job

3.  Look at the timestamp on the profile posted. That will help you know which one is boosted.

4. Also keep an offline tracker of shortlisted / rejected so that can help you track your screening / interview

Depending on the hiring volume - The hiring is the fulltime job. If you are into multiple things than it is better to have a hiring manager to do the initial screening / fitment of the profile, may be a first level discussion too. This will save you lot of time and you can do the final interview. Believe me, I have ramped up team of 100+ team members and I have screened 3000+ resume for getting the best fit (~65% plus if not 100%) for the job.

[#24]

The early mover advantage you want virtually guarantees that clients will see the worst freelancers first. After dragging through 10 or 15 proposals from people who can't get any work and so we're sitting and staring at the job feeds and able to respond instantly, they will probably give up and leave the site without ever getting 

[#25]

Hey Amanda,
You're right.
The bidding is causing problems at both ends.
But the funniest part is that as a freelancer, I've seen that some clients are more attentive to the boosted proposal than non-boosted ones.

[#26]

yes sooo, sometime after I sent my proposal I will see that some have boost his proposal with a large some of connect it frustrated