Freelancer Profile Differences (Invite Freelancers vs Find Freelancer)

[d6ddf4b1]

On Upwork, you can invite candidates in 2 different ways:

1. Invite Freelancers 
2. Find Freelancers

You can use one or the other, or both.

The freelancer profile info differs based on the method used.

For example, when using method #1 (Invite Freelancers), skill percentile info is presented.

However, when using method #2 (Find Freelancers), that info is omitted but badges are available (e.g., Top Rated).

I have two questions.

1. Is there a reason why there are differences?
2. In addition to the differences I've already identified, are there any others?

This is important because we try to evaluate candidates as objectively as possible.

Therefore, it's important that we have the same data points across the board when considering freelancers.

-Kareem

[VladimirG]

Hi Kareem,

That's a great observation!

Regarding the first question, we tested the skill percentages to better communicate a freelancer's skill qualifications to clients. We tested it in the Proposal Manager because in that context we have more information about the specific skills the client is looking for from the job post. The percentage represents the ranking of that freelancer among all Upwork freelancers who list that as a skill. It is based on the freelancer's ability to win work and perform on jobs that include that particular skill. The lower the number, the higher the freelancer's ranking.

We are constantly working on developing a more streamlined solution to convey the freelancer's expertise in a particular field.

Regarding your second question, Job Success Score is available on search tiles in Find Freelancers while not being displayed in the Proposal Manager.

[m_terrazas]

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Vladimir G wrote:

Hi Kareem,

That's a great observation!

Regarding the first question, we tested the skill percentages to better communicate a freelancer's skill qualifications to clients. We tested it in the Proposal Manager because in that context we have more information about the specific skills the client is looking for from the job post. The percentage represents the ranking of that freelancer among all Upwork freelancers who list that as a skill. It is based on the freelancer's ability to win work and perform on jobs that include that particular skill. The lower the number, the higher the freelancer's ranking.

We are constantly working on developing a more streamlined solution to convey the freelancer's expertise in a particular field.

Regarding your second question, Job Success Score is available on search tiles in Find Freelancers while not being displayed in the Proposal Manager.

---

So this is not true in Christine's experience, is it?

Someone correct me if I am confused or misunderstood.

It is difficult enough having to deal with dozens of proposals that, possibly, do not serve the client at all, see so many freelancers who lie in their profiles and suppose unfair competition and an ordeal for clients, deal with clients who do not have No idea what they are looking for and there is no way to "warn" them that your ad will not take them anywhere, try to help by marking profiles and see that nothing is done, etc...
So many things!, and now someone opens our eyes and tells us that depending on how you choose how to hire, the client will see one piece of information or another. And that Upwork, to know from what metrics, is lying to the client by giving them false percentage data about freelancers.

When is this nonsense going to stop?

[a_lipsey]

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Maria T wrote:

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Vladimir G wrote:

Hi Kareem,

That's a great observation!

Regarding the first question, we tested the skill percentages to better communicate a freelancer's skill qualifications to clients. We tested it in the Proposal Manager because in that context we have more information about the specific skills the client is looking for from the job post. The percentage represents the ranking of that freelancer among all Upwork freelancers who list that as a skill. It is based on the freelancer's ability to win work and perform on jobs that include that particular skill. The lower the number, the higher the freelancer's ranking.

We are constantly working on developing a more streamlined solution to convey the freelancer's expertise in a particular field.

Regarding your second question, Job Success Score is available on search tiles in Find Freelancers while not being displayed in the Proposal Manager.

---

So this is not true in Christine's experience, is it?

Someone correct me if I am confused or misunderstood.

It is difficult enough having to deal with dozens of proposals that, possibly, do not serve the client at all, see so many freelancers who lie in their profiles and suppose unfair competition and an ordeal for clients, deal with clients who do not have No idea what they are looking for and there is no way to "warn" them that your ad will not take them anywhere, try to help by marking profiles and see that nothing is done, etc...
So many things!, and now someone opens our eyes and tells us that depending on how you choose how to hire, the client will see one piece of information or another. And that Upwork, to know from what metrics, is lying to the client by giving them false percentage data about freelancers.

When is this nonsense going to stop?

---

Let me explain why that % doesn't work then. 

If a $35/hr grant writer wins lots of little, easy jobs, they will show up as a better percentile than me, a $125/hr grant writer who works on long-term projects that require a high level of expertise and a more honed skillset.  So you're effectively telling the client that someone who has less experience and less skill is an expert because they take a greater number of smaller dollar amount jobs than a person who does expert level jobs that take longer and require greater capacity, therefore they accept fewer offers. 

[m_terrazas]

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Amanda L wrote:

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Maria T wrote:

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Vladimir G wrote:

Hi Kareem,

That's a great observation!

Regarding the first question, we tested the skill percentages to better communicate a freelancer's skill qualifications to clients. We tested it in the Proposal Manager because in that context we have more information about the specific skills the client is looking for from the job post. The percentage represents the ranking of that freelancer among all Upwork freelancers who list that as a skill. It is based on the freelancer's ability to win work and perform on jobs that include that particular skill. The lower the number, the higher the freelancer's ranking.

We are constantly working on developing a more streamlined solution to convey the freelancer's expertise in a particular field.

Regarding your second question, Job Success Score is available on search tiles in Find Freelancers while not being displayed in the Proposal Manager.

---

So this is not true in Christine's experience, is it?

Someone correct me if I am confused or misunderstood.

It is difficult enough having to deal with dozens of proposals that, possibly, do not serve the client at all, see so many freelancers who lie in their profiles and suppose unfair competition and an ordeal for clients, deal with clients who do not have No idea what they are looking for and there is no way to "warn" them that your ad will not take them anywhere, try to help by marking profiles and see that nothing is done, etc...
So many things!, and now someone opens our eyes and tells us that depending on how you choose how to hire, the client will see one piece of information or another. And that Upwork, to know from what metrics, is lying to the client by giving them false percentage data about freelancers.

When is this nonsense going to stop?

---

Let me explain why that % doesn't work then. 

If a $35/hr grant writer wins lots of little, easy jobs, they will show up as a better percentile than me, a $125/hr grant writer who works on long-term projects that require a high level of expertise and a more honed skillset.  So you're effectively telling the client that someone who has less experience and less skill is an expert because they take a greater number of smaller dollar amount jobs than a person who does expert level jobs that take longer and require greater capacity, therefore they accept fewer offers. 

---

I understand what you're saying, Amanda, but from what Christine says, this is not her case.
She has found in the TOP 5% and TOP10%  freelancers with only 1 or 2 jobs!
If it were what you say "almost" I could understand. But having a freelancer up with 2 jobs and down another one with 100 jobs and various badges..., I can't understand it.

And, Upwork, I still don't understand why Upwork shows freelancers in two different ways due the way we are sought by clients.

[feed_my_eyes]

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Amanda L wrote:

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Let me explain why that % doesn't work then. 

If a $35/hr grant writer wins lots of little, easy jobs, they will show up as a better percentile than me, a $125/hr grant writer who works on long-term projects that require a high level of expertise and a more honed skillset.  So you're effectively telling the client that someone who has less experience and less skill is an expert because they take a greater number of smaller dollar amount jobs than a person who does expert level jobs that take longer and require greater capacity, therefore they accept fewer offers. 

---

It's not based on the number of jobs that you've done - as I said, I've done over a hundred and wasn't ranked, whereas people who have done 1 or 2 were marked in the top 5% or top 10%. I tried to figure out how somebody could do one job and be in the top 10%, but there was nothing else in their profile that would explain it. It seems entirely random, and yet clients are using this to decide who to invite and hire.

[a_lipsey]

Right so the justification of how it works is wrong and whatever the algorithm is, is wrong. It's just bad math. Kids, this is why you need algebra in college. Yes, you will use it.

[reinierb]

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Amanda L wrote:
Right so the justification of how it works is wrong and whatever the algorithm is, is wrong. It's just bad math. Kids, this is why you need algebra in college. Yes, you will use it.

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...and it seems that kids who want to grow up into becoming clients who hire freelancers will need it more than anybody else. 

[feed_my_eyes]

From my own experience searching for a freelancer to hire last week, I can categorically state that the skill percentile information cannot be reliably used to evaluate freelancers. I found freelancers who were ranked "Top 5%" and "Top 10%" who had only completed 1 or 2 jobs in that skillset, whereas other freelancers who had successfully completed many more projects were ranked lower, or not at all.

I am also a freelancer in the same skill category in which I was conducting a search (I needed to outsource part of one of my own projects). Even though I've done over a hundred projects with positive reviews in that skill over a 20-year period, and am expert-vetted and Upwork certified for that particular skill, I found that I'm not even ranked in the top 50%. However, I am ranked "Top 50%" for admin support - a skill that I have never, ever offered - and "Top 50%" for writing, even though I haven't bid on a writing project in over 12 years. 

So unfortunately, clients cannot rely on these rankings and should ignore them and read profiles instead. If you're looking for a shortcut, there aren't any; I found that I needed to slog through 20 pages of freelancers just to find 10 people who were worth inviting to my project. I suspect that many clients just give up in frustration at the poor matches they're being offered.

And for any freelancer who's reading this - if you're one of the people who's constantly fretting about your JSS score, you should know that your score and badges aren't even visible when clients do a search like this. Instead, you may have worked hard to build up your reputation - as I have - and still find yourself being actively sabotaged by these false Upwork rankings. And there's not a single thing that you can do about it.

The other thing that Upwork does to mislead clients is to mark some freelancers' proposals "Best Match", even though - long story short - they're not. This is probably based on the ranking information as well.

I can't believe that there are 300+ pages of people complaining about their JSS scores, whereas this is a much more serious problem, IMO. Upwork needs to look at how these rankings are calculated and if they can't get them right, then they should get rid of them entirely.

[alexandernovikov]

Worse than that: i remember when looking for a freelancer to do some thing around a couple years ago, i had super obvious fake profiles with no relevant experience being shown to me as "recommended freelancers". Something is broken in this recommendation algorithm or at least some people figured how to exploit it.