Freelancer active on average only 5-6 minutes during each 10 minute work segment

[31a9d262]

i am a new client using freelancers on upwork.

i have hired 2 contracts thus far to see how different freelancers handle the process and the work they produce.

One freelancer did a 15 hour job for me and ,when I view work diary, only averaged 6-7 active minutes of work out of every 10 minute work segment.  Is this normal and acceptable?

Second freelancer is 6 hours into a 10 hour job for me and, when I view work diary, is averaging 8-9 active minutes of work out of every 10 minute work segment.  This seems more like what I would expect. 

Should I question/dispute the amount of hours billed on the first freelancer or is this common and should i just not hire them for another project as it appears I have found a better freelancer in the 2nd case?

Ultimately I know this is my decision and should depend on how I feel about what was created for me for the amount I spent on the project. 

I'm hoping to more quickly calibrate my expectations to the proper place from feedback from other clients who have much more experience using upwork.

Any client feedback on this would be appreciated.  Thanks.

[daniel-bradley]

If you're referring to the 'Activity Level,' then it's based on arbitrary stuff like keystrokes, mouse clicks etc. Of course, that doesn't account for time spent reading reference material or even just good old fashioned thinking time, both of which are presumably required to perform their jobs but aren't necessarily measurable. I'd certainly be inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Edit: Woops, just noticed this is in the 'clients' forum. Oh well, here's an impartial freelancer's perspective.

[katrinabeaver]

It definitely depends on the project.  For example. I'm a transcriptionist, I am typing constantly.  So I will have higher levels than someone who is maybe editing and proofreading a document becuase they will have less keystrokes and mouse clicks. 

[slivaniou]

The freelancers' stats can be compared, but only if they were hired for the same job and they were asked to provide the same deliverable. Otherwise, it is like comparing apples and oranges.

[prestonhunter]

re: "Ultimately I know this is my decision and should depend on how I feel about what was created for me for the amount I spent on the project."

I think you already answered your own question.

[brianajross]

Definitely take into consideration the time it takes to think things through or proofread. I often print drafts of my work in progress to evaluate the design, proofread, etc., and that is time where I'm not actively typing on the keyboard but I am still working on the client's project.

Are you getting screenshots? I'd be more concerned if I saw the freelancer browsing social media or working on something else during time they're logging to you rather than a few minutes downtime. As long as they're producing quality work in a reasonable timeframe, don't nitpick their activity levels on the computer. Simply typing and clicking the mouse does not make one more productive, I think that's an overly simplistic way to look at work production.

[sam-sly]

Not knowing the type of work it is hard to say. I recently ran the timer while I was on a telephone meeting with a client. I was looking at websites the client mentioned while we spoke, but I am sure my activity for that session was very low. Sometimes when writing, I am staring and the page, reading materials, rereading what I just wrote, or thinking. Sometimes I even am outlining on paper or using offline reference books and those activities wouldn't show in a screenshot.

Like others said, I would be more concerned if the screenshot showed someone playing video games or something totally unrelated to your work (though if Upwork is simply counting keystrokes then the video game player might show as very active). But at eh end of the day, if the more "active" freelancer delivers work you are more happy with, then that is who you should work with. I don't know whether you should dispute the hours of the other based simply on that stat as it may be flawed and it may be a freelancer who spends more time thinking. 

[gerrys]

One is working "smarter"; the other is working "harder".  (Maybe).

Which do you prefer?

Unless you have a clue as to what it will take (time-wise) to complete a job, "counting mouse cicks and key strokes" is ridiculous.

Is there any "thinking" involved? Or could a monkey (banging on a keyboard) do the job?

[lysis10]

lol this is exactly why I don't use the tracker. "My freelancer didn't click a mouse button or press a key in 4 minutes out of 10! Lynch him!"

lol man who cares. Did he deliver on time and with a great product?

This is also why I don't code anymore, although writing seems to be the same thing. Everything is measured in lines of code and it's dumb. But here I am writing and people seem to think "more words" means a better product.

[petra_r]

---

@larry f wrote:

One freelancer did a 15 hour job for me and ,when I view work diary, only averaged 6-7 active minutes of work out of every 10 minute work segment.  Is this normal and acceptable?

Second freelancer is 6 hours into a 10 hour job for me and, when I view work diary, is averaging 8-9 active minutes of work out of every 10 minute work segment.  This seems more like what I would expect.

---

 Which freelancer gave you better value for money for what you actually paid?

[wendy_writes]

Larry, you just expressed one of the major concerns with the tracking system.  Thinking time - often the most valuable resource a highly experienced provider brings to the table - is completely non-trackable.

For providers willing to take on hourly jobs they are more or less forced to use Tracker other than in cases like Jennifer M. where I believe she has a long relationship with the buyer or an iron-clad contract to cover this type of thing.

[daniel-bradley]

That's a good point, actually. Would you rather hire the person who thinks more, or less? I know which way I'd place my bet on a great finished product.

[31a9d262]

thank you for all of the feedback.  it certainly helped.

[vdubeau]

Steve Ballmer on IBM and writing code for OS/2.

https://youtu.be/kHI7RTKhlz0

[lysis10]

---

@Vince D wrote:

Steve Ballmer on IBM and writing code for OS/2.

https://youtu.be/kHI7RTKhlz0

---

ugh... gotta admit never had it quite that bad but the industry went from terrible like the IBM example to really cool to now it's a tax writeoff for companies and half my job was always stupid status reports.

I always used to do like 2 sentences for my status reports and always heard about it but some devs would spend all day on theirs and I would LOL. They milked that day p gud on just screenshots and bragging about their accomplishments. I'm a terrible employee I tell ya. 

[cupidmedia]

It's extremely rare for me to pay any attention to my freelancer's work diaries at all. All I care about is what they deliver. You've got lots of good responses to this already, larry. I definitely wouldn't dispute the hours myself. If you're not happy with the end result, just don't hire them again.

[anima9]

Well, if you really want your freelancers to be "active" while thinking, you might as well ask them to tap random keys and just delete them when they finally think of something worthy of writing.