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1d345a32
Community Member

How do I contact a freeleancer to discuss a project before hiring them?

How do I discuss a project with a freelancer before going through the process of hiring them?

Is there a contact this freelancer option where I can open a chat with them to ensure they are right for the job before hiring them?

 

At the moment, I'm using the info from Upwork to find that person on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook so that I can start that conversation. However, this is quite time consuming (and often results in me hiring them outside of this platform).

7 REPLIES 7
104d1c90
Community Member

Hi, Jason:

 

If you know that the freelancer has a profile on Upwork, then you simply create a job and then invite them to it.  An invitation to the job is NOT a contract; once they accept the invitation, you can chat with them through Upwork Messenger and decide from their whether to offer them a Contract. 

 

I hope that helps, and good luck to you!

 

Best,

Erin

TheVAFirm

AveryO
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Jason, 

 

As gentle reminder, please note that paying freelancers off the platform is a violation of the Upwork Terms of Service. In order for you to get in touch with a freelancer, you will need to post a job in the marketplace, and invite the freelancers that you would like to work with on your project. The freelancers who are interested to work with you will reply to your invite. 

 

Since it seems that you are new on Upwork, I would recommend that you read up on the resources we have compiled here to help you familiarize yourself with the Upwork system. 


~ Avery
Upwork
1d345a32
Community Member

Hi Avery,

 

If I want to work specifically with an individual freelancer, why do I have to go to the effort of posting a job in order to discuss with that freelancer whether they have the required expertise and availability? Why can't I just start a conversation with them directly?

In the past, that's what has forced me to take their name and look for them on social media platforms in order to have that conversation. If I could do that on-platform, I wouldn't have to go off-platform. 

For this specific contract, I've posted a job; however, the UX is less than ideal. 

AveryO
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Jason, 

I understand why you'd think the process is very tedious, especially if you want to work with the freelancer already. However, this process is in place so that it prevents freelancers and clients from sending unsolicited messages to each other to the point that it becomes spam, or from taking jobs off the platform. This also protects both the client and the freelancer's privacy. 

 

I'm sorry to learn that you find the UX inconvenient. We would be happy to hear your feedback about it so that we can share it with the team. Feel free to post your suggestions here, or send it to me through a private message. 


~ Avery
Upwork


Jason B wrote:

Hi Avery,

 

If I want to work specifically with an individual freelancer, why do I have to go to the effort of posting a job in order to discuss with that freelancer 


This requires almost no effort at all. Making a quick job posting is your first contact with the freelancer. It allows you to describe what you need and then you invite them. That way, you can invite one or more than one person, or you can even post it publicly and wait for people to send proposals. Once they answer, you have your communication channel and you can talk with them.

 

Also by hiring them on Upwork, you benefit from the protections that Upwork is offering to clients.

-----------
"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless
martina_plaschka
Community Member


Jason B wrote:

How do I discuss a project with a freelancer before going through the process of hiring them?

Is there a contact this freelancer option where I can open a chat with them to ensure they are right for the job before hiring them?

 

At the moment, I'm using the info from Upwork to find that person on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook so that I can start that conversation. However, this is quite time consuming (and often results in me hiring them outside of this platform).


Maybe this freelancer does not want to work with you?

You have developed a very complicated strategy - first you find a freelancer on upwork, but don't want to create a job post and invite them, but try to find them on social media and contact them there, risking the rightous wrath of upwork along the way? Why? Why not just post a job, get 50 proposals, invite 20 others, and select one from that batch?

prestonhunter
Community Member

Jason:

I don't think you are trying to do anything wrong. I think you mean well.

 

But as an Upwork freelancer, let me put aside all discussion of rules and protocols and just explain my perspective:

 

If a client saw my Upwork profile, and contacted me about working for them by Googling me and finding direct contact information, I would consider this extremely rude and inappropriate. Regardless of Upwork's rules. I would not want to work with somebody like that.

 

OTHER FREELANCERS MAY NOT FEEL THAT WAY. I am only speaking for myself.

 

I put my information on Upwork and I understand how things work here. That's how I expect to be contacted. And it is so easy to contact me using Upwork. People regularly contact me through Upwork. We have great discussions. Sometimes they hire me. Sometimes they don't.

 

I DON'T BLAME YOU if you think that the Upwork interface is awkward or cumbersome. But once you have used it a couple times as a client, it really will feel like second nature.

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