My proposals are archived!

[#1]

Who can explain me why the half of my new proposals are archived? Today I posted a job to find a good freelancer for my project, but an hour later I discovered that the most of the proposals are in the archive list. What's going on? I even didn't have an opportunity to review the freelancers. Upwork promotes some freelancers and hides others?

[#2]

Unbelievable. Just when I thought Upwork couldn't be any more disappointing.

[#3]

Now this...is low. And so btw....the competency of these so-called 'talent specialists' or whatever they are called...has been brought into question MANY times. You know...why doesn't Upwork do itself a favor and just get rid of them? I seriously doubt they are needed (qualified).

[#4]

Didn't Upwork once tell users - both buyers and freelancers - that TRANSPARENCY mattered?

This certainly proves otherwise.

[#5]

Are you a upwork Pro Customer by any chance. They say they will screen applicants for upwork pro customers . If you have not signed for such services, they are unauthorized and unjustified in messing with the proposals. Otherwise, the talent specialists may be doing shoddy work but have been authorized by you to do the screening.

[#6]

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@Vivek K wrote:

Are you a upwork Pro Customer by any chance. They say they will screen applicants for upwork pro customers . If you have not signed for such services, they are unauthorized and unjustified in messing with the proposals. Otherwise, the talent specialists may be doing shoddy work but have been authorized by you to do the screening.

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 I'm sure they would know if they had paid $ 500 plus 10% of the job value ...

[#7]

Re Upwork 'Pro' ...I wish I knew you weren't kidding. What the heck are people paying for - lack of knowledge?

ARGH ...

[#8]

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@Wendy C wrote:

Re Upwork 'Pro' ...I wish I knew you weren't kidding. What the heck are people paying for - lack of knowledge?

ARGH ...

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 Wendy,

I have no experience with Talent specialists. I am not saying it is cool for people to be paying for uncompetent people. But that is not the same thing as unauthorized.

I have just raised a query and I may be wrong.

[#9]

Petra,

What could be the reason for Upwork to mess with whole hiring process when they have not been asked to do that? What will that achieve other than frustrating both clients and freelancers to consider other platforms?

Upwork trying to sell their talent specialist services is one thing but inserting itself in process without any authority or invitation is very disturbing. 

If they are inserting themselves  in the process we do not know if the invitations would be actually sent or if the applications are actually sent to client or just randomly tossed away. 

I am unable to understand what could be the motivation for upwork in  making the process so unreliable? May be I am missing something.

I just raised a query that OP may have signed up for any of such services offered by upwork, somehow missing  some small details. People sometime overlook some small details .I may definitely be wrong  .That was just a query.

[#10]

Vivek, if the archiving happened because of some small detail the client overlooked, I would think by now a moderator would have replied in this thread with an explanation. So until there’s an official explanation, I’m accepting the client’s claim that Upwork did this without his consent.

[#11]

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@Vivek K wrote:

Petra,

What could be the reason for Upwork to mess with whole hiring process when they have not been asked to do that?

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 Heaven knows, but when one of those (insert bleepable word) invited me to a job I was already hired on (just think how embarrassing that could have been...) my client told me she had never requested the interference help of those people and told me they just started to flutter in and help (insert bleepable words)

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@Vivek K wrote:

I just raised a query that OP may have signed up for any of such services offered by upwork, somehow missing  some small details. People sometime overlook some small details .I may definitely be wrong  .That was just a query.

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 $ 500 per job post is hardly "some small detail" - nor is 10% of all future payments on any contract arising from such a job post (the "Pro" ones...)

I am still waiting for a / ANY justification from Upwork why they hide our proposals from the clients and whether we get our connects and payments back when they do.

To say that this appears to be sneaky and disingenuous is putting it mildly.  Frankly is feels downright evil.

We recently saw someone say they spend $ 200 a month on Connects.

So he throws that kind of money down Upwork's throat and Upwork then throws his proposals in the trash.

That simply isn't right.

[#12]

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@Petra R wrote:

"I am still waiting for a / ANY justification from Upwork why they hide our proposals from the clients and whether we get our connects and payments back when they do".

Standing right next to you, waiting.

[#13]

Heaven knows, but when one of those (insert bleepable word) invited me to a job I was already hired on (just think how embarrassing that could have been...) my client told me she had never requested the interference help of those people and told me they just started to flutter in and help (insert bleepable words)

To say that this appears to be sneaky and disingenuous is putting it mildly.  Frankly is feels downright evil.

We recently saw someone say they spend $ 200 a month on Connects.

So he throws that kind of money down Upwork's throat and Upwork then throws his proposals in the trash.

That simply isn't right.

You are correct. I did not have those insights. It surely feels something is extremely wrong with upwork. It does not give good feeling 

 $ 500 per job post is hardly "some small detail" - nor is 10% of all future payments on any contract arising from such a job post (the "Pro" ones...)

I understand how large amount is that. But we have seen cases where clients have erred on judgement and understanding  and lost several thousands dollar. If I remember it right, a client was complaining about receiving absolutely nothing and had already given  thousands of dollar (was it 8000?) in advance to freelancer in another country.

But what are you telling from your experience does indicate something is wrong..very very wrong.

[#14]

"I am (We are) still waiting for a / ANY justification from Upwork why they hide our proposals from the clients and whether we get our connects and payments back when they do."  X 3

Vivek, we are all in agreement with you ... "that something is wrong. Very, vvery wrong."

[#15]

It's really unnerving that we haven't received an appropriate official response to this yet. This is one of the most serious and disturbing "updates" that Upwork has made to its site, and you can't continue ignoring us in hopes that we'll just let this go. This habit of silently imposing horrible changes without informing us is simply bad business.

If this is a bug or misunderstanding (which I don't believe it is), please let us know what happened and when/how it will be resolved.

If it is now an Upwork practice to choose for its clients who they should and shouldn't consider hiring, let us know so that freelancers can start looking for work off the platform and/or stop wasting money on extra connects.

Either way, both clients and freelancers deserve a thorough explanation.

[#16]

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@Isabelle Anne A wrote:

It's really unnerving that we haven't received an appropriate official response to this yet. This is one of the most serious and disturbing "updates" that Upwork has made to its site, and you can't continue ignoring us in hopes that we'll just let this go. This habit of silently imposing horrible changes without informing us is simply bad business.

If this is a bug or misunderstanding (which I don't believe it is), please let us know what happened and when/how it will be resolved.

If it is now an Upwork practice to choose for its clients who they should and shouldn't consider hiring, let us know so that freelancers can start looking for work off the platform and/or stop wasting money on extra connects.

Either way, both clients and freelancers deserve a thorough explanation.

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Unnerving  ... the understatement of the day. This lack of response shows a horrible lack of respect, for both your clients and your freelancers, Upwork.

[#17]

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@Virginia F wrote:

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Either way, both clients and freelancers deserve a thorough explanation.

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This lack of response shows a horrible lack of respect, for both your clients and your freelancers, Upwork.

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 In fairness I expect this is currently being discussed elsewhere ("upstairs") to formulate a response. Let's be patient.

[#18]

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@Petra R wrote:

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 In fairness I expect this is currently being discussed elsewhere ("upstairs") to formulate a response. Let's be patient.

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PR: They found out.

Corporate: Frak, who screwed up?

Some Dude: ...

Corporate: **bleep** Some Dude! What were you thinking?

Some Dude: I thought it would help...

Corporate: How does that help now Some Dude?

PR: What shall we tell them?

Corporate: Frak them. What if we say nothing? That's what we usually do at corporate. We say squat.

PR: They won't stop asking.

Corporate: Screw them. We need to find something. Do the buy BS? I mean usually?

PR: Usually no. Not at all.

Corporate: Dammit. Freelancers! What a PITA!

Some Dude: Can I go now?

[#19]

Brilliant. And TRUE.

If a moderator actually cares enough to respond to this thread, please note it was a Buyer who originated it... not us pesky FLers.

[#20]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX7CeTXoxyU

[#21]

Hi everyone,

I’ve reviewed the comments on this thread and want to clarify a few things. The Talent Specialist program hasn’t changed and is working the way it always has. Talent Specialists help clients hire and find qualified freelancers faster. They do this by narrowing down proposals, or by inviting freelancers directly, to help clients find qualified candidates for their job.

When a Talent Specialist is working with a client the client is notified of the treatment. In both cases mentioned here, these clients were contacted directly by their Talent Specialist in Messages to assist them with their job.

As part of this program and their services, Talent Specialists shortlist candidates and archive  when necessary, those who may not be a good fit for the job. Those archived proposals are still accessible for clients to review and unarchive. Albeit, we will review the messaging to make sure it’s clear that clients know about archiving and where to find those proposals.

In the cases mentioned in this thread, these clients received a high volume of proposals, some jobs nearly 100, and the Talent Specialist narrowed it down to about half. Again, this isn’t a new process and the program has not changed. The goal of a Talent Specialist is to help clients with hiring, and to make decisions faster, as to not be overwhelmed by the high volume of proposals they receive. If a client does not want their assistance, they can just let their Talent Specialist know and they will be opted-out of the treatment.

[#22]

Dan, the client, doesn't seem happy by the sorting choices made by the specialist and doesn't seem to have understood what was done for him.

It may be a glitch and a misunderstanding, but maybe the process has room for improvement. Especially in making crystal clear that specialists will filter applicants.

I think that the problem lies elsewhere. I appreciate Upwork's efforts in helping clients who receive that many proposals. Perhaps the solution would be to make sure they receive fewer proposals, from better-qualified people.

I know Upwork has been experimenting with this. But, maybe e big cleanup of the FLers listings is in order...

[#23]

Lena, the original poster wrote he did NOT request a Talent Specialist's help.  Therefore:

1. Why was a talent specialist involved in any fashion?

2. What are the credentials required for a talent specialist?

    a. Are we correct in thinking (hoping is more appropriate) that mandatory credentials vary with categories?

     b. Please share links to info to answer this extremely relevant question.

[#24]

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@Rene K wrote:

Dan, the client, doesn't seem happy by the sorting choices made by the specialist and doesn't seem to have understood what was done for him.

It may be a glitch and a misunderstanding, but maybe the process has room for improvement. Especially in making crystal clear that specialists will filter applicants.

I think that the problem lies elsewhere. I appreciate Upwork's efforts in helping clients who receive that many proposals. Perhaps the solution would be to make sure they receive fewer proposals, from better-qualified people.

I know Upwork has been experimenting with this. But, maybe e big cleanup of the FLers listings is in order...

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 +1

[#25]

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@Lena E wrote:

Hi everyone,

I’ve reviewed the comments on this thread and want to clarify a few things. The Talent Specialist program hasn’t changed and is working the way it always has. Talent Specialists help clients hire and find qualified freelancers faster. They do this by narrowing down proposals, or by inviting freelancers directly, to help clients find qualified candidates for their job.

When a Talent Specialist is working with a client the client is notified of the treatment. In both cases mentioned here, these clients were contacted directly by their Talent Specialist in Messages to assist them with their job.

As part of this program and their services, Talent Specialists shortlist candidates and archive  when necessary, those who may not be a good fit for the job. Those archived proposals are still accessible for clients to review and unarchive. Albeit, we will review the messaging to make sure it’s clear that clients know about archiving and where to find those proposals.

In the cases mentioned in this thread, these clients received a high volume of proposals, some jobs nearly 100, and the Talent Specialist narrowed it down to about half. Again, this isn’t a new process and the program has not changed. The goal of a Talent Specialist is to help clients with hiring, and to make decisions faster, as to not be overwhelmed by the high volume of proposals they receive. If a client does not want their assistance, they can just let their Talent Specialist know and they will be opted-out of the treatment.

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Lena,

That's not a very satisfactory response, given the number of complaints about talent specialists we've routinely read in the forums for their lack of knowledge as to what services we offer. How on earth are they judging who makes the cut? How? I'd like to know what their credentials are.

Nor does it address the OP's original post, who was not notified of the treatment. Nor have you answered the question about the freelancers who pay for their connects. And those clients getting hit with hundreds of bids ... we can guess at the quality of most of the bids, can't we? Those of us who know what we're doing don't do that. The ones that do that are the mass number of inexperienced people Upwork is allowing in droves, day in and day out and all they do is make clients angry and frustrated. It's time for a purge.

Given the number of client complaints we see in the forums, I don't think the goal of helping them is working very well, do you?  I hope the few clients who participated in this thread come back and speak their piece ... since you won't listen to us, maybe you'll listen to them.

In the end, why is Upwork inserting itself like this? It's a slippery slope and the fact that this is/was happening without our knowledge is ... well, I don't know what to call it. Underhanded and sneaky might be a good descriptor. Nope, this response doesn't ease my mind at all.

ETA: And oh yeah - those of you paying for connects on bids being thrown in the trash, you may want to rethink your bidding strategies.

And again: It's disheartening to know this was, has, is going on. Upwork continually accepts profiles that have no business being here, yet those of us who have maintained a good presence are subjected to be judged by (mostly) clueless individuals.

Personally, I'd like the opportunity to question a "talent specialist" (or have them question me) so as to learn just how much they know about someone's skills, not only in the services they offer, but how well they manage their client relationships ... which is every bit as important to a job. Should these "specialists" be invisible to us? I want to know what qualifications they are required to have before deciding who gets a nod and who gets tossed in the bin. Still waiting for a response that doesn't feel like a "there, there, it's all good". And a response re paid-for connects, and a response for the contradictory information re the OP's alarming "My proposals are archived!".

C'mon Upwork.

[#26]

Just sitting here and wondering...You know, the kind of work I do on Upwork has absolutely NO bearing on my original life experiences/work/qualifications. Zero. Well, besides the editing part that I used to do for colleagues and stuff.  But that is besides the point. But here's a scenario for you...what if something actually came up in the job search that MATCHES my previous life's work experience and qualifications 100%...and I pulled up all the info that proves this and sent it along when applying for the job (nah, doubt it would ever come up, but let's just talk hypothetically)...And some 'sepcialist' goes and archives my proposal cos...you know...they are clueless and don't know me from a bar of soap. Not being funny...but if I had to find out...I really would not be impressed. But hey... *shrugs*....whada I know? I'm JUST a freelancer.