Upwork removed message dialog to invite freelancers to a job with a personalized note

[Vladimir G]

Hi Alan,

Thanks for following-up and sharing more details.

I can confirm I tried to replicate and do see the message box doesn't appear when using the invite button for saved freelancers within the job post and when opting to invite a freelancer while posting a new job post. I followed up with our team with your report and my findings and will share an update here as soon as I receive more information.

Thanks for the report!

[Wendy C]

IF the ability for buyers to write a personalized message has been removed (vs. a system glitch) it might be the dumbest move by U to date.

Unless, of course, U does not want to make their % on completed jobs.

What in the name of .... y'all can fill in whatever word works best .... is the logic behind denying buyers the ability to research profiles and then write a few personalized words indicating they actually looked at a profile?

I, for one, would like to know the reason(s) behind this.  And the logic .... if any.

[Eric E]

Why on earth would Upwork remove this functionality? As someone who has worked as  a freelancer on this platform for many years, I can't tell you how much difference it makes to see a custom message explaining why someone is inviting, versus the boiler plate generic message from Upwork.

Taking this away makes future prospects think we're just quickly inviting people and not putting any thought in, when the reality couldn't be further from the truth in regards to people I choose to invite.  

What a shortsighted decision from Upwork, taking away core functionality for absolutely no reason at all.

[Wendy C]

24 + hours later and Upwork's dead silence speaks volumes.   

[Valeria K]

Hi Wendy,

As I mentioned in my previous post on this thread the message box was removed from the Invite Freelancers tab of the job posting (pictured in the screenshot below) to streamline the process.

Once the freelancer accepts the invite, a message room is created where the project can be further discussed. I'd also like to reiterate that the message box is still available when inviting freelancers from Freelancer Search or from freelancer profile.

I'd also like to add that since we started testing it, we saw increase in not only invites by clients in this new experience but also hire rates for these jobs. That's why it's been rolled out to all clients now.

[Wendy C]

Valeria, with all due respect ... have you read the comments by both Clients and Freelances as to why this is a bad idea?  If so, please address / explain Upwork's rationale in light of the same comments.

It would be nice if U would back up sweeping statements like "I'd also like to add that since we started testing it, we saw increase in not only invites by clients in this new experience but also hire rates for these jobs. That's why it's been rolled out to all clients now" with facts and figures ... or at least a % increase that included an averaged dollar value of jobs.

BTW, we all appreciate the fact that the ability to personalize the actual invite, if from Search or Profile, has been retained

[Alan H]

Hi Valeria,

I appreciate your reply to this, even if it is an unpopular feature. Thanks for sharing our feedback to management. 

-Alan

[Alan H]

Thanks for testing this, Vlad, and thanks for escalating these informal comments to management.

As a hiring manager, this was a brief but frustrating speedbump, and knowing the workaround now gives me an advantage over every other client who just scratched his head for a minute and said to himself, "oh well, I guess that's how it works now."

-Alan

[Wendy C]

Now someone from U. please inform us how many clients frequent the forums to discover the work-around.  I think not many.

This continues to be the dumbest and most inexplicable move to date.

[Nichola L]

Upwork seems to think that speed dating works. It doesn't continue down that road to see that for however many fun, but transient,  moments there may be in bed, the marriage ends in tears due to ignoring that old-fashioned notion of getting to know one another first.