Why clients keep looking for proposal even they have 50+ already submitted

[sajal36]

Hi Clients, 

         I have observed in many cases clients are not able to close on the hire even after receiving 50+ proposal submitted by them. Some may reason that client is scam and not looking to hire but than why someone will post job and invest time in reviewing the profiles.

I have seen client last reviewed and may keep reviewing the proposal but do not hire anyone even after 10-15 days or even 20+ days. 

This have become mystery to me and I look for your help in understanding the reason why this happen?

Regards 

Sajal Sharma

[sajal36]

If client is not closing the job than post keep consuming the connects of the freelancer with no clue that client does not require that position. I do not agree to your point that you apply more and more as without measuring the conversion rate is like a BOT that keep bidding irrespective of the result. We need to understand whether reason for not closing the job is "status quo" or "indecision" as without knowing the same you keep contributing to the problem.

Renewal or repost is probable solution for client to signal that he has critical open requirement to close but not finding suitable freelancer or solution to problem. This will establish and enhance client reputation on the platform and also help client to look more credible ways of hiring like - Blue bar / becoming enterprise client offering long term position and so on. 

[the-right-writer]

Any obstacle like closing at a certain time or insisting on reposting will drive away clients. I am against any sort of client interference.

[tlsanders]

Why do you want to take good job opportunities away from freelancers who are less impatient than you are?

[6239d3cd]

this is so competetive 

[7bf18ccc]

I really wish that Upwork restrict such clients or maybe ask them to pay to post a job like we do to send proposals. 

[sajal36]

I will say - charge client for posting the job but at the same provide incentive to client if they are closing the job hiring in a timely manner for e.g. -> as per the cap defined.

[the-right-writer]

Clients don't know if they will hire or not. Any obstacle to posting, like insisting the job be pre-paid, will drive away clients.

[sajal36]

I will say charging may not be a obstacle as recommendation is provide incentive to client if they are closing the job hiring in a timely manner.

Either way as it is percieved as obstacle for client similarly it will be a deterent for freelancer too due to no response from clients for any of the proposal. 

[the-right-writer]

Freelancers should know jobs will close with no hiring. Freelancers should accept that they will apply for more jobs than they will receive. Freelancers should not apply and wait. Apply to multiple jobs at the same time.

[9f395534]

Upwork is designed for clients only, what about the welfare of the freelancers?

[the-right-writer]

Upwork is not a welfare state. There is no social service aspect to the platform. Upwork posts jobs and arranges payments through the platform. This is a business.

Clients bring in money. Freelancers are the product. Now who are you going to support? There are anywhere between 18 and more millions of freelancers on the platform. Upwork can lose 90% of all freelancers and be doing great. They would have more money than they do now, but they are shortsighted and want cash now. The bottom line is for freelancers and the health of the platform, the majority of unskilled freelancers should be tossed.

[9f395534]

I also wish this can be put into action on Upwork.

[9f395534]

Thanks for the post-Sajal S.

I was faced with the same scenario some clients are not interested in hiring any freelancer, they are just catching funny with this Upwork features.

[9f395534]

Hey Sajal, in my own opinion, is either the client has not found the best freelancer for his/her project or a way to make the freelancer waste theirs connects.

[sajal36]

May be client is not interested in the volume of low quality proposal so all get lost in volume.

[atlinguist]

I can only surmise why it happens that clients fail to hire after receiving such a large number of proposals, one reason having to do with the fact that identical jobs are posted on several platforms, but my suggestion for a possible solution would be to limit the display time (and make this very clear to clients when they post their job). Not only would this get rid of those ridiculous "need it today/within the next 24 hrs" posts still showing five days later (!) for which hard-working FLs were ready to drop everything to help a client in need (!), it would also help us, the FLs and other half in this business equation, avoid wasting those precious connects.

Setting a time limit for job posts wouldn't hurt clients because it's what they are used to from the offline world. After all, you wouldn't expect stores to lay aside stuff for you indefinitely, would you? 

Limit display periods and refund the connects for jobs not filled! 

[the-right-writer]

Time limits are a terrible idea, and I don't want jobs being taken away from me, or anyone else, because of some arbitrary limit. Clients hire when they hire, and I have been hired three weeks plus after a job has been posted.

Connects are a part of business. Use them and go on. Platforms aren't free.

Both of your ideas have been discussed at length. Neither would benefit the platform nor the freelancers. More connects = more proposals. The last thing this platform needs is more unskilled freelancers throwing connects at clients in an absurd attempt to get a job they are incapable of doing.

[sajal36]

Time limit will help clients to filter out the low quaility proposal. Freelancer should not be able to reapply on the job. A renewal will ensure that he get fresh proposal and freelancer knows that this job is renewed and client is still looking for right fit. 

[25005175]

---

Sajal S wrote:

Time limit will help clients to filter out the low quaility proposal. Freelancer should not be able to reapply on the job. A renewal will ensure that he get fresh proposal and freelancer knows that this job is renewed and client is still looking for right fit. 

---

Sajal, freelancers cannot re-apply to a job. Where did you get that information? At the very least, I've never had that opportunity. Agencies can apply for each agent, but that is the extent of multi-applications, AFAIK.

[sajal36]

Hi Jonathan, I was referring to all count reset and no repply post renewal. Currently there are no reset so even if it do happen at later stage all propsal and other count stay there. So client still faces the issue of profile which do reappear for him which he had reviewed in the past for the job.

[sajal36]

Hi Jonathan - Refer this classic case - The job was open in Novmeber 2022 and then closed without hiring. I have applied for the same in Nov 2022.  However now the same job have again open up in Jan 2023 & I am able to apply again for the same. In this case, all counter for the job are reset.

I believe if client was not able to hire in Nov 2022 than people who applied in November may not be allowed to apply to the same job again.

[25005175]

---

Sajal S wrote:

Hi Jonathan - Refer this classic case - The job was open in Novmeber 2022 and then closed without hiring. I have applied for the same in Nov 2022.  However now the same job have again open up in Jan 2023 & I am able to apply again for the same. In this case, all counter for the job are reset.

I believe if client was not able to hire in Nov 2022 than people who applied in November may not be allowed to apply to the same job again.

---

I understand your argument. The only counter that I can think of is that the job may have closed due to budget constraints or change in management. But I think that counter-situation is less likely and would be easily remedied by educating the Client  with a popup when they close the post. End thought: I agree with you.

[the-right-writer]

Time limits make the client run through proposals on your schedule, not their schedule. It will in no way change the number of garbage proposals. Freelancers can't reapply, what do you mean???

A renewal ensures the client gets another 100? proposals.

[sajal36]

I was recommending to all count reset and no repply post renewal. So primarily it do not add up rather fresh set of proposal. Lesser work and count for client giving way to more aspirant top of the order.

[sajal36]

By limited display period it is benefit for both client and freelancer. Renewal job will indicate that client is still looking for right fit and freelancer apply for the job knowing that this is still open and active. Reapply to the job will not be allowed even if job is renewed.  Blindly applying to the job getting to 50+ proposal and no responses  may not be desirable by both client and freelancers.

[allengcs]

Because of those 50, we may have hidden them all.  There are so many horrible proposals from agencies and freelancers that spam postings and just feel they will 'figure it out' if they get selected.  I usually put specific questions in my client postings so I know if someone has read the spec or not.  When I do that, I find that as much as 70% of the proposals clearly didn't read the spec.

Also, you get freelancers who will put in a bid but as soon as you start talking to them they immediately say it was just a placeholder and it will be more than they bid.

Add in the agencies who say they are individuals but its clear they are agencies once you start talking to them, etc, then you can easily have 50 useless proposals and no action on the contract.

[sajal36]

True and thanks for candid feedback. For the same reason, time limit will help clients to filter out the low quaility proposal. Freelancer should not be able to reapply on the job. A renewal will ensure that fresh proposal come in and freelancer knows that this job is renewed and client is still looking for right fit. 

[tlsanders]

Many of the early proposals are complete garbage.

I have been hired on jobs that have had a large number of proposals and I have submitted my proposal 2 or 3 weeks after the job was posted. I assumed that the client was disappointed in the initial round of responses.

[456a40be]

I am facing the same problem. I believe Upwork like it this way to push new comers to pay for connects which were all consumed on a never-closed proposals! 

I feel like some agencies could be doing this on purpose to hold individual experts from applying individually and raise the rates on REAL jobs out there! 

[0f51831e]

Hi Sajal I m Freelancer Android Studio and Flutterflow Developer and had already this experience with fews submits proposals nobody hire me .I  submitted started project and updated sometimes but reply come back to me never .So let me know if you still with this same problem here at Upwork