Connects and unresponsive posts

[970f7e9c]

You guys really need to rethink your policy on connects. It is really stupid to apply for dozens of posts that dont even look at a proposal. Weeks even months of my connects tied up not being able to be used or find work because of fraud, ignoring, or just not closing a job is ridiculous. I don't even get them back after I withdraw my proposal. This again, reeks of exploitation. You guy really should fix this. There are a number of ways to do it but right now you are just screwing freelancers.

[tjmisny]

Welcome to the conversation, Dave.  Myself and others here have been very vocal about this for months if not over a year now.  Our constructive criticism has fallen on deaf ears as Upwork Upper Management has refused to engage with us.

My own data has showed that only 19% of jobs on Upwork (at least in Design/Creative) result in any hires.  So 81% of those jobs hire nobody, and many of those jobs remain open for months with no hires made.  The majority of times this happens we are not refunded.  I stopped Boosting after realizing I've lost over a thousand dollars to applications where nobody was hired, which made me feel like I was robbed.

[970f7e9c]

Ya we already get taxed 10% on jobs. We should not have to pay for connects or bid for jobs especially if you dont get em back. Thats not how bids work in the rest of the market. You put in a bid you dont lose your money and not get the job. I for one will never, ever pay for connects. In fact, the only jobs I have actually got are from people offering them to me. To date I believe I have bid on dozens of jobs and maybe 2 were even looked at. None were accepted, and we are supposed to pay for that I dont think so. Anyways the only thing we can do is contact the BBB, the FTC to really change things. But most dont want the hassle. 

[tjmisny]

I don't have any issue paying for Connects.  In fact, I think it's important now that there are so many unskilled workers on here.  My issue is that the Boosted Connects sytem and other systems in place make the experience of hiring confusing for Clients, which makes the most qualified candidates less visible and which makes the hiring percentage on the site extremely low (19% from my math).  The sheer number of Connects that we don't get back because Clients are too perplexed with the platform to hire.... THAT is what I find unacceptable.  

Connects I think are priced at a fair amount currently and I would not want to see Connects be free.  

[970f7e9c]

If you want fair then everyone should get same amount of connects. I dont think its right to have to pay to apply for a gig. But I think we agree if you are gonna pay then you shouldnt lose those connects. Like I said before no where else in any industry do you lose money because of a bid.  If you bid 12 I bid 6, you get looked at first, fine. If they choose me you shouldnt lose your 12. I get where your coming from but, if you are new and there are many jobs you want to apply for to get known you shouldnt have to pay for that. Its really just screwing the little guy. Thats just my take but, I think it would be solved if you got back your connects from withdrawing proposals, its pretty simple. I bid, they never look at it, I withdraw, get my connects back, no harm no foul. 

[tjmisny]

As a Freelancer, trust me - you do not want Connects to be free or cheap.  Every job would have 500 applications from people in Third World Countries who can barely speak English, using AI applications to confuse Clients.  The % of the time your proposals are viewed would nosedive and you would barely ever be hired.  Clients would leave the platform in a mass Exodus.  

[970f7e9c]

Well, fair point but they dont look at em now. Still, what if you dont have much money? I am sure a lot of people, especially starting out dont. Again either let people keep their connects after withdrawal or, give everyone a set a mount of connects a month no buying for more just one set amount. This is kind of like if you have more money than you can just buy the pot as it were. Which, by the way, is another tactic of TWC bots and scammers. 

[swakefield]

That's only true because Upworks system is awful though that seems that the only aim of the system isn't to be helpful but to basically force us to pay more and more for the privilege of using the site. If their system was any good it would automatically help clients filter out the poor applicants. If anything it puts good applicants from even applying to some jobs because the inflation on how many connects to apply even for basic jobs has been crazy that you have to make a judgement on if it seems like its one where the client will hire someone. And then you often have to pay to boost your application to ensure you aren't being bumped below poor applicants . Doing well doesn't even help on the search results as you can now pay connects to boost on that as well

And even the availability badge today has jumped from needing 7 connects to 14 connects. Sure you don't need to pay for this if you pay for membership but even thats gone up from its initial price and what features a paid membership gives you imho just isnt worth it (you pay $5 more for 100 connets for the largely pointless other features). It might actually now be worth the membership fee tbh as those connects are worth about $7 a month but that again just highlights how everything seems to be about extracting more money from us rather than fixing their system to make it easier for the clients to weed out the low quality applicants. And even then low quality applicants can just buy their way closer to the top which makes the whole platform look bad

[pragyansharma14]

Excatly, atleast we should get our connects back after withdrawing a proposal.