I believe this is getting unfair

[f686a0e7]

First, I would like to say, that I had a great experience in Upwork. Had some great deals, and met with amazing people and I loved the platform that gave us great opportunity to be freelancers. Still loving it and I'm grateful for it. So this post is not a pure complaining, but a realistic criticism.

Let's discuss what happened to us these days. You increased the amount of connections for applying for a job and that's completely fine, we understand it after some time. It also helps us to have less competition when we apply for job. But now you charge for the contract and also charging for the invites! Also direct contract.. What is happening?

Let's say we say ''yes'' to everything, What about the quality of job posts? It is decreasing and decreasing, I'm reporting job posts, and freelancers who are doing some nasty things that are against Upwork TOS. And I'm not seeing you take action against these. Let's not forget the client's 0% hire rate. They still post jobs. Where is the improvement with these issues?

What is the point of charging more to freelancers without improving the client side such as more quality clients, and less spammy and scammy jobs? How do you expect us to continue paying more without seeing any improvements and having more profitable business as a freelancer. Am I missing improvements? Would like to learn what are the improvements on client side.

Upwork is a business, and we are part of this business too.

If you charge more give us more simply. Would you like to explain to us what kind of benefits we get for paying more? I couldn't see yet. If we blow away our connects and can't get good opportunities, we will have to stop eventually because It is not profitable that way. And this will happen eventually to everyfreelancer at some point even tho they are amazing and successful freelancers.

Here is the key question to Upwork Team that I truly care:
Are you making more profits these days with new changes? I really want to know. Because I feel like I can't as a freelancer.
If you can't too, It means maybe you need to focus something else instead increasing the charge of whatever that is.

Personally, I am applying less now. Since I can't see better fits unfortunately,  especially these days. I'll just observe what is going on before blowing my connects. Because I blowed some already for jobs that had not a great return. And would like to listen to your experiences.

P.S: This is an honest opinion since I have hopes about Upwork for myself to do a great job for clients and sustain myself that way. I enjoyed the ride. And I still want to continue. But currently it feels kinda different experience, just saying.

[wlyonsatl]

Upwork's fees used to be primarily based on the income freelancers actually generated from doing work for clients.

Now it's increasing pay-to-play with Upwork increasingly generating substantial fees from freelancers that have no relation to freelancer income.

It's like Walmart charging a new entry fee to every customer who enters its stores and introducing new charges, such as for using a shopping cart or a live check-out cashier or the rest rooms. Eventually, only shoppers who didn't have a choice to use other retailers would continue to be Walmart shoppers, as it became uneconomic to shop at Walmart.

[rekasesh]

Walmart operates in fixed-population locations and is limited by competition as well.

According to one online statistic, there are 900 million people worldwide looking for full, part-time or side gigs.

Upwork is at an advantage as that they have the numbers (customers), and more ready to replace the ones who eventually leave.

[tjmisny]

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 wrote:

What about the quality of job posts? It is decreasing and decreasing, I'm reporting job posts, and freelancers who are doing some nasty things that are against Upwork TOS. And I'm not seeing you take action against these. Let's not forget the client's 0% hire rate. They still post jobs. Where is the improvement with these issues?

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This is a massive issue that is destroying the platform.  Until these issues are fixed, the extra fees are unacceptable and abusive.  I am happy to pay even more for the platform, but every one of these issues has to be fixed so we are not applying for dead-end jobs that never hire.  

[aprovado]

Wonder if it's worth considering that it's stock owners to whom Upwork owes allegiance and a duty to perform, not freelancers or those seeking them.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if a freelancer or client can find anyone to work with. What matters is that a consistent 50.1% of platform users perceive value in having access to the horde.

Shareholders lay thier bets that Upwork can effectively monetize that perception of access, and - it's Upwork’s priority to make that bet pay off.

All you can do is try to make the best of being caught in the middle. Or, buy stock.

[tjmisny]

This is exactly right. Upwork, like all publicly traded companies have an allegiance primarly to shareholders.  That's the ballgame.  They have no interest in creating a quality platform.  The objective is to extract as much money from Freelancers (and Clients) as possible.  

[wlyonsatl]

That would make Upwork pretty shortsighted, if true, Thomas J M.

In many of its reports to the SEC Upwork says something along the lines of, "The market segment for independent talent and the clients that engage them is highly competitive, rapidly evolving, fragmented, and subject to changing technology, shifting needs, and frequent introductions of new competitors as well as new offerings and services. The market continues to draw increased third-party investment and new competitor entrants, driven by the trend towards remote work and changing labor market dynamics. We compete with a number of online and offline platforms and services domestically and internationally, as well as traditional staffing firms, to attract and retain customers and expand our share of customer spend."

Alienating an important part of its customer base with dramatically increased fees that are unconnected to freelancer income is a pretty dangerous game to play over the long run. In the short run, as a quick look at the company's share price since the beginning of the year, it looks like investors are not impressed either. 

[tjmisny]

It is shortsighted.  But that IS what is happening with Upwork, and so many other companies who get pressure from investors to shift from growth mode to profit mode.  It's the corner-cutting of Boeing, the increasingly shoddy production model of Netflix (and rising subscription fees), the increasingly expensive and lower quality experience at Disney parks, every VC-aquired restaurant chain that is lowering the quality of ingredients while raising prices, every VC landlord who skimps on ammenities, adds junk fees and raises rent, etc. etc.

Quality/effectiveness of the product / experience is NOT the priority.  Our satisfaction is utterly irrelevant.