Please remove unrelated questions from job pr...

designchampion · ‎07-22-2021

There are premade questions that upwork has allowed clients to add to their job proposals that are unrelated to the job posting. I am sure there are others that you have seen, so I would like us to build a list of those troublesome questions for upwork to review and remove.

The most common one I see for branding and graphic design is

"Where do you get inspiration?".

There is never inspiration involved in branding, graphic design, or logo design that is not related to the client's brand strategy. To have this question is meaningless and implies that we are artist throwing paint at a canvas instead of strategic creative problem solvers. This question is not only a waste of time, but it implies to the client that the creative process is an inspired process like seeing a sunset and painting with orange and yellow.

The design process is always strategic and that is what differentiates design from art. For each category, it would be helpful that all questions be vetted by category experts to judge whether or not the question is appropriate.

Please list any questions you have seen that are not applicable to the job category.

Chris

PradeepH · ‎07-22-2021

Hi Chris,

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. I'll pass this along to the appropriate team.

Thank you.

Pradeep.

kinector · ‎07-23-2021

Relax, Chris, this is not a big issue. Just work around it. 👍

The default questions in my category are equally generic and 99% don't help so much in real. They are so generic.

The assumption here is that the client who picks those default questions hasn't figured out anything more relevant to ask! Right? So, that makes the initiative be on your side of the table. Use your chance. 😀

What I tend to do is that I reply the question literally. "Where do you get inspiration?". "From coconuts. They are my one and only true source of inspiration. However..." After that, I just continue with the answer to the question that the client should be asking.

Pose it to yourself, then answer it. You'll always win! 🥳

Simple, right? Also pretty fun! 🤣

No system can be built to match every single case of every single person using it in every single context. In those cases, we just work around the issue. 😉

I hope this helps. 👍👍

wlyonsatl · ‎07-23-2021

Mikko is right, Chris.

Seeing these types of irrelevant questions should alert you to the fact that the client likely knows very little about the project they need done, so you will need to define the work you will do and the deliverable(s) very precisely.

Take nothing for granted with a clueless client. You'll be their instant expert. A large dose of patience will likely be required.

And do your best to make projects for these kinds of client hourly rather than fixed price. If the client doesn't understand their project in the beginning, it's likely you'll see some scope creep as they better understand what they need as the project progresses.

Good luck!

designchampion · ‎07-23-2021

Hi Mikko, you have a good attitude, but my posts is about improving the user experience for both the freelancer and client. I have overlooked these irrelevant questions for some time, and now I made this posts to point out an issue with the job proposal questions. No system can be perfect for everyone, but I think there is an opportunity to waste less time for both freelance and client and to create a more enjoyable experience for both. Your response to overlook it is not a solution to the problem; it is just a way to continue with the current situation. I just wanted to bring it to the attention of upwork and have the UX team look at it to see if they can improve the questions or remove the ones that are not rellevant.

I hope upwork considers the community feedback and tries to make the process better for clients and freelancers.

kinector · ‎07-23-2021

Chris, if we want to improve the interface and the user experience here, I'd love to see all those default questions removed altogether. As a client or as a freelancer, I haven't found any of them truly useful. They only tell if the client is clueless about the job or Upwork in general. That is usually evident in the job description too.

Has someone else found the default questions useful?

Why were they added in the first place?

I suspect trying to find better default questions that would fit every job post somehow better, no matter if they are field-specific, is probably unproductive. It is hard to imagine BETTER default questions.

I support the idea if removing the default questions. Until then, I keep working around them.

roberty1y · ‎07-23-2021

I hate these questions. Sometimes they'd take longer to answer than the job itself. A client who hits you with a bunch of these boilerplate questions probably isn't the best person to work for.

prestonhunter · ‎07-23-2021

Freelancers shouldn't overthink these questions.

Questions are an opportunity for the freelancer to demonstrate who they are to the client.

Don't spend too much time on them. Clients asking a lame pre-written question don't actually care about the answer. As long as your overall body of responses demonstrates the fact that you understand the job and can help the client, that is what's important.

feed_my_eyes · ‎07-23-2021

Chris's feedback is relevant not only because it's annoying to freelancers, but I believe that it's also hurting clients. I've noticed that clients receive fewer bids (in some cases, way fewer bids) when they use these dumb questions.

gilbert-phyllis · ‎07-23-2021

Christine A wrote:
Chris's feedback is relevant not only because it's annoying to freelancers, but I believe that it's also hurting clients. I've noticed that clients receive fewer bids (in some cases, way fewer bids) when they use these dumb questions.

I'm sure clients who use the dumb questions get fewer bids, and lower quality bids, because so many veteran FLs use them as screening signals. Which is to say they are actually kind of useful IMO and I don't mind if they stay. But I'm sure mileage varies depending on category and in some cases they do more harm than good.

feed_my_eyes · ‎07-23-2021

Phyllis G wrote:
Christine A wrote:
Chris's feedback is relevant not only because it's annoying to freelancers, but I believe that it's also hurting clients. I've noticed that clients receive fewer bids (in some cases, way fewer bids) when they use these dumb questions.
I'm sure clients who use the dumb questions get fewer bids, and lower quality bids, because so many veteran FLs use them as screening signals. Which is to say they are actually kind of useful IMO and I don't mind if they stay. But I'm sure mileage varies depending on category and in some cases they do more harm than good.

That's true to a certain extent, but some good clients are probably falling through the cracks as well. I know that personally when I see a whole bunch of those questions, I don't bother applying because it just takes too long. But the client might think that they're just being thorough, not that they're being annoying. 😄

gilbert-phyllis · ‎07-23-2021

Christine A wrote:
Phyllis G wrote:
Christine A wrote:
Chris's feedback is relevant not only because it's annoying to freelancers, but I believe that it's also hurting clients. I've noticed that clients receive fewer bids (in some cases, way fewer bids) when they use these dumb questions.
I'm sure clients who use the dumb questions get fewer bids, and lower quality bids, because so many veteran FLs use them as screening signals. Which is to say they are actually kind of useful IMO and I don't mind if they stay. But I'm sure mileage varies depending on category and in some cases they do more harm than good.
That's true to a certain extent, but some good clients are probably falling through the cracks as well. I know that personally when I see a whole bunch of those questions, I don't bother applying because it just takes too long. But the client might think that they're just being thorough, not that they're being annoying. 😄

For me the barrier is not so much the time required to answer the questions but the likelihood that a client using them has very little understanding of the research they seek to undertake. There will be a time-consuming education process which may well end in the client deciding they can't afford to do it at all; or doing their best to pick my brain and then go look for somebody cheaper. Either way, a waste of time for me. I've no doubt a viable prospect slips through the net from time to time and when I'm not busy or about to enter a drought, I'm more willing to venture the time.

Please remove unrelated questions from job proposal.