Relation between job price and connections?

[debi-f]

Hello,

Is there any relation between the job price offered by the client and the connects required for bidding?

I just found a Job asking to analyze medical interviews, an interesting job in my field, but the client offers $5-$7 per hour, and you have to "invest" 6 connects for bidding.  It is supposed to be a professional job, analyzing medical information, you are supposed to search professionals, with some knowledge about medical topics. 

Of course, I will not bid for a job paying $5-$7/hr, and I will not waste 6 connects in such a cheap job.

What's the relation between price and connects? Is there any rule / guideline for the clients regarding a minimum job price and a limited amount of connects according to the price they offer?  

[wlyonsatl]

I don't think Upwork has ever disclosed in any detail how it initially determines the number of connects required to apply to a job, but I have noticed the number sometimes appears to increase over time depending on how many proposals are made by freelancers on it.

[debi-f]

The issue is that many freelancers will not send a proposal using 6 connects for such a cheap job. In fact, the job was posted 4 hours ago, and there are 5 to 10 proposals.

It's interesting if for such a job, asking for medical knowledge and analysis of medical interviews, there are professional freelancers wanting to receive $5-7/hr??

[wlyonsatl]

It is in Upwork's, clients' and freelancers' interests that the right freelancers reply to new projects.

If the client is only willing to pay an hourly rate below your minimum, would you submit a proposal if it only cost you 2 connects? I doubt it, but I could be wrong.

At least 14% of Upwork's active freelancers are from India and 12% are from the Philippines, the kinds of places where $5 - $7 per hour might be a reasonable rate of pay for people skilled in the required subjects. 

And if freelancers from such markets expect the project will  require, say, 20 billable hours from them, then paying $0.90 for six connects to make a proposal is a pretty attractive price for potential future income of $100 - $140.

But I wouldn't pay that for a project I was pretty sure my required hourly rate would prevent me from winning, regardless whether I had the required skillset..

[elisa_b]

Where did you find those data about countries, Will? Interesting.

[wlyonsatl]

Hi, Elisa B.

Those figures come from Upwork's quarterly report to share holders for the nine months ending Sept. 30, 2022, which you can find on the Web site of the Securities and Exchange Commission:

www.sec.gov

It may also be on Upwork's Web site. I haven't looked.

[elisa_b]

I thought I would have found a more detailed breakdown of the nationalities of freelancers and clients, just to satisfy my curiosity, but unfortunately it is quite basic. Anyway, thank you Will. Very insightful. 

[tlsanders]

What makes you think they want to receive $5-7/hour, instead of sending a message to the client sharing their qualifications and enlightening them as to what quality work in their arena actually costs? 

[debi-f]

If my rate is $25-30/hr, I will not waste 6 connects asking for a fair price when he offers $5-7/hr. If I have to use 1 connect for asking for a good price, I can think about it. But 6 connects for a client that wants to pay 5-7/hr? I check the client's Profile before sending a proposal. 

[f1785f8c]

I asked the same thing Débora and Christine provided the response below.

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/How-is-the-connects-amount-determined/m-p/1196143#M72090...

[debi-f]

Well... the explanation clearly doesn't apply in this case. 

It's automated by Upwork. Short-term/lower-paid jobs are supposed to cost fewer connects, whereas higher-priced/longer term jobs cost more. Sometimes, if a job gets very few bids, the number of connects required will decrease (though personally, I would treat that as a red flag - if nobody wants the gig, there's usually a good reason!). But it's not a perfect system, so sometimes you'll see connects charges that make little sense

[25005175]

Morgan Overholt, freelancer and client, posted a blog about this topic. Upwork Connects: Tips on pricing, bidding from a $600k Upworker [2022] She thinks that the primary factor is the "scope" estimate that the client makes when making the job.