Large number of proposals received - how to act?

[8622b9c6]

Hello,

I am new to Upwork and I care about getting it right. I posted an offer for which I received a lot of proposals. I have since put my private offer so as not to receive any more. I would like to know if you respond individually to all those who have submitted a proposal to you, even if you do not retain the services ? 

Also I would like to know what is the normal wait time after you submit a proposal to someone. How long do you wait for him to accept the task? Is there an option to indicate an expiration time for this offer?

Thank you for helping me increase my knowledge in order to get it right : smileyhappy:

Marie

[richard_wein]

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Marie Helene D wrote:

Hello,

I am new to Upwork and I care about getting it right. I posted an offer for which I received a lot of proposals. I have since put my private offer so as not to receive any more. I would like to know if you respond individually to all those who have submitted a proposal to you, even if you do not retain the services ? 

Also I would like to know what is the normal wait time after you submit a proposal to someone. How long do you wait for him to accept the task? Is there an option to indicate an expiration time for this offer?

Thank you for helping me increase my knowledge in order to get it right : smileyhappy:

Marie

---

Hi Marie. As a freelancer,  I really appreciate the fact that you want to do the right thing by freelancers. 

The reality is that the vast majority of clients only respond to freelancers who they think they might want to hire. As an experienced Upwork freelancer I don't expect to receive "Thanks, but no thanks" messages, and it doesn't bother me that I don't,  but it's quite nice when it happens (rarely).

I think that new freelancers on Upwork would appreciate it much more, especially if they've never yet received a response from any client. Sometimes freelancers in that position.wonder whether their proposals are even reaching clients. 

So replying to all the proposals is certainly not expected or usual, but if you want to be extra nice,  that's up to you. Another alternative is to select Decline, which lets the freelancer know you're not interested but doesn't require you to write a message. (But in my experience that's used only very rarely.)

Regarding expiration times,  I think the default is 1 week after you've made the offer. I don't know if you can change that.  But you can certainly cancel the offer any time before it's  been accepted, if you don't want to wait any longer. Personally, I think a freelancer should reply to an offer within 2 working days, even if that's just to say that they need more information before deciding. 

P.S. I don't think there would be anything wrong with giving them less than 2 working days if the job is urgent.

[8622b9c6]

Hello, thank you very much for taking the time to answer me. This enlightens. So, without systematically responding to everyone, I will try to respond to those who seem new to me or to those who have made me personalized and more sympathetic messages. Regarding my pending offer, the girl I was talking to told me that she was very interested and could do it today, however it has been several hours since she seems "gone", I find it very strange for someone who was waiting for the job "now" ... Before withdrawing my offer, I imagine that I could chat with other freelancers who seemed interesting to me, without promising anything and mentioning that I am still in my selection? Obviously, if I don't choose them, I will come back to those with whom I spoke so as not to leave them waiting unnecessarily. Since the "decline" function does not seem to be used too much, I take it that people simply do not respond to offers they are not interested in? If we could write a reason with this function, it would be more interesting in my opinion. Sometimes we have to refuse because we have too many offers, not because the candidates are not interesting or competent. Thank you for the feedback !

[richard_wein]

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Marie Helene D wrote:
Since the "decline" function does not seem to be used too much, I take it that people simply do not respond to offers they are not interested in? 

---

That's right.  If you do use Decline you can select a reason from a list. Maybe you can write your own text too.  I don't know. 

[prestonhunter · Accepted solution]

re: "I don't think there would be anything wrong with giving them less than 2 working days if the job is urgent."

Urgency is in the eye of the beholder.

As a client, I sometimes post jobs which specify that I want to hire somebody "right now." I hire the first freelancer who applies, and then I remove the job posting. So if somebody is looking at my job post and takes 10 minutes to decide to apply, it will be too late. There actually ARE freelancers who like to work on immediate jobs. If that is something a client wants, there are freelancers to fill that need.

[luqman_mak]

In short:
- Once you have found your candidate, its nice to either make the job private (so that you dont get more proposals)
- It would be kind of you to interview genuine people because for any one to apply to a job post, they have to spend 'connects' and these are a currency of sorts. If you interview them, they do get some or all of their connects back
- There are many clients who have figured out that if they close a job post before they hire, all applicants get a refund of their 'connects', i am not sure how they do it but i expect that you can close a job without loosing the applicants and then hire them while the job is closed. Anyway this particular move or any similar that takes into consideration the freelancers side of it; is highly appreciated

So thank you for your question

[283e62a0]

Hello Marie,

Congratulations on starting your journey on Upwork! It's great to see your enthusiasm for getting things right. Let me address your questions:

1. Responding to Proposals: While it's not a strict requirement, it's considered a good practice to respond to each proposal you receive, even if you don't end up hiring the freelancer. It's a professional courtesy that helps maintain a positive reputation on the platform and provides closure to the freelancers who put effort into submitting proposals. A simple "Thank you for your interest, but we've decided to move forward with another candidate" message can suffice.

2. Response Time and Task Acceptance: There's no fixed normal wait time for a client to respond to proposals. It can vary widely depending on the client's preferences, the nature of the project, and other factors. Some clients might respond within a day or two, while others might take longer. It's generally a good idea to give potential freelancers a reasonable amount of time to respond before making a decision.

[3755345a]

Let me address your questions:

1. Responding to Proposals: While it's not mandatory, it's generally a good practice to respond to proposals you've received, even if you're not interested in pursuing a collaboration with the freelancer. This helps maintain a positive reputation on the platform and shows respect for the time and effort freelancers put into their proposals. You can simply send a polite thank-you message informing them that you've chosen a different direction for the project.

2. Response Time and Acceptance: There's no fixed "normal" wait time for a response or acceptance on Upwork, as it can vary greatly depending on the nature of the project, the number of proposals you receive, and the urgency of the work. Some freelancers might respond within a few hours, while others might take a couple of days. It's generally a good idea to respond within a reasonable time frame, as this helps maintain engagement and interest.

3. Expiration Time for Offers: Upwork doesn't provide a built-in option to set an expiration time for offers. However, you can include a note in your job posting that indicates a desired timeline for responses. For example, you could mention that you're looking to make a decision within a certain number of days or by a specific date.

Remember, effective communication is key on Upwork. Being transparent, respectful, and responsive will help you build strong relationships with freelancers and lead to successful collaborations. Best of luck with your Upwork journey! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. 😊

[15b8ab81]

it's important to exercise caution:

1. Communication on Upwork: Whenever possible, keep your communication within Upwork's messaging system. This helps maintain a record of your conversations and ensures that you're protected by Upwork's policies.

2. Trust Your Instincts: If something feels off or suspicious, it's best to prioritize your safety and well-being. If a situation doesn't seem right, it's okay to decline or step back from further interactions.

3. Contact Upwork Support: If you're ever unsure about a situation, you can reach out to Upwork's customer support for guidance. They can review the situation and provide assistance if needed.

[15b8ab81]

Hello Marie,

Congratulations on starting your journey on Upwork! It's great that you're taking the time to understand how things work to ensure a positive experience. I'll be happy to provide you with some guidance.

1. Responding to Proposals: While there's no strict rule that you have to respond to every proposal you receive, it's generally considered good practice to acknowledge each proposal with a brief thank-you message or at least a notification of your decision. This helps maintain a positive reputation on the platform and shows professionalism. However, as your workload increases, you might not be able to individually respond to every proposal.

2. Proposal Wait Time: The time it takes for a client to respond to a proposal can vary widely depending on the client's preferences and their urgency to fill the position. Some clients might respond within a day or two, while others might take longer. It's important to be patient and give clients adequate time to review the proposals they receive.

[393b3fdc]

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

Hi my friend !

I'm new to the Platform, and i don't know how to use thé Platform well yet,
in addition i have a problem with the language, the site is in English and
i speak French, for the moment my English is in progress learning. Thanks
for your advices.

Please help me find the clients and use the upwork Platform well.

[3755345a]

Congratulations on getting started on Upwork. It's great to see your enthusiasm for making the most out of your experience there. Let me address your questions:

1. Responding to Proposals: While it's not a strict requirement to respond to every proposal you receive on Upwork, it's generally considered good practice to acknowledge and reply to proposals, especially if someone has taken the time to express interest in your project. It helps in building a positive reputation and maintaining a professional demeanor. You don't need to respond to every proposal individually; you can use Upwork's built-in response templates to save time.

2. Wait Time for Proposal Acceptance: The time it takes for a client to accept a proposal can vary widely. It depends on factors such as the complexity of the project, the number of proposals received, the client's availability, and more. Some clients might accept proposals within a few hours, while others might take a few days or even longer. There's no fixed standard for this. It's a good idea to be patient and continue evaluating proposals as they come in.

[3755345a]

Let me address your questions:

1. Responding to Proposals: While it's not a strict requirement to respond to every proposal you receive, it's generally considered good practice to acknowledge the effort people put into submitting proposals. You can send a polite thank-you message to those who applied for your job, even if you don't intend to move forward with their services. This helps maintain a positive reputation on the platform and fosters good communication.

2. Response Time: There's no fixed "normal" wait time for a client to respond to proposals. Some clients might review proposals within a day, while others might take longer due to the number of applications they receive. It's best to respond to qualified candidates relatively quickly to keep the hiring process moving smoothly. On the flip side, as a client, you might receive offers ranging from a few hours to a few days after posting your job. The key is to maintain good communication and responsiveness.

3. Acceptance Time and Expiration: As of my last update in September 2021, there isn't a built-in feature on Upwork that allows you to set an expiration time for job offers. However, you can mention a preferred timeline for the project in your job description or communicate it to potential candidates during the interview process. It's important to be realistic about the project's timeline to ensure quality work.

[the-right-writer]

"As of my last update?" Is this copy and paste from you, or just typical ChatGPT?