What is the frequency of clients asking for interviews?

[lauranky]

Pre-upwork, almost all clients I had for freelance contracts never asked for a phone or video interview. Everything was based on my online information and chat/email discussions. 

I assumed Upwork would be similar but it seems that's not the case. Admittedly the idea of doing a formal video interview for every small freelance job isn't overly appealing. An interview every few years was stressful enough 
My preference is definitely for everything to happen in chat so I have a record I can refer back to when needed, as well.

Is it because I'm new to upwork and don't have the reputation yet, or is this standard even for more experienced FLs on Upwork?

Edit: I should mention these seem like legit companies who want to interview on the Upwork platform.

[lauranky]

Thankfully not, they all seem legit and happy to interview on Upwork. 

[prestonhunter]

It's an interesting question.

I can imagine that each freelancer would report a different frequency, and that such frequencies would vary based on the job niche and cost segment.

As a client, I never ask for interviews. But I hire mainly for small projects.

As a freelancer, I am often hired on for larger projects. I would estimate between 25% and one-third of projects I get hired for begin with a video interview or phone interview. These may be conducted via Skype or other tools, such as Zoom, GoToMeeting, and on rare occasions even the Upwork videoconferencing tool (which has had considerable problems in the past, but occasionally works).

Occasionally I have experienced very short video interviews that I realized were probably just an opportunity for the client to see that I am who I appear to be on my profile page. But most of the time, if I am asked to do a "video interview," the client's intent is to use screen-sharing to show me things on his screen that have to do with the project.

[petra_r]

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Laura K wrote:

I assumed Upwork would be similar but it seems that's not the case. Admittedly the idea of doing a formal video interview for every small freelance job isn't overly appealing.

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For what it's worth, I have never once done a video interview with a client, and most of the time voice-calls are only for very big jobs, and relatively rare.

[yitwail]

Laura, in my experience, clients who ask for audio/video chats are the exception, but by no means unheard of. I flat out refuse video chat by the way, although I did agree to it for one client, who turned out to be a great client I'm still working with.

[lauranky]

I really appreciate the reply! Do you have any potential clients react negatively when you refuse a voice/video interview? What do you normally say if asked for a voice interview?

I'm getting the impression that I'll probably have to deal with it until I have a few more completed jobs on my profile, but then I'd really like to stick with chat-only interviews with the occasional exception. 

[yitwail]

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Laura K wrote:

I really appreciate the reply! Do you have any potential clients react negatively when you refuse a voice/video interview? What do you normally say if asked for a voice interview?

I'm getting the impression that I'll probably have to deal with it until I have a few more completed jobs on my profile, but then I'd really like to stick with chat-only interviews with the occasional exception. 

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I don't think I've had a negative reaction, but again, this is infrequent so my recall may be imperfect. I'm a bit of an introvert, so messaging works best for me. If a client asks for a voice interview, I try to accommodate them, either by skype (with camera turned off), or by phone. I don't use Upwork voice chat because I question its reliability, but if you'd rather not share phone number or skype account, then I guess you could take your chances with Upwork voice chat, although there are other methods I'm no doubt overlooking. I can tell you I had a hard time figuring out google hangout, so will turn that down. 

[petra_r]

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Laura K wrote:

I really appreciate the reply! Do you have any potential clients react negatively when you refuse a voice/video interview? What do you normally say if asked for a voice interview?

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I'm perfectly happy with voice conversations, but don't do video.

I had one potential client decline me for that reason (they had a strict video mandatory policy after being stung by several fake freelancers) but that's once in 8 years so pretty much irrelevant.

I don't think of it as an "interview" (stressful) - I think of it as a nice chat between potential business partners to explore how we can best work together  (fun)

[lysis10]

Video isn't necessary (I don't have a camera on my desktop). Have to admit the best jobs I've gotten started with a voice conversation. People with real money to spend want to talk to you, especially with the Auto Accepted fake profiles plaguing the platform. 

[m_sharman]

For many of my projects and how I work, I prefer a quick phone call - it's easier for me to ask my questions and determine scope. 

It's really down to individual preference and the type of work you perform.

That said, audio only calls should be fine for any client, particularly if you are already "verified" by Upwork. 

[cjcornell]

As a longtime client - I can tell you why I almost always do chat interviews for freelancers (and I have hired probably nearly 100 over the past 10 years)

1. Accents. Most that I interview/hire are not native English speakers. This is OK, but often the accents are so thick that I struggle to understand them.  Chat is easier and clearer

2. A record of the interview.  Often I am interviewing/vetting 5-6 or more different freelance developers for a particular job, and only after I interview them, will I make a decision. It is much easier to go back and view the chat log and view the exact conversation.

3. Vetting written communications. Since, after hiring, we use Slack for the main communications tool - I want to see how clear the potential freelancer is in communicating, and in "listening".

4. Other (misc) - I'm not always in a position where I want to chat via video - particularly given the time zone differences. 50% of the time there is some kind of bandwidth or other tech issue that drains all the time ... etc etc

So ... there are just a few reasons. FYI.

[robin_hyman]

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Laura K wrote:

Pre-upwork, almost all clients I had for freelance contracts never asked for a phone or video interview. Everything was based on my online information and chat/email discussions. 

I assumed Upwork would be similar but it seems that's not the case. Admittedly the idea of doing a formal video interview for every small freelance job isn't overly appealing. An interview every few years was stressful enough 
My preference is definitely for everything to happen in chat so I have a record I can refer back to when needed, as well.

Is it because I'm new to upwork and don't have the reputation yet, or is this standard even for more experienced FLs on Upwork?

Edit: I should mention these seem like legit companies who want to interview on the Upwork platform.

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I'm in the copywriting/brand marketing field.  Most of my clients want to have a chat (more voice chats but plenty of video chats) before hiring me.  Probably to see if I am a native English speaker/writer.  Others have had bad experiences on Upwork and want to make sure I was the right person for their project.  

Besides from being a time suck, why wouldn't you have a video call?  

[a_lipsey]

I have had a phone conversation with every single client on Upwork and elsewhere (actually elsewhere I meet them in person). But it's necessary for my work to be able to have conversations and figure out solutions quickly rather than go back and forth over chat. Additionally, most of my clients are organizations in which we need to have group conversations, so it's easier to do that via phone/voice versus back and forth in a group text chat room. But it really depends on your field. I specialize in nonprofit grant writing, and my projects are usually long-term and typically end up with initial strategic planning with the client. That takes conversation. A programmer may be able to effectively, even more effectively, communicate all the specs and requirements via text. 

It also depends on the size of the project. I don't typically do projects that last shorter than 4-6 months. And the client will frequently be updating me as we go so I can incorporate any new information into our proposals as I'm submitting them. You really have to do what feels right for you and weighing it against who the client is/what they might be worth to you. The one shorter term project I did, the client and I talked via phone a few times a day, because it was a short turnaround and we had to communicate information quickly. We often shared screens while on the call to make sure we were getting all the information that was changing daily accurately recorded. 

So, I go back to: do what seems right and works for you. And also if the client is worth it, and would be long-term, good source of income, maybe do your best to make a voice call work (I don't know that I'd do video interviews).