**Job Success Score

For starters, check out this article first: Job Success Score

Where to find the Job Success Score (if they have one):

• A freelancer’s score can be found on their My Stats page as well as on their profile page
• An agency’s score can be found on the agency owner’s profile page or any of the exclusive agency contractors’ profile pages (as long as they have enough work history to show a JSS - if the EAC has enough for a JSS, but the Agency does not, the EAC will show their personal JSS on their profile). AO must be EAC to assume the agency's JSS, otherwise his profile will display his personal score.

Things to note:

• What is excluded from JSS - 
• Jobs that lack earnings and have positive outcomes
• If a CL is suspended for violating TOS (Exclusion from JSS does not include if the CL was suspended for payment reasons e.g. expired CC that needs updating, typically the suspensions need to be related to “fraud”)
• If a CL has a habit of giving a significant amount of bad feedback that’s considered unreasonable (macro that can help - General > My Stats > I got X rating because this client is bad. How am I supposed to deal with bad clients who are affecting my Job Success score?)
• If a CL has a very low FL feedback rating (macro that can help - General > My Stats > I got X rating because this client is bad. How am I supposed to deal with bad clients who are affecting my Job Success score?)

• Jobs without feedback do not result in a negative outcome

Agency owners are responsible for the work of their agencies and agency freelancers, hence their JSS is the collective Job Success Score of all jobs completed by their agency members.

Please note: If an EAC qualifies for a JSS, but the Agency does not, the personal JSS of the EAC will show on their profile. Once the Agency qualifies for a JSS, then the Agency JSS will show on the EAC’s profile.

Agency Job Success Score (external article)

• View Agency JSS on Profile:
  • AO can go to Find Work > Profile > agency profile can be found on right under “Associated with” - this shows agency’s JSS

• View EAC’s Stats:
  • AO can go to Find Work > My Stats to select agency / EAC from dropdown menus on the top to see how each EAC is contributing

• Agency JSS OBO Breakdown (if giving score, use JSS in an EAC profile sudo’d in):
  • If AO is exclusive - view the JSS OBO breakdown via Contractor tab > click “Job Success Score (NSS100)” number
  • If AO is non-exclusive - pull up an EAC, then find Contractor tab > click “Job Success Score (NSS100)” number

• Agency JSS Calculation:
  • The JSS is calculated by aggregating all work that all agency contractors (EAC and NEAC) have done within the agency context
  • AOs with no EACs must switch to their FL’s context to view their personal My Stats reports
  • An individual JSS is still calculated for each contractor by taking into account all jobs for which they were hired as they are the FL on the job, but:
  • For EACs - the agency JSS score shows on their profile
  • For NEACs - their personal JSS shows on their profile and in My Stats

• Exclusive vs. Non-exclusive Agency Contractor (EAC vs. NEAC): OBO > Contractor tab > “Affiliation” - displays Agency name and “Exclusive” or “Non-exclusive”
  • Exclusive Agency Contractor (EAC) - All contracts FL works are for the agency and FL gets paid by the agency owner. Their JSS score is the agency’s JSS score.
  • Non-exclusive Agency Contractor (NEAC) - FL works on contracts for the agency as well as their own individual contracts. Their JSS score is their own individual score based on the any contracts they work.

We do not share thresholds with users to make it harder for them to game the system.

When giving a FL / Agency their score, use the score shown on the profile page / in My Stats (Find Work > My Stats) rather than the OBO score - this updates every 2 weeks and the last update is shown in My Stats.

About OBO JSS: 

• Contractor tab > “JSS biweekly” - This is the score that should show up for the customer in their My Stats page. If it says “No Job Success Score” or there is a score displayed, but no score on the FL profile, this means the FL does not yet qualify for a JSS.
• Contractor tab > “Prior JSS Data” - This displays what the JSS was with the last bi-weekly update.
• Contractor tab > “Latest JSS Data” - This should also match the “JSS biweekly” number, but is clickable to have more of an understanding of why the JSS is the number it is. This should update within 3-4 hours of the JSS update every other Sunday.
• “JSS biweekly” and “Latest JSS Data” should typically match (minus the 3-4 hour update period when a score changes bi-weekly), they just pull data differently. That said, before utilizing the JSS OBO paragraph details, be sure to confirm the “Latest” number does match what the customer is seeing on their profile, also the “JSS biweekly” number.

Under “Latest JSS Data:

JSS OBO Breakdown View - 

• The JSS Box (info displayed below) should be used as a guide only when crafting a response and helping the freelancer
• The JSS Summary (the section called oboJSSInfo) can hold some helpful verbiage for the customer, but customization is required. Due to the changes in JSS from 2020-2021, this section holds some older info that must not be used:
  
  • “or remain with no earnings and no feedback for multiple months” - this is no longer the case as of November 6, 2020 as “No Feedback Outcomes” were retroactively removed as a factor for JSS

The JSS Box View (Avoid sharing the numbers listed here as these numbers don't all factor in the dollar-weighted elements and may cause more confusion for a FL as they aren't entirely accurate. Use these as a guide only. The NSS numbers are weighted and included in the oboJSSInfo paragraph, so these are okay to share.)

1. Bad/neutral feedback percent

• This is the percentage of outcomes that were bad; possibly due to poor feedback, disputes, refunds or customer complaints. The percentage here shows as 0.125 and would be rounded off to 13%.
• This is not including the weighted element. As it’s not a 100% accurate percentage, this is why we’re not sharing this number with freelancers.

2. Feedback count and good feedback count

• “Feedback count” refers to the total number of contracts with feedback and “Good feedback count” refers to the total number of contracts with good feedback. In this example, the total number of contracts with feedback is 32 and the total number of contracts with good feedback is 28.

3. Good feedback percentage

• This only shows the good feedback count over the total feedback count and is not including the weighted element. As it’s not a 100% accurate percentage, this is why we’re not sharing this number with freelancers.

4. Good outcome rate

• Remember, “outcome” is different than “contracts” as it's a contract’s outcome that impacts a freelancer’s Job Success Score - one contract can have multiple outcomes (bad, neutral, or positive) or even no outcomes at all
• The amount of outcomes on a contract depend on the length of time the client has hired and paid the freelancer, how much that contract is weighted (not calculated in this JSS box, though) AND on the client’s final recommendation
• In this example, the good outcome rate is 90% (this is different from the good feedback % as the good feedback % only accounts for good feedback whereas this number may include rehires, long term contracts, increase in rate, etc.)
• This is not including the weighted element. As it’s not a 100% accurate percentage, this is why we’re not sharing this number with freelancers.

5. Job count

• This is the number of outcomes not contracts. Contracts may be less than outcomes as outcomes include a number of different factors as mentioned in point 4.

6. 6/12/24 month window period (these numbers ARE weighted)

• • As JSS is calculated using data from 3 month, 6 month, 12 month and 24 month windows, we can see part of that data here. The “Trending JSS” that uses the 3 month and 6 month data is in the bullet below, “NSS Recent”.
  • The freelancers score is the best of those 4 scores (or, the best of the scores they do qualify for). In this example, the FL qualifies for all 4 scores where the 6 month and “Trending” are the highest at 100, so their JSS is 100%.
  • To qualify for a time period, they have to have 4 outcomes within that time period, otherwise that field will be blank, showcasing they don’t qualify for that time period
  • The “Trending JSS,” which we calculate by adding the average JSS for the past 6 months with the average JSS for the past 3 months and divide in half, this does not show in that section.

7. NSS recent (this number IS weighted)

• This represents the “Trending JSS,” which we calculate by adding the average JSS for the past 6 months (shown above) with the average JSS for the past 3 months and divide in half.
• In order to qualify for a “Trending JSS”, not only does the FL need to qualify for a JSS within the 6 month time window, but they also need to qualify within the 3 month time window. This means they have to have 4 outcomes within both time periods.

Individual Assignment View - Some info is for internal use only.

Important: there are some scenarios where the “Excluded from JSS” in the below image may say “No” when it actually IS excluded -

• Jobs with no payment + a good outcome do not count towards the JSS
• Catalog contracts canceled within 24 hours do not count towards the JSS
• Anything relating to “no feedback” outcomes do not count towards the JSS

Pull FL up in OBO > Contractor Tab > click the # next to “Assignments” > Uncheck Hide ended > click on ID number for the contract to pull up the Assignments page:

What constitutes Good/Bad or Neutral feedback (do not share with freelancers):

Process Map

Extra tips when researching and crafting a response:

Disclaimer: these are meant to be tips and should all be personalized. We need to include more info for our customers to help guide them and we should not only use this section verbatim nor should we edit to give additional hints as to which specific contract may have good/bad private feedback.

WHY DID MY SCORE DROP?

Possible reasons and sample responses to these reasons. Remember to customize for each freelancer. These shouldn’t be used as the only response.

- Recent neutral outcomes - neutral (feedback) 7-8 NPS

• [Info] You received mostly great recommendations from your clients. However, there were some who didn’t recommend you as much as the others.
• Provide tips + encouragement

- Recent bad outcomes

• [Info] You received poor recommendations from contracts which caused your score to drop. You need to complete more jobs successfully to improve your score.
• Provide more tips + encouragement

I HAVE RECENTLY ENDED JOBS WITH GOOD FEEDBACK, WHY DIDN’T MY SCORE CHANGE?

- Check the job’s end date

• Only jobs ended before the JSS update are included in the JSS calculation
• Jobs ended on or after the JSS update will impact their score in the next JSS update
• It can be helpful, in these cases, to give the FL specifics; give examples of contracts that have fallen out of the window period and/or examples of contracts that have ended after the JSS update took place.

- Check if the job is long-term

• It's normal for JSS not to change after long-term contracts end. Most long-term contracts have already been counted as good outcomes so that when they're finally ended with good feedback, they no longer impact their JSS.

- Check if there were good outcomes that might have slipped out of their time windows.

Below lists questions that CS may receive along with suggested macros or answers to help (be sure to always customize!) - use Ctrl + F if a PC, or Command + F if a Mac to help search for your question!

Disclaimer: these are meant to be helpful starting points and should all be personalized. We need to include more info for our customers to help guide them and we should not only use these macros/FAQs verbatim.

Q: Job Success Score not showing?

Macro: General > My Stats > Why don’t I have a Job Success Score yet? OR General ? My Stats > What made my Job Success Score go away from one day to the next?

Q: Job Success Score drop or change? Can specifics be shared?

Macro: General > My Stats > Why does a Job Success Score drop?

Q: How is the score calculated? Which elements contribute to JSS, and to what degree?

Macro: General > My Stats > How is the Job Success Score calculated?

Q: When is JSS updated?

Macro: General > My Stats >When and why does a Job Success Score change?

Q: Why does a score change?

Macro: General > My Stats >When and why does a Job Success Score change?

Q: What’s the difference between Job Success Score and the 5-star rating system? Why is a 5-star rating better than the Job Success Score?

Macro: General > My Stats > I have 5 stars but my Job Success Score is in the red. Why? What does that mean? OR Why is my Job Success Score less than 100% what I have all 5-stars? OR My score seems low but I’m a great freelancer and my clients never complain.

Q: How can a Job Success Score be increased or improved?

Macro: General > My Stats > Ways to Improve Job Success Score

Q: What is counted as positive or negative within private feedback?

We keep all elements of private feedback confidential to ensure it remains informative, trustworthy, and honest.

Q: Does feedback given by bad clients count against freelancers’ Job Success scores?

Macro: General > My Stats > I got X rating because this client is bad. How am I supposed to deal with bad clients who are affecting my Job Success score?

Q: How can freelancers help keep Job Success scores accurate?

Freelancers can help by leaving feedback for all clients so we are able to flag unfair ones. If fraud is encountered, it’s important to report it. If we determine a client committed fraud, we immediately remove the client from the platform and their feedback is excluded from Job Success score calculations.

Q: Why are clients allowed to give good public feedback but poor private feedback?

We ask both clients and freelancers to leave private feedback. While we understand that any discrepancies between public and private feedback may be frustrating, the private feedback system is in place to prevent instances of fraud and retaliation and to gain honest, trustworthy insight into client satisfaction.

Q: Why are there some profiles with high JSS and low star ratings, and vice versa?

A freelancer’s Job Success score captures a breadth of information not already reflected in their star rating or profile. Job Success scores reflect a wide range of factors indicating client satisfaction, such as public and private feedback, long-term contracts, and repeat ones. Because the information above isn’t included in a freelancer’s star rating, a JSS may differ dramatically from a star rating.

Q: Why can’t clients change their private feedback despite being enabled by the freelancer to change feedback?

We prevent clients from changing private feedback as a preventative measure against fraud, blackmail, and extortion.

Q: Does JSS ever get updated manually by Upwork Team?

A: No. Job Success Scores are automatically calculated by the system every 2 weeks.

INTERNAL NOTE: We will only update JSS manually on a case by case basis e.g. there’s a bug (very rare) or escalated cases. This should not be something that is proactively offered to all users!)

Q: Do refunds affect JSS?

Refunds don’t directly impact JSS, however a refund may mean the client is unsatisfied and this may be reflected in their feedback which can impact JSS. Also, contracts with $0 earned and positive feedback will be excluded from JSS.

Q: Do declined proposals or invites affect JSS?

No, declining or accepting job invites does not affect the calculation the Job Success Score. The Job Success Score is solely based on the outcome of contracts taken on.

Q: Where can an agency JSS be seen?

Looking at the agency owner’s profile or an exclusive agency contractor’s profile, the agency JSS can be seen there.

CS agent callout - the EAC will showcase their personal JSS IF the Agency does not yet qualify for a JSS. Please keep this in mind when answering this question.

Q: Why aren’t some exclusive agency contractors showing a JSS?

They will not display a Job Success Score until they have enough work history to earn one.

Q: If a freelancer takes a break from Upwork, will this impact Job Success Score negatively?

Taking a break will not adversely affect Job Success Score. Job Success looks at the overall performance in the past 24-months and more heavily weighs recent work (not a lack of work). If they had a rough start, but are improving, older jobs won't count against them as much. If they take a break, the score will stay the same while past jobs remain in the 24-month window.

Q: What is considered a good Job Success Score?

A score of 90% or higher indicates an overall track record of meeting or exceeding clients’ work expectations. While a good goal is to be above 90%, scores within the 80-89% are good but show room for improvement.

Q: Will an agency JSS go down if some agency freelancers are inactive?

No. The agency JSS is not impacted by freelancer inactivity. JSS is calculated based on a number of factors which include successful completion of past projects.

No one will hire me because I have such a low JSS you’re showing on my profile. How can I improve if no one will hire me?

Thanks for your question. We understand that a low Job Success Score can affect your reputation on Upwork. However, clients also consider other factors, such as your experience, resume, portfolio, and rate. While it might take a while, we do see freelancers with a lower JSS find clients. For tips to boost your JSS, click here.

My score is only low due to unfair feedback. How can Upwork fix this?

Thanks for reaching out. Feedback is directly from your client(s) and we can't edit these comments or scores, nor can we investigate them for accuracy. 

My JSS never displayed on my profile before. Why is it showing now?

Thanks for reaching out. In order to help clients pick the right freelancer for their project and give freelancers a chance to highlight their success on Upwork, we show your Job Success Score on your public profile. If your JSS was not previously shown on your public profile it was likely due to a bug that has now been corrected.

Q: Why did you make the past change to start weighting contracts for JSS?

Thanks for your question. We made this change so that a freelancer’s Job Success Score (JSS) better reflects their job history on Upwork. We know higher-paying jobs typically require more work and by giving these jobs more weight, your client’s feedback on them has a greater influence on your JSS. 

Q: How does the weighing work specifically? At what point(s)/dollar amount does a contract count more in my JSS?

Thanks for your question. To ensure fairness and avoid manipulation, we don’t share the specifics about how we calculate the Job Success Score. Thanks for your understanding.

Q: Does the weighting of contracts mean if I don’t get big contracts I’ll never be able to get a JSS of 100%?

Thanks for your question. Receiving stellar feedback on smaller budget jobs can still get you to a JSS of 100%. We only changed the impact of jobs based on earnings. This means that strong client feedback on a higher-budget job will boost your score more than a lower-budget job.

Q: The weighting of contracts is unfair to freelancers who take small jobs! Are you trying to ruin our freelancing business?

Thanks for your question. The great feedback you receive on small jobs will still positively increase your Job Success Score (JSS). You can still get to 100% JSS with smaller budget jobs; we are just giving more weight to jobs with higher earnings. This is similar to our practice of giving more weight to longer-term jobs than short ones.

Q: So if I take a bigger job and get negative feedback that counts more than positive feedback on smaller jobs?

Thanks for reaching out. Yes. A job with higher earnings will always impact your Job Success Score (JSS) more than a smaller job. For example, feedback on a $1,000 job carries more weight on your JSS compared to a $20 job. However, receiving poor feedback on a job with more earnings can be balanced out by doing well on a job of the same size in the future or on a number of smaller jobs.

Q: I’ve only worked small jobs, will my score be affected?

Thanks for your question. There’s no penalty for only working small jobs. And receiving great feedback on smaller budget jobs can still get you to a JSS of 100%. This change only means that jobs with higher earnings carry more weight than small jobs when calculating your JSS.

Q: I work a lot of large spend jobs but these are big companies and they don’t have time to leave feedback/won’t leave feedback and I don’t want to bother them. What should I do?

Thanks for asking. Freelancers tell us that in many cases if they explain to their client the importance of leaving feedback the client will take the time to do so. You may wish to discuss whether a potential client will be willing to leave feedback once a contract is completed before taking a job.

Q: Are longer-term jobs still weighted more than shorter-term jobs?

Thanks for your question. Yes!

Q: How can I raise my JSS?

Thanks for reaching out. As long as you do great work for your clients and receive great feedback -- regardless of whether it’s a low- or high-budget job -- your score will climb. Winning higher-budget jobs and receiving positive feedback on those will typically raise your JSS faster than low-paying jobs. 

Q: Do bonuses count towards the amount earned in a contract when considering the "weight" of the contract?

Yes.