A Talent Cloud network is an Upwork Enterprise client's private group of professional freelancers and agencies. Hiring managers sometimes prefer to engage freelancers and agencies who have experience working with their company, and typically search their network first.
Working with an Upwork Enterprise client adds you to their Talent Cloud network, which means you'll be at the top of the list when that client's hiring managers search for freelancers and agencies with your skills. This means more high-quality opportunities for you.
As an added benefit, you can submit proposals for jobs in a Talent Cloud network without spending any Connects. And you can filter and prioritize notifications by Talent Cloud network in your notification settings.
In most cases, you join when you receive a contract with an Enterprise client. Freelancers offered Enterprise projects must complete onboarding tasks, which may include custom agreements or background checks, before accepting the offer and starting the project.
There are two ways to join an Enterprise client's Talent Cloud network
- Accept an invitation to be a member of a Talent Cloud network. This can happen when the Enterprise client wants to assemble a reserve of potential freelancers and agencies before specific project needs arise.
- Accept a contract from an Enterprise client. After accepting the contract, you will be automatically placed in the account’s Talent Cloud. This helps employees at the Enterprise company know you have a working relationship with a colleague and they can more easily discover you.
Joining a Talent Cloud network increases your chances of working with that specific client when they have a project. You can become part of multiple Talent Cloud networks, but you'd have to go through the whole process separately for each. They each build their own private pool of preferred freelancers and agencies and set their own criteria for approval.
Requirements typically depend on the client, legal requirements in your location, and the type of engagement. In addition to demonstrating you have the skills to deliver the work, you may be asked to show your experience as an independent contractor. Some ways you may be able to do so include showing that you work with multiple clients and/or have a business entity, license or registration.
For more information on the different types of business entities, click here.
- You: Full visibility with the name of the Talent Cloud
- Other Freelancers: Visibility that you’re part of a Talent Cloud, but with the name only as “Talend Cloud”
- Clients that are part of the Talent Cloud: Full visibility with the name of the Talent Cloud
- Clients not part of the Talent Cloud: No mention of the Talent Cloud (logo or name)
- Go to Settings › Notification Settings › Groups & Invitations
- Talent Clouds are listed there (e.g. “Upwork Pro Mobile Developer”)
- Daily
- Twice a day
- Instant
- Never
To leave a Talent Cloud permanently, email support@upwork.com and request complete removal.