The Upwork Insider - Issue 1

Good vibes

Nothing beats getting a little love for the hard work you do—so let’s spread the good vibes all around!🙌🏻🙌🏽🙌🏿🙌🙌🏾

• 📈 Ashliana Spence is a marketing professional who’s using AI to not only deliver better and faster, but also show clients how they could gain more efficiency from their workflows and processes. Her standout success with client Huntr was featured at Upwork’s internal companywide All Hands in Q2.

• 🎯 Upwork’s inaugural Future Workforce Index shows that skilled freelancers are outpacing full-time employees in earning power, AI adoption, and future-ready skills. But you already suspected that, right? Featured in the report are solutions architect Ryan Clark, project manager Keyola Panza, and marketing automation specialist Marcus Grimm.
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• 🪜 Copywriter Olaniyi Musediq doesn’t wait for opportunities—he creates his own. After being told a company filled their writer needs, he explored their website and noticed their AI-generated content needed improvement. He put together a thoughtful proposal outlining how they could boost their content quality. They were so impressed that they contracted him as their staff editor.
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Inside scoop

Trust that works for you

If you’ve ever wondered whether a job post is legit, whether a client will actually pay, or if your hard work will even get noticed—you’re not alone. Trust is essential when your work, income, and reputation are all on the line.

And as the way we work changes—with AI becoming more common and fraud more sophisticated—what trust looks like is changing too. You need more than just good instincts. You need systems that have your back.

You’ve told us what matters: Real, verified clients. Protections when things go wrong. A reputation that reflects your work and capabilities. And tools that help you grow your business without second-guessing every opportunity.

So we’re doubling down on making that happen. The goal is simple: Give you the confidence to do great work, knowing Upwork has your back.

Some of these improvements are already live. Others are on the way. We know trust isn’t a one-time fix. It’s something we’re committed to earning every day, by evolving alongside your work and listening to what you need most.

TL;DR: You deserve a platform you can trust. That’s why we’re doubling down on transparency—making our policies clearer, protections more visible, and signals easier to understand. Our goal is to give you confidence in the platform, clarity in your experience, and the tools to thrive with clients who value your work.

Here’s where things stand today and what’s coming soon:

✅ Clients you can count on

You deserve to know who you’re working with and what to expect before you apply.

• Clients verify their payment methods so you know they’re ready to pay—no chasing down money later
• Real hiring history and reviews help you spot legit opportunities from clients who’ve hired (and paid) freelancers before
• We screen job posts to remove spam, scams, and low-quality listings before they waste your time
• You can flag suspicious messages, posts, and profiles and we take fast action when you do
• Stronger client standards mean fewer ghost jobs
• Clearer feedback guidelines highlight how clients’ ratings affect your reputation—helping encourage more thoughtful reviews
  

🌟 A reputation that reflects your capabilities
Your profile should show off what you’ve done, not just what you say you can do.

• Client feedback, ratings, and work history give potential clients real proof of your skills
• Increase your competitiveness with certifications, portfolios, and verified credentials
• Verified ID badge helps you stand out and build client trust
• Propose changes directly to offers, making it easier to negotiate terms and align with clients before accepting
• See budget milestones before you commit, to avoid surprises later
  

🛡️ Real protection, real support
We’ve got your back so you can focus on the work, not the worry.

• Payment protection helps ensure you get paid for eligible hourly and fixed-price work
• Avoid payment delays with alerts that keep you and your client aligned on next steps
• Dispute support is available if a project goes off track—with third-party help if needed
• Policy enforcement applies to everyone, including clients, so bad behavior is addressed
• You can report issues directly and a team member reviews every issue
• We’re constantly updating safety measures based on the latest fraud patterns and your feedback
• Your data is locked down with industry-leading security standards (SOC2, ISO 27001)
  

🔜 A peek at what’s coming soon:

• A revamped appeals and feedback system, so concerns can be addressed more clearly and fairly
• Client standards updates, giving you more visibility into how clients are held accountable
• A new Account Health Hub so you can see and manage your standing on the platform more easily
• New skill tags (both soft and hard skills) will help clients understand how you work—not just what you do—making it easier to stand out
• Smarter logic for talent badges, so your hard work gets recognized more accurately
• Improved visibility with badges and Job Success Score (JSS), which could boost your chances of getting invites

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We’re serious about earning your trust—and keeping it. Thanks for continuing to share your experiences and ideas with us. We’re building this with you, not just for you.

Exclusive opps

What businesses are thinking, and how you can use it

This research comes straight from The Upwork Research Institute, where we regularly check in with decision-makers at small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and large enterprises to understand how they’re navigating today’s world of work.

Why should you read this? Because when you understand how businesses are thinking, you can tailor your proposals, highlight the right skills, and position yourself as the solution they’re already looking for.

Here are some of the most relevant findings from Q2 and how you can use them to your advantage.

1. Businesses are still hiring—despite economic uncertainty

• 69% of SMBs and 71% of enterprises plan to hire more full-time employees next quarter
• 57% of SMBs and 72% of enterprises also plan to increase freelancer hiring

💡Takeaway: Businesses are growing and they may need more help than they have now. As they scale or struggle to fill gaps, they might not realize you can take on more than your current scope.

⚒️How to use it:

• Let clients know what else you can help with, as they may not be aware of your full skill set
• Offer support on new projects as their teams expand
• Position yourself as a reliable, flexible partner who knows their business and can jump in quickly

2. Talent is still hard to find and expensive

• 57% of SMBs and 61% of enterprises say candidates for full-time roles expect pay above market rate
• 33% of SMBs and 27% of enterprises say qualified candidates are somewhat scarce

💡Takeaway: Hiring employees takes time and budget. Even if your hourly rate is higher, clients may get more value from your flexibility, speed, and experience. And they avoid the overhead of a full-time hire.

⚒️How to use it:

• Show how your skills solve problems they can’t easily hire for
• Emphasize that they only pay for what they need
• Offer flexible options to help them stay on budget while getting high-quality work (e.g., mentor a less experienced employee so they can upskill and eventually do the work themselves)

3. AI is everywhere, but comes with challenges

• 82% of business leaders are using AI regularly
• They're outsourcing tasks like data analysis, content creation, and customer service to AI agents
• Their biggest concerns: data security, lack of expertise, and uncertain ROI

💡Takeaway: Clients are leaning into AI, but they’re still figuring it out. Many are unsure how to get the most out of it, or how to balance automation with quality. That’s where your skill and judgment come in.

⚒️How to use it:

• Share how you use AI in your process to improve efficiency and outcomes
• Offer to review or refine AI-generated content for quality and tone
• Give examples of past projects where you used AI to support—but not replace—your expertise, and how it benefited the client

Stuff to know

• 😎Summer 2025 Upwork Updates drop July 23rd. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming your way:
  
  • Instant interviews: Skip the cover letter and connect with clients faster—with a fairer chance at being seen
  • Get an edge: See how others are bidding, spot high-potential jobs faster, and more
  • Real-time alerts: Get notified the moment jobs match what you’re looking for, so you can apply first
  • Agency Plus: Run an agency? Stand out earlier and win projects faster with new tools just for you

• 🎙️The Work Week podcast is blowing up! Catch the latest episode, and remember to hit subscribe so you’re always in the loop.

• 👷🏽‍♀️AI is helping people get more done, but it’s also making them lonelier and more burned out. Our latest research shows why it’s time to rethink how we work with AI. Not just humans + AI … but humans + AI + redesign. Read the full report.

• 🤖There’s a lot of talk about AI agents. Understand what they are and how you can build one to automate repetitive tasks and save hours a week (it’s easier than you may think). See the step-by-step guide for beginners.

How do you AI?

Freelance AI and business intelligence specialist Jacqueline DeStefano-Tangorra has this tip:

"One of the most powerful ways freelancers can use AI is to help clients productize their expertise."

Case in point: Jacqueline’s team recently partnered with a career strategist on Upwork who had 25+ years of experience in career development. Together, they transformed that deep well of knowledge into a scalable product using a custom GPT.

They designed a fully personalized, GPT-powered career and personal coach, trained on decades of consulting insights, frameworks, and real client Q&A. Using tools like prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), memory structuring, decision trees, and fine-tuning, they created an AI coach that mirrors the client’s voice, style, and nuance.

The result: What once took 40 hours of one-on-one work can now be delivered on demand. The client turned their expertise into a digital product—scaling their business, reaching more users consistently, and unlocking a new revenue stream.

“They called the process transformative and said our collaboration elevated their course’s effectiveness and impact,” said Jacqueline.

Client impact:

• Ability to serve more users consistently
• Streamlined coaching, onboarding, and content delivery
• A scalable, AI-powered product that feels truly personal

For your workday

Free guide: your new SOP sidekick

Ever get tired of winging it or repeating yourself? This free GPT helps you instantly generate clear, professional standard operating procedures (SOPs) for your business. Just tell it what you want done and it’ll take care of the rest.  

Use the GPT to create an SOP for:

• 🗓️ Managing your workflow
• 📂 Organizing project files
• 📣 Following up on past clients
• 🛫 Prepping the business so you can take time off
• And more   

Grab your custom GPT here.