Top 5 Reasons Open Positions Don't Get Filled on Upwork

When you’re looking for independent talent for a project and not getting the response you want or expect, it can be a signal that something isn’t hitting the right mark. There isn’t an exact formula for writing a great job post on Upwork—but there are some common miscalculations:

• The job post is ineffective
• Your employer brand is not communicated well
• You need to rethink the scope of work
• Your project budget is too low
• You aren’t communicating effectively about your hiring process

Let’s take a look at this challenge from a few different angles to help you troubleshoot.

1. The job post is ineffective

Is the snag in your job post something you said—or something you didn’t say? The goal of a job post on Upwork is to start conversations about your project and connect you with talent that can move your project forward.

In order to do that, a job post should grab attention, engage the type of talent you’re looking for, and set expectations for next steps. How can you tell if you’ve hit the right mark? Here are a few common mistakes that may have a straightforward fix.

Have you included the right skills keywords?

The key to a job post that’s easy to discover is to include keywords and phrases within the title and copy that professionals are likely to use when searching for projects like yours. While there are other ways to get someone’s attention, such as sending direct invites to independent talent, search is still an important part of discovery.

Skills keywords might include:

• Skills and qualifications needed
• Level of expertise you’re looking for
• Specific software or programming languages required
• Industry-specific terms and acronyms
• Anticipated project deliverables

For additional skills keyword ideas, look at other job posts on Upwork and take note of the language used to describe work that’s similar to your project.

Have you optimized your job post title?

Writing an eye-catching job post title can be tricky—and it’s critical to get the talent you’re looking for to stop scrolling and check out the complete project description. The key is to be as clear and direct as possible.

You may want to:

• Name the type of expertise you’re looking for
• Include keywords or core skills in the title
• Mention your company name or the industry you’re in
• Note the timing, if relevant

Here are a few examples:

• SEO Copywriter for Legal Website Content
• Urgent: Shopify API Developer for Debugging
• SaaS Startup Needs Pitch Deck Designer

Think of a job post title as a snapshot of your project. It should be short and focused, so it’s easy for independent professionals or agencies on Upwork to decide whether your project is relevant to them or not.

Did you miss any important details?

It’s OK to be selective when sharing project details, both to maintain discretion and to avoid overwhelming potential talent with information. However, a job post that’s too vague can create a guessing game that many proven professionals won’t bother to play.

When you post a job on Upwork, you’ll be prompted to include the type of information talent looks for—including the most critical skills, the project scope, your project budget, and a project description. These details help independent professionals and agencies decide:

• Whether the project will be interesting to work on, and
• Whether they have the skills and knowledge to be a good fit

A job post description is a written narrative you can use to:

• Introduce your company
• Explain the problem or challenge you’re trying to solve
• Share expectations, including expected deliverables

However, while you have a lot of flexibility when describing your project, it doesn’t need to be complicated—a short and simple brief is often all that’s needed.

A survey by LinkedIn found that job posts of one to 300 words tend to perform better than lengthier ones: “Concise posts help keep the most important information top-of-mind for candidates,” said Samantha McLaren, LinkedIn’s associate content marketing and editorial manager, global impact. “They’re also easy to scan on any device—perfect for those job-hunting on their phone while standing in line at the grocery store.”

Are there careless mistakes in your job post?

A job post is the first point of contact between you and the independent talent you might work with. Overlooking mistakes can create an impression that your company is careless, unprofessional, or lacks credibility.

Too many issues can also be a flag that it’s a fake job post—not the first impression you want to make.

Before you publish your job post, do a final scan for errors such as:

• Typos
• Poor grammar
• Confusing or incomplete information
• Irrelevant details

If you catch an oversight in a job post that’s already published, that’s OK—it happens. Just correct it as soon as you can.

2. Your employer brand is not communicated well

An employer brand is how your company is viewed as a place to work—not just by your employees, but also by service providers, vendors, and business partners.

While you may think this reputation matters less to independent talent that’s project-focused, don’t underestimate the power of a good brand. Many highly qualified professionals choose to work independently to take control of their careers—not just their financial futures but also to determine where they work, how they work, and who they work with.

A successful employer brand can be a talent magnet, shaped by qualities such as the organization’s culture, values, leadership, and work environment. A positive work experience can translate into a glowing reputation on sites such as Glassdoor—as well as your Upwork client details.

Companies don’t have specific client profiles on Upwork. However, information about your company’s experience on Upwork is visible on each of your job posts. This information includes:

• When you joined Upwork
• Whether your payment method has been verified
• The number of jobs you’ve posted on Upwork
• How much money you’ve spent on Upwork
• The average hourly rate you pay
• Reviews from professionals you’ve worked with on Upwork in the past

These details can shape how independent talent perceives your company. That story may simply be that you’re new to Upwork! Regardless, it’s important to consider and be aware of how your company presents itself.

Are you sharing a cohesive company story?

Through every experience and touchpoint, your company explains who it is, what it stands for, how it got here, and where it plans to go. Are you always sharing the same story, or does it shift from one place to the next?

A cohesive company story means that your message stays consistent—whether it’s delivered to your most valued customers or to the independent agency helping to build a mobile app.

You can boost your employer branding by taking a critical eye to your Upwork presence:

• Ensure you’ve added as many “trust signals” as possible. Use Upwork’s features to signal that your company would be a great client. For example, add your logo to your profile, verify your payment method, and aim for smooth collaborations with the talent you work with. Leave feedback for the talent you work with—and encourage them to do the same.
• Check for message consistency. How does your company story change across its website, social media, and marketing efforts? How do the job posts shared for full-time roles differ from the project work that’s posted on Upwork? Try to keep these different elements as aligned as possible.
• Live your brand. Your company’s work is shaped by values, goals, and even an overarching mission. How does your process for finding and engaging the best talent reflect those guiding principles? How does that show up in your job post?

A well-crafted brand story provides a level of clarity that can help you add depth, emotion, and purpose to a job post—and that can help your company stand out above its competitors.

3. You need to rethink your scope of work

A scope of work (SOW) is a roadmap that defines what your project aims to accomplish. It helps everyone involved understand what they need to do. In your job post, the SOW is how you’ve defined the objectives, deliverables, timelines, and expectations for your project.

Sometimes, a SOW aims too high—less like a good challenge and more like you’re looking for a unicorn. Expecting one person to be able to deliver beyond their skillset, especially on a short timeline, can be an intimidating deterrent. And it might signal to seasoned professionals that you aren’t clear or realistic about your search for talent.

What are some signs you should revisit the scope of work?

A number of symptoms may indicate that your SOW needs to be reviewed—generally different indications that people can’t tell exactly what kind of talent you’re looking for. This might include:

• An overall lack of proposals
• A lot of proposals that aren’t relevant
• Frequent questions to clarify your project requirements

If your job post is getting attention but minimal follow-through, it may help to check your expectations and look for other ways to find the talent you need. You may find that you get better results if you aim to engage talent with smaller and more specialized projects.

To get input on your SOW, you may want to:

• Consult an internal expert. Team members or internal subject matter experts may be able to review the SOW and offer suggestions.
• Consult an external expert. By looking within your network or engaging a professional through Upwork’s Project Catalog™, you can quickly get feedback from a subject matter expert to help refine your job post.
• Do A/B testing. Run different versions of your job post to see which one performs better.
• Reach out. If you connected with someone who seemed like a good fit, who then chose not to submit a proposal, ask for their feedback so you can make improvements.

Look for inspiration in similar job posts on Upwork—how do they describe the projects and the work involved? Browse Project Catalog and learn about SOW as well as rates from the prepackaged projects available.

4. Your project budget is too low

Setting a project budget that’s appropriate to the scope of work can be difficult, especially if you’re engaging talent outside your area of expertise. And it can be difficult to pinpoint whether your budget is the issue, since one of the most common symptoms is low application rates.

However, setting a budget that’s too low can discourage talent from submitting a proposal. You may also notice other signs such as:

• High drop-off rates. This could be talent who expresses an interest then fails to follow up or qualified talent choosing not to work with you after they’ve completed the interview process.
• Direct feedback. In some situations, independent talent may tell you that their rates are too high for your budget. Or they may suggest that you scale back the SOW to fit your budget better. Sometimes, this situation is just a realization that you aren’t a good match. However, if you’ve received this kind of feedback, you may want to pay attention—and act on it.

To reevaluate your budget, explore the market rate for the work that needs to be done. In hiring guides from Upwork, you can learn more about typical hourly rates and average costs for different types of work.

5. You aren’t communicating effectively about your hiring process

Hiring independent talent can be critical for a project’s success and nobody wants to make the wrong choice. But has your process for identifying great talent become a detriment?

Asking for multiple interviews, an extensive list of portfolio samples, or information that appears irrelevant can make the whole process seem confusing or cumbersome. Not to mention time-consuming.

A complicated hiring process can convince independent talent that your company is not a good fit. However, some of this frustration can be balanced out by being more transparent about what you’re asking for and why.

Good communication starts with a clear job post. As your project generates interest from independent talent, you can foster a positive working relationship by committing to keep them in the loop. This may include:

• Quick responses, returned within a reasonable time frame
• A structured interview process that can be explained upfront
• Transparency about timelines for both the hiring process and the project itself
• Regular updates, especially if there are unexpected delays
• Follow-up after an interview, whether you’re engaging them or not

Maintaining regular communication from the first time an independent professional or agency reaches out makes an impression. It helps establish a professional relationship, sets expectations, and underscores the values behind your employer brand.

Accelerate time-to-hire with Upwork

What is the opportunity cost when you can’t fill positions on Upwork? It’s a project that can’t launch on time. It’s the concessions made because you don’t have access to the right skills. It’s the business impact of borrowing the talent you need from other teams.

These negative impacts can add up quickly. Your ability to find the talent you need on Upwork can accelerate just as fast.

Once you find the right approach for your organization, sourcing independent talent gets easier. The average time to hire a freelancer on Upwork is just three days. And, as you grow a Virtual Talent Bench™ that you can draw on for future projects, you’ll develop the speed and agility your company needs to get ahead.

See how work should work and start your search for talent on Upwork.