An oDesk provider posted a comment on the last entry about bonus payments stating that he would prefer a raise in his hourly rate instead of a bonus. I’m glad he asked this question. Many oDesk buyers have also rewarded providers with raises.
Here’s how the numbers stack up for 2006:
- 245 raises awarded in 2006
- Average raise: approx. $2.10 per hour
- Average raise (percentage): approx. 20%
- Average oDesk hours on assignment before raise: 145 hours
As everyone knows, it’s hard to hire and retain top talent. Bonuses and raises are 2 of the mechanisms a buyer can use to retain top talent.
For buyers: I recommend treating each oDesk provider as you would treat one of your own employees. If you decide that a raise is in order, you can issue a raise on an active assignment by going to the My Assignments tab, clicking View next to the active assignment, and then select Increase Hourly Rate. You can then issue a raise to that provider.
Thanks,
Josh Breinlinger

