oDesk Frequently Asked Questions
Hiring:
How do I find someone to hire?
It's pretty easy. You start by posting a job — you fill out a well-rounded description of the kind of work, and the kind of worker, you're looking for. You can post it publicly, or keep it private. If it's public, you'll quickly have skilled providers from around the world sending you applications.
Hiring works pretty much like the in-person process for in-house jobs: You read cover letters and resumes, and here at oDesk you also have the providers' portfolios, test results, oDesk work histories and feedback ratings to consider before you even contact anyone. You select candidates to interview, invite them to set up a time with you, and conduct your interview via phone, IM, email, webcam — however you're comfortable. Once you find the right provider, hiring is a simple click.
If you keep a job private, you can search our provider database to find candidates you'd like to talk to. You invite them to view your job post, and then you can set up the interview process.
Some buyers are initially worried about hiring someone without a face-to-face interview, but the information and tools oDesk puts in your hands can actually give you a better idea of what an oDesk applicant offers than you'd get sitting across a table from someone while you scan their one-page resume.
What kind of work is done here?
Pretty much anything that can be done remotely — we're often surprised by the ever-increasing variety of work performed on oDesk. You can hire talented web and software developers, writers, graphic designer, customer service representatives, marketers and much more. You can see the full list here. Drop a relevant keyword into the provider search bar and you might be surprised how many people worldwide are offering the services you need.
How good are the providers?
There are a lot of really good providers here — we know because we hire them, too. You have a far larger talent base here than you'll find within commuting range of your office. oDesk's hundreds of thousands of professionals offer a broad range of skills and capabilities. Finding the best providers, and the ones best-suited to the work you need done, is easy. oDesk gives buyers tools including free online testing, feedback scores, portfolios, job preferences and more to evaluate providers. These tools have helped thousands of buyers and providers form long-lasting work relationships of a year and more.
Do I need to post a job to use oDesk?
To hire a provider, you must first posting a job. Jobs can be posted privately if you do not wish to make your posting available to the entire oDesk network. You can also sign up with oDesk to use some of the free collaboration tools without posting a job.
How do I write a good job post?
It's not too much different from writing an ad for an in-house job — except that the job form and the examples oDesk provides with it make it easier to narrow down just what you're looking for, in clear language that should attract the kinds of providers you need. Being specific about the work and communication skills you need, your timeline and other details helps attract more providers who can work within your requirements. You might browse similar ads already posted and decide which would attract you to apply and which you'd be inclined to skip.
Should I post an hourly or fixed-price job?
It depends. oDesk recommends hourly jobs for most ongoing work efforts, but fixed-price jobs can be appropriate for smaller, well-defined projects.
Hourly jobs are more flexible — you can add to a provider's work, even retain him or her for an entirely different task after the first job is complete, without having to renegotiate or repost a job. You have full access to oDesk’s time tracking and work diary functions, and the “hour paid is an hour that was worked” guarantee behind it. We've found that the most talented and in-demand providers gravitate toward the hourly work, and that hourly jobs have led to long-lasting, very successful relationships.
Fixed-price jobs may work best for shorter tasks with a very defined scope. They can also be good for test tasks to give providers a trial run before hiring them to longer, hourly work.
What is the difference between independent providers and affiliates?
A key difference in the oDesk network is that all work is completed by individuals rather than companies, but many of the individual providers are affiliated with larger service companies. Independent providers work by themselves, while affiliated contractors work as part of a company. Click on the affiliate name in the profile to see details about the company.
Managing:
What is the oDesk Guarantee?
oDesk is the first and only service to guarantee that an hour billed is an hour worked and that an hour worked is an hour paid. Hourly work done using the oDesk Team collaborative software lets us take a lot of the uncertainty out of remote work. To learn more about the oDesk Guarantee, click here. And please read our oDesk Manifesto to see how we define — and celebrate — the rights of online buyers and providers.
How does oDesk make remote work work?
The problem with remote work is the remoteness. You can't sit in the same room for the job interview. Managers can't walk around and check on a worker's progress, and workers can't easily check in with their bosses or consult with colleagues. Payment is usually more complex and slower than internal payroll, and billing and record-keeping is a hassle. What oDesk does is eliminate all that.
oDesk brings robust assurances to the hiring process—each provider can create a profile that's much more detailed than a resume, can upload portfolio pieces and take any of our dozens of skill tests. Feedback and work history are very clear, all giving you a better idea of a candidate's record and reputation than most in-person recruiting processes.
We also bring transparency to the management/work process. The oDesk Team application accurately logs hours and adds screen shots to the provider’s work diary, giving a buyer as good an idea of a provider's progress as strolling around the office would. oDesk also offers have tools for chatting and sharing code and other information, all geared to foster greater confidence and collaboration.
The payment system is streamlined, swift and secure. After the timelog is reviewed, you're billed one total amount for however many providers worked for you, in however many countries. We handle getting the money to those providers, who in a matter of days can withdraw it by their chosen payment method.
How do I know the provider worked all the hours billed?
An hour billed is an hour worked. You can review a provider's work diary at any time. They start each session with a work memo that lets you know what part of the job they're tackling, and you get desktop screen shots six times an hour, along with a graph charting their activity level. Learn more about the work diary here.
All of this information is also aggregated in the weekly timelog, which you can review before signing off. For more in-depth information, you'd have to be a mind-reader.
Can I limit a provider's hours?
Certainly. You can set a weekly limit on the number of hours that any provider works for you. You can also modify this limit at any time if you and your provider change the work load or expectations. You can review hours worked over the limit, but they will not be billed to you unless you approve them.
Read more about weekly limits here.
How can I manage a workteam spread across a continent, or separated by oceans?
The work diary lets you keep up with their activity and see how team members are progressing. You can use your own email and chat systems, but oDesk also builds chat functionality into the oDesk Team application, along with tools for assigning and tracking tasks, sharing work product such as software code, and exchanging links, desktop images and other information. Basically, you can have at your fingertips as much information as you could get doing a cubicle-by-cubicle check-in around your office.
How do I know I'm getting quality work?
Quality is in the eye of the beholder, but oDesk gives you unprecedented ability to behold it. oDesk makes it possible to hire candidates with proven track records and to manage as closely and collaboratively as you like. Remote work offers many advantages over in-house hiring, such as a global talent pool, quick scalability, less overhead and greater rate flexibility. With oDesk, you get that without sacrificing the transparency and ability to manage that you'd have with everyone under one roof.
Can I use the oDesk tools with non-oDesk users?
Yes. You can register for an account without posting a job, then utilize the tools yourself, and even add some of your colleagues to your new oDesk account. You can have in-house staff logged into your oDesk team room to improve collaboration between them and your remote workteam. Just keep us in mind when you need additional resources—you can always post a job!
Paying:
How much does it cost to join oDesk?
Nothing. Neither the provider nor the buyer pays anything to sign up with oDesk. There are no fees for posting jobs, creating profiles, applying to jobs, conducting interviews, nothing.
How does oDesk make money?
What you see is what you pay.
Providers get 90% of the advertised rates and oDesk takes the remaining 10%. This is true for all payments, whether they are hourly rates, fixed price jobs or bonuses.
Read more about fees here.
How do I pay oDesk and my providers?
You make the full payment to oDesk, and oDesk pays your providers. The most common payment method is by credit card. Under some conditions, buyers may pay by check; see our Payment Methods page for information.
When you pay for work, no costs are added to the rate you hired at; oDesk keeps 10% of the payment and passes 90% to the provider. This keeps the process simple, and the buyer's paperwork to an absolute minimum — there's no difference for the buyer between paying one provider in Miami or three in Mumbai, Manilla and Munich. It's also how we can make the oDesk guarantee, and to stand firmly behind our dispute resolution policy.
Also note that you can set a limit on the number of hours your providers work, to help keep jobs within budget.
Do I have to pay upfront?
No. Hourly jobs are paid weekly, after you've had three days to review your providers' timelogs. Fixed-price jobs are paid as you and your provider negotiate it—generally once the job is complete, though you may negotiate upfront or milestone payments along the way. oDesk does not ask you to put money into escrow, nor to make payments before the hours are worked or the related work is done.
What if there is a dispute?
Disputes are rare, thanks to the oDesk Team application's work diary feature, but we take resolution of any conflicts very seriously, and we live up to our guarantee that an hour worked is an hour paid, and an hour billed is an hour that was worked.
When there is a disagreement between buyers and providers over the number of hours worked, we first encourage them to work out the problem. If that fails, oDesk will step in to moderate. We do not evaluate the quality of work, but will focus on a careful review of all time logged to ensure the provider was working on the job and following all policies and best practices. Fixed-price jobs are paid solely at the buyer's discretion, and there is no dispute resolution process in such cases — the buyer has the ultimate control.
See more about our dispute resolution policy here, and about the oDesk Guarantee here.
Getting Hired:
What's the pay rate for a professional like me?
Pay rates vary, of course, based on the type of work, your skill level, work history and reputation. Check out what other providers with similar skills are charging, and price yourself accordingly. New providers often find it effective to price themselves a little below the average market rate at first, until they've landed the first few jobs that will give them the work history and feedback that can make it easier to find jobs at a higher pay rate. You can search provider profiles here.
For help on searching providers, go here. You can find more advice on "giving yourself a raise" here.
How much money can I make? Can I get full-time work?
You set your rate, and you determine how many hours you're available to work. As you build your reputation through feedback scores and work history, you should find it easier to increase your rate and find more work, whether it be full-time with one buyer or through a few. There is a lot of opportunity on oDesk, and how far you take it is up to you.
What kinds of buyers are here?
Most oDesk buyers are managers at small to medium-sized companies that are looking for providers for everything from small fixed-price projects to long-term relationships of a year or more. They're looking for web developers, writers, graphic designers, call-center staff, data entry professionals, marketing experts, business consultants and more.
For a few examples of companies that have had success hiring oDesk buyers, click here.
How do I get a job?
Start with the basics: First, post a profile and fill in your past work history and skills. Take a few online skill tests to verify your skills, and upload any relevant examples to your portfolio. Do your best to make sure that when a buyer sees your application, he or she will be impressed. Then start applying for jobs! Try out small jobs first to accrue feedback and then go after the bigger fish. oDesk's forum, blog and newsletters often have more tips for landing your first jobs.
Should I apply for hourly or fixed price jobs?
Whichever you prefer. Most long-term work is done on an hourly basis, but fixed-price engagements may be a great way to get started with your first oDesk jobs and build the feedback that can help lead to longer-term opportunities. Note that only hourly work done online with oDesk Team benefits from the oDesk guarantee that an hour worked is an hour that will be paid.
How long does it take to get a job?
The first job is always the hardest; it can take some time and persistence to build an impressive profile and acquire your first job. Take free online skill tests to increase your job application quota and write detailed custom cover letters, and you should be able to get a job within a few weeks.
How can I improve my profile?
Take as many free skill tests as possible, upload work samples to your portfolio, include a portrait, and spend time editing and refining the text in your profile. Check the forums for more advice.
How do I know which buyers are good?
Check out the feedback other providers have left for the buyers and take a look at the number of paid jobs they've completed on oDesk. And during the interview process, pay attention to your instincts, just as you would on an interview for an in-house job: Do you get a good “vibe” from this buyer? Does the work challenge you, and will you bring your best to it? Are you comfortable with the pay, the deadlines and any requirements regarding hours, communication and deliverables? While you're selling the buyer on you, don't forget to make sure you're sold on them.
Can my company provide services on oDesk?
Of course. You can sign up as the manager of your company to become an oDesk Affiliate. Then add individuals from your company to your company roster and apply to jobs. All rates and payments will be in your control as the manager.
Working:
What is the oDesk Guarantee?
oDesk is the first and only service to guarantee that an hour billed is an hour worked and that an hour worked is an hour paid. Hourly work done using the oDesk Team collaborative software lets us take a lot of the uncertainty out of remote work. To learn more about the oDesk Guarantee, click here. And please read the oDesk Manifesto to see how we define the rights of online buyers and providers.
How does oDesk make remote work work?
The problem with remote work is the remoteness. You can't sit in the same room for the job interview. Managers can't walk around and check on a worker's progress, and workers can't easily check in with their bosses or consult with colleagues. Payment is usually more complex and slower than internal payroll, and billing and record-keeping is a hassle. All oDesk does is eliminate all that.
oDesk also brings robust assurances to the hiring process — each provider can create a profile that's much more detailed than a resume, can upload portfolio pieces and take any of our dozens of skill tests. Feedback and work history are very clear, all giving you a better idea of a candidate's record and reputation than most in-person recruiting processes.
oDesk also brings transparency to the management/work process. The oDesk Team application accurately logs hours, and adds screen shots to the provider’s work diary, giving a buyer as good an idea of a provider's progress as strolling around the office would. There are tools for chatting and sharing code and other information, all geared to foster greater confidence and collaboration.
The payment system is streamlined, swift and secure. After the timelog is reviewed and payments processed, you're paid one total amount for however many buyer you worked for, in however many countries. We handle charging all those buyers, and in a matter of days you can withdraw it by your chosen payment method.
Do I have to use oDesk software to work?
Nope. Your actual work will be done with whatever tools you and your buyer agree on, and you'll handle communication methods the same way. The oDesk Team application logs time and enables collaboration, and you'll need that for hourly work to qualify for the “hour worked is an hour paid” guarantee. You'll also find a number of tools that, if you and your buyer want to use them, will make collaborating across long distances a breeze.
Do I have to do all my work on a “timeclock”?
We don't make anyone “clock in” to work through oDesk. Many of our jobs are fixed-price, in which hours need not be logged—but more than 90% of the work done here is hourly, using our Team application, because it enables our “hour worked is an hour paid” To learn more about the oDesk Guarantee, click guarantee, and it fosters closer, more successful collaborations and leads to long-term relationships between buyers and providers.
When you log your hours using oDesk Team, you're giving your buyer more confidence, and giving yourself our guarantee of prompt, full payment for your work.
Does oDesk spy on me?
No. The oDesk Team application takes snapshots of your desktop six times an hour, and tells you when it's doing so. You can see those snapshots in your work diary and even delete the shot for a given block of time. Your activity level is logged in terms of total keyboard and mouse activity, but there is no keystroke logging or any other kind of data gathering. We think oDesk Team is less intrusive than the physical and electronic environments within most major corporate employers, and what data is gathered serves as much to protect the provider as to inform and assure the buyer.
How do I communicate with my buyer and deliver the finished work?
However you (and the buyer) like. We create an environment that makes hiring, managing and payment easy. How you and the buyer want to actually get the work done and delivered is up to you, just like in any remote-work relationship.
Can I find full-time work on oDesk?
Yes. Some providers find a single buyer who provides a full-time workload, and many fill out their desired work week with a small number of long-term buyers. oDesk encourages ongoing work relationships, and you can take your ability to build a solid work history and high feedback score as far as you can.
How many jobs can I apply to?
Applying for jobs is always free. oDesk does limit the number of jobs a new provider can apply for; a new provider who has no feedback and has passed no skills tests can apply for two to five jobs at a time. A provider who has taken four or more tests, or has earned feedback of 4.0 or higher, can apply to the maximum number of jobs, 20 at one time. There's no cost to increase your quota or to apply to any number of jobs. To learn more about the quota and how to increase yours, click here.
Getting Paid:
Are there membership fees for providers?
No (and none for buyers, either). Everything is free — joining, filling out your profile and portfolio, taking skills tests, applying and interviewing for jobs, and using the oDesk Team application.
How does oDesk make money?
For hourly jobs, you set your rate and oDesk adds a small surcharge equal to 10% of what the buyer pays. So you always get paid what you asked for. For hourly jobs, this means the fee is 10% of the buyer's bill rate, or about an 11.11% markup above your pay rate. For bonuses or fixed-price jobs, the fee is 10% of the amount the buyer has opted to pay.
Read more about fees here.
How can oDesk guarantee payment to providers?
oDesk gives buyers a series of tools to manage the work being done by providers. If the time is being logged correctly and the provider is doing relevant work, filling out accurate work memos, and staying in touch with the buyer, we assume the work logged is valid and bill the buyer.
Read more about the oDesk Guaranteed here.
What if there is a dispute?
Disputes are rare, thanks to the oDesk Team application's work diary feature, but we take resolution of any conflicts very seriously, and we live up to our guarantee that an hour worked is an hour paid, and an hour billed is an hour that was worked.
When there is a disagreement between buyers and providers over the number of hours worked, we first encourage them to work out the problem. If that fails, oDesk will step in to moderate. We do not evaluate the quality of work, but will focus on a careful review of all time logged to ensure the provider was working on the job and following all policies and best practices. Fixed-price jobs are paid solely at the buyer's discretion, and there is no dispute resolution process in such cases — the buyer has the ultimate control.
See more about our dispute resolution policy here, and about the oDesk Guarantee here.
How do I get paid?
We've made it easy for you to get paid, no matter where you are. For U.S.-based providers, we can deposit your earnings directly into your bank account. For U.S. and international providers, we offer MoneyBookers, wire transfers — and the favorite of many providers — the oDesk debit MasterCard, powered by Payoneer, which works everywhere a regular MasterCard would work. You'll find full details of our payment methods here.
What about taxes?
Providers in the U.S. will fill out a W-9 form and oDesk will provide the 1099 form for the IRS at the end of the year. oDesk does not withhold taxes, and, as with any income for contractors, providers are responsible for making quarterly tax payments as may be necessary. International providers are responsible for reporting their earnings to the appropriate tax agencies.
Miscellaneous FAQs:
How does oDesk protect intellectual property?
Every registered provider in the oDesk network has a signed Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with oDesk. That contractual protection is passed to the buyer on any active oDesk assignment as long as work and payment are performed through oDesk. See the NDA. Additionally, you may request any provider to sign your own NDA.
Do you have a referral program?
Yes—you can earn money when someone you refer to oDesk becomes an active user. See our Referral Program page for information.
What is the oDesk Manifesto for online work?
oDesk believes that the best approach to online work is the one that creates success for both buyers and providers. As the first and only service to guarantee that an hour billed is an hour worked and that an hour worked is an hour paid, oDesk has long held these Manifesto principles dear.
Please consider the Manifesto a declaration: Don't settle for less than you deserve.
Does oDesk have an iPhone App?
Yes!
Download your free oDesk App.
The oDesk iPhone App gives you literal visibility of your online workteam no matter where you are:
- See all providers in your team room grouped by current work status — Working Now, Worked in the Last 24 Hours, Other
- View each team member's latest work memo, local time, 24-hour work sparkline, and latest snapshot
- Check complete work diaries including memos, full-size snapshots, activity indicator, billing status, timestamp, and active window for any date
If you already have an oDesk workteam, install the free oDesk App and get started. Otherwise, create your own workteam here.