Upwork reviews

3.8

59% would recommend to a friend

(635 total reviews)
avatar

Hayden Brown

53% approve of CEO

42% positive business outlook

Upwork has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 635 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Upwork employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Tecnologías de la información industry (3.9 stars).

Reviews by job title

635 reviews
5.0
Jun 10, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

This is a company that cares about its employees! They were among the first of the companies to send everyone home when COVID came to the US in an abundance of caution. I have also been very impressed with how employees who are strong performers (both FTE and Contract) are recognized for their contributions and promoted from within. I also see people transfer internally when there is a role that is more aligned with their interests. One of the best things about this company is the people that work here, smart, kind, and motivated colleagues make me enjoy work! I think this company has a tremendous amount of potential, especially in this new world of remote work.

Cons

This is not a con, but you will be expected to perform at a high level here! If you are looking for a company where can disappear into the crowd, this is not it. If you are looking for a company where you can make an impact and get visibility for the hard work you contribute, then this is that!

3.0
Jun 14, 2018

Product Manager

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The mission of the company is really interesting. Facilitating a global workforce really helps pair entrepreneurs with resources that would be hard to find otherwise. They enable a lot of innovation. The product in really impactful b/c it is the livelihood for many freelancers and is a crucial tool for business owners. Also, every Wednesday employees get to work from home which helps the practice of collaborating online. It's an important skill b/c UpWork uses it's own platform to source talent. My entire development team was remote in the Ukraine, Russia, and Moldova. They need to target the enterprise more b/c that is where the revenue opportunity lies.

Cons

For a long time UpWork didn't know what it wanted to be when it grows up. There was not a good strategy for growth to the point it was almost irresponsible to investors. The code is very fragmented and there is a lot of code debt. Getting features launched takes a ton of effort. They were neglecting the enterprise, but now they have changed course and hired a lot of sales people. But before their features were designed for people with 5-10 contractors. They need to think bigger.

1.0
Jan 31, 2025

History Repeats Itself Every Year at Upwork

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The only pro: Being remote

Cons

- Annual layoffs - Company hasn't been innovative since they created the original product - The base salary is only competitive because it's difficult to make commission (nobody needs the product anymore) - Managers will freeze your "unlimited PTO" - The CEO wrote a tone deaf LinkedIn post the day after laying off dozens of people saying what a "profitable and successful year" it had been

Viewing 82 - 84 of 635 Reviews

Glassdoor has 926 Upwork reviews submitted anonymously by Upwork employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Upwork is right for you.