ID Verification and All-Time Transaction Data make deciding who to work with on Guru much easier.
As you probably know, we’re continuously striving to evolve and make our platform better for our users (you). Security, flexibility, and value are at the core of everything we do at Guru. On July 16, we introduced new features that help establish working relationships built on trust and credibility.
We’ve made two key updates that will make it even easier to work with credible people on Guru:
- Freelancer All-Time Transaction Data
- ID Verification (IDV) of Freelancers
Here’s more information on what’s new:
1. All-Time Transaction Data
Employers on Guru can now view Freelancers’ All-Time Transaction Data, along with their services, portfolio and bio. All-Time Transaction Data empowers Employers with information that helps them make the right hiring decision and drive maximum value when they get work done on Guru.
A Freelancer’s All-Time Transaction Data includes:
- All-time earnings
- Earnings in the last year
- Number of Employers worked for
- Total number of paid invoices
- Largest Employer
- Date of joining Guru
How does this help you as an Employer?
You can see this data displayed on the Find Freelancers page as filter options while searching for freelancers and with the Freelancers’ profiles under the Performance tab in the search results. This data can also be seen with the Freelancers’ quote on the Quotes page. This information can help you understand a Freelancers’ scale of operation, transaction volume and size so that you can hire the Freelancer that best suits your needs.
How does this help you as a Freelancer?
The All-Time Transaction Data enhances your profile and adds credibility to it. Along with your services and portfolio, this data can help potential Employers understand if you are the best fit for the job. By doing more work on Guru, you can build your profile, create an impressive transaction history and attract large Employers and bigger projects on the platform.
2. ID Verification (IDV)
ID Verification helps Employers evaluate the credibility and reliability of a Freelancer who has not yet been paid for a job on Guru. Since these Freelancers have no transaction data to show, we display their ID Verification status in their quotes. This gives Freelancers with no transaction history an opportunity to add credibility to their account by getting their identity verified on Guru.
How does this help you as an Employer?
We understand that engaging in a professional relationship online with someone you don’t know may come with some apprehension. To help you hire credible Freelancers, we display the IDV Status of Freelancers in the absence of All-Time Transaction Data (freelancers who have not been paid on Guru yet). With this update, you can make a better-informed decision when hiring someone on Guru.
How does this help you as a Freelancer?
Gaining a potential Employer’s trust is essential when you apply for jobs. If you have not yet been paid for a job on Guru, there will not be any transaction data to display with your quote. Quotes without transaction data now show your ID Verification status. To maximize your chances of getting hired, we strongly recommend completing ID Verification before sending your next quote. Verify your profile now.
Our ID Verification process now also includes Credit Card Verification to further reduce the chances of fraud.
In addition to those two main updates, we’ve made a few additional changes that are worth mentioning:
- Find Freelancers that better match your needs – Powerful filters, All-Time Transaction Data, and more information published about each Freelancer helps you find freelancers that match your requirements and understand their suitability for your job better.
- Share contact information – Freelancers can choose to share their email and phone number with the Employer in their quote for faster communication.
- New, simpler job posting process – Try out our new job posting form with enhanced user experience! It’s easy to fill in and requires less time to post.
- Seamless job search – Experience the enhanced job search tool and easily find jobs that match your skills as a Freelancer.
- Split job fees and reduce transaction costs – Freelancers can now split up to 5% of their job fee with the Employer based on their relationship during the Agreement stage.
- Make transactions private – If a job demands, freelancers and employers now have the option to keep a transaction private. In case of a private transaction employers cannot leave feedback and transaction details are not included in the all-time transaction data.
- Handling Fee change for Employers – There has been a minimal increase in the handling fee for Employers from 2.5% to 2.9 %. This is due to increased cost of handling transactions.
- Cashback change for Employers – Employers paying by e-check and wire transfer will now receive 3% cashback. This is also due to increased cost of handling transactions.
- Job Fee change for Freelancers – We have round off our job fees to make split fee calculations easier for everyone.
61 Comments
Hello Joe,
Good Morning!
Nice updates. What is the advantage of showing the largest employer? I am yet to think a positive side to it? Please advise.
Thanks!
Hi Paul. Largest Employer indicates the maximum total earnings of a Freelancer from an Employer. This information helps Employers understand the scale of operations and size of the Freelancer, and decide the suitability of the Freelancer for their job. Hope this answers your question.
HOW CAN I GOT JOB FROM GURU? AND WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR PAYMENT?
CAN ANY BODY CLARIFY HOW CAN I KNOW THERE IS JOB FOR ME .
Hi Samar. To apply for jobs on Guru, you need to first sign up as a Freelancer on Guru and create your profile. Once you have made your profile you can find jobs and apply for them. For more information on finding jobs and payments please visit our help center at https://www.guru.com/freelancer-help/
It’s a big change and hopes to see this effect on the new upcoming project.
MOST URGENT !!!
I can’t view PMB messages with an employer when I click that new PMB icon on quotes sent page. It just opens a blank popup window and doesn’t show anything. Even If I click the new PMB notification popup (top right corner) it takes me to the same blank popup screen.
Could you please fix this asap, it prevents us from communicating with employer.
Hi Alpesh! There were issues in accessing some of the features on the site post the recent updates we made. The site working well now. Do let us know if you still face any issues.
A great thing indeed. Thanks a lot
Thank you Kenneth!
Hi
I can’t apply to new jobs
Regards
Ibrahim
Hi Ibrahim! There were issues in accessing some of the features on the site, post the recent updates we made. The site working well now. Do let us know if you still face any issues.
After the update, I can’t see projects and search doesn’t work (appears 404 page)
https://i.imgur.com/5CSLEdM.png
https://i.imgur.com/EumsMfk.png
Hi Andrew, Due to the recent updates that we made on the site, there were issues in accessing some of the features. The site working well now. Do let us know if you face any issues.
I like the latest update. Thanks to all who invented the updates and worked on these.
But I am facing some problems.
Job search is taking longer time to fetch the page. Submit button for sending quote is also taking long time and sometimes fails. Once more it shows “You have no portfolio items” when I try to attach past work, whereas I’ve 68 portfolio items.
Hope these will improve soon.
Thanks to all concerned.
Hello Md. Momtaz.. Due to the recent updates that we made, there were issues in accessing some of the features. The site working well now. Do let us know if you face any issues.
I don’t like your website update. I become so slow and search for work become more difficult.
Hi! There were issues in accessing some of the features on the site, post the recent updates we made. The site working well now. Do let us know if you still face any issues.
This wedsite is very nice
Nice
Good step, this will help us more to find good jobs.
Thank you Jamil. We are glad you agree with the updates we have made on the site.
I’m new for this site How to apply for any job? Couldn’t apply for any post.
Hi Mehak.. To apply for jobs on Guru, you need to first sign up as a Freelancer on Guru and create your profile. Once you have made your profile you can find jobs and apply for them. For more information on finding jobs please visit our help center at https://www.guru.com/help/freelancer-help-center/my-leads/searching-for-jobs/
having trouble getting to the jobs listed in my “Job Matches 11” on my dashboard. When I do get the list and select a job to look at I get a dimmed out no data showing screen with the job name at the top. This happens to any of the 11 jobs I try to look at. The job name of what I am looking for is correct and the link looks like a job ID number but nothing is displayed.
Hi Bob..We are sorry for the inconvenience. The site was facing some issues post the changes we made. It now working well. Do check and let us know if you still face any issues.
I think employer verification is crucial. I have been going through an experience with a website that I am sure that I will not be able to work for. I am freelance writer resident in France and under French law I have to be registered with a Siret number – even when working remotely for people in other countries. Income has to be declared and backed up by a “facture” an invoice, identifying BOTH parties, the terms of the contract and the amount due. Too many advertisers on the internet do NOT provide this information in their initial advertisements and nothing comes up until the applicant hits the apply button. I have just send the THIRD request to the Managing Editor of a website to supply me with the full name and address of the business BEFORE I send any submission. This was NOT through Guru – it was from another site, but I am using it as an example as to why Employers also need to be set to a high standard of verification.
Hi Stephanie.. we agree with your thoughts. It is our plan to have all users on our platform verified. Over time, we will introduce ID Verification for Employers as well.
Sorry but this is the worst update for the last time, a lot of things still don’t work (
It’s very hard to communicate with the clients and check project pages.
Sounds great! Glad to be work with Guru.com as Guru. Thanks for the Updates and addition of new features. Regards
Once you open a JOB Match and review the list, in the past you could “remove” the job that does not match your skills. Now you can’t “remove the job in the Job Match so you waste time reviewing old list the # of job matches does not change on the dashboard. This says to me the vendor did not bother to as freelancers what works and save time and why. Again NOT a very good update at all.
I have the same complaint Toni has. Previously, I would routinely check the “Job Matches” that came up on my dashboard. There, I could delete things that were not of interest (and often not a good match at all). Now, those things just stay there. Please bring back the ability to remove items from the list so we can keep our dashboards organized and relevant.
Hi.. We understand your requirement and are working towards bringing the option back in the next 4-6 weeks. Regret the inconvenience caused.
Do you have an update on getting back to a system where freelancers can keep track of proper matches and delete those that are irrelevant to our interests? My match list is unruly and frankly I have stopped using that part of the site as it’s tedious to go through the list of things I’ve already seen. Please bring back the delete button so the site can be user-friendly again.
Hi.. we will soon be bring back the delete job matches feature. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused.
Yes ! Exactly what I was about to write.
Guru should make an update for this, my box is full of jobs that are not related to me and I am missing the ones that are. And unfortunately the filthers are useless in my case.
Hi Hazal.. We understand your requirement and are working towards bringing the option back in the next 4-6 weeks. Regret the inconvenience caused.
Hi Toni, We understand your requirement and are working towards making this feature available in the next 4-6 weeks.
Nice updates!
Please, whatever you do, do NOT start micro-managing freelancers and clients like a certain platform I won’t mention by name that has been gouging freelancers since they bought out and merged and ruined 2 very good platforms. They are RUINING freelancing with their horrible micro-managing pencil pushers. They treat freelancers like dirt. It was not enough to gouge the freelancers but now they are gouging the clients.
Start reaching out to disenfranchised clients and freelancers. You have a willing and ready market if you will go after it. Guru has the opportunity to become the top freelancing site!
Simple question.
Where has the remove button gone from the Job Matches page? How do I scrub off jobs I’m not interested in now?
Hi Leslie.. We understand your requirement and are working towards bringing the option back in the next 4-6 weeks. Regret the inconvenience caused.
please help me about guru.com. i am a computer Operator.i know expert data entry and typing English.
Hi Rahul.. You can register as a Freelancer on Guru, create your profile and find jobs that match your skills.
Why would I, the freelancer, want to split or pay the clients fee?
Am I not paying enough for the freelancers membership?
Hi John..The feature allows you to split your job fee (not clients fee). For example, if you have a Basic membership with a job fee of 9%, and if in the Agreement the Employer agrees to pay 2.5% of the job fee, your effective job fee would be 6.5%.
Hello Sir,
In my opinion this will increase the trust of the clients/buyers.
I have questions.
Will “Guru” charge for this
verification ?
Many freelancers don’t have earning in their profile yet,how they will
manage IDV’S varification ?
I meant how they will pay ?
In my country Pakistan! Urdu/Language ID cards are issued.Will this acceptable?
Looking forward to hear from you.
Regards,
Usman
Pakistan
Hi Usman.. We charge 4.95$ for ID Verification on Guru. As a part of the ID Verification process we also verify your credit card details. You can use the same card to make the payment. We also accept ID cards in native language.
Guru.com is good freelancer site.
I believe this site will success in freelancer business , because this site has excellent strategy.
Hy greetings !
I have question in my mind how can we identify my id on guru?
Hi Zeeshan, you can see your Guru ID on your dashboard (once you log in).
Great change, it will be easier and nice for freelancers and employers
Can I use my ID as proof of residence because it has my address on it also?
You can use any Government ID as proof of residence.
ID verification is a nice upgrade! I would like to know: how would an employer know that my ID is verified. Would they see some mark (Like a tick-mark in YouTube) against my profile picture? If yes, then can you post a sample picture in your blog please?
Also, as someone already suggested, it would be great to have an employer verification as well. I have written more proposals – where the employer (?) was just trying to get quotes and use those as bargain elsewhere – than for a genuine job giver.
Thanks!
Hi,
The ID Verification status is shown to the Employers along with the quote you send. For Freelancers who have been paid for a job on Guru before, we show their All-Time Transaction Data with the quote. However, for Freelancers who have not yet been paid of a job on Guru, we display their ID Verification Status. ID Verification can help Freelancers gain the trust of Employers and attract more job opportunities.
In due course of time we will introduce ID Verification for Employers as well.
Dear Team,
Could you please let us know that have you evolved the dual account facilities to use guru platform as an employer & freelancer both simultaneously. We have expressed the need of this facilities last year & got to know that you are considering to implement it. This features is already there on other competitor freelance sites like Freelancer, Upwork & PeoplePerHour. We need to outsource lots of work to other vendors/freelancers/individuals & want to use Guru platform for that. We are working for long time on this platform as a freelancer & sure dual facilities would be beneficial for all of us.
Rgds,
Soumen
Hi Soumen..Request you to register with different email ids to use Guru as an Employer and Freelancer. We understand your need of dual account facility but since the experience and interface for Employers and Freelancers is different, we think creating different logins would be the best way to get the best out of Guru.
Instead of adding more screenclutter and requiring more time to click through more screens, I’d like to see better filtering of jobs. I tended to ignore e-mail from another freelancing site because they sent me irrelevant job listings, often with headers that clearly specified skills and languages I don’t have or even other individuals’ screen names.
Also important is making sure it’s NOT possible for anyone else to hack into Guru and find out where people live, what their bank account or credit card numbers are, what their date of birth is, etc. That information about U.S. citizens has high underground market value and can best be protected by never transmitting it through a computer. Please make sure that, while verifying Paypal information, you *don’t* inadvertently collect any information an identity thief could use!
And I hope everyone is making sure we DON’T connect any working cell phone numbers to the Internet. For those who may not know, many cell phone plans bill the owner for incoming calls and messages, so please help discourage advertisers from sabotaging their own businesses–or other people’s businesses!–by spamming people’s text message boxes.
Nice step, i like it very much
Please add – “ASP.NET Core” skills. I’m can’t add like new skills in my skills list and can’t use in search.
Hi..this skill already exists on Guru.
One thing to bring into notice.
A client has 52 jobs completed but was not active during the last 12 months. He did not hired anybody in this time. In this case when he posts a job now, under Feedback section we will see “There are no reviews to display for this employer.”
Whereas in other marketplaces there are feedback/reviews for all jobs.
I think it will be good for both clients and freelancers if all time feedback is there under client’s feedback section.
Thank you.