Upwork: The Commoditization of People - Anonymous employee Upwork Employee Review

Upwork lacks unity & cohesiveness among business units. The merger failed to unite Elance and oDesk causing a quagmire of political skirmishes and a revolving door for employees, particularly leadership. Fixation on near-term goals abounds as the monthly ledger gains priority over market transformation. Half-hearted relationship to the community of freelancers. Product faces persistent challenges, including site outages and mass exodus from loyal Elance & oDesk freelancers. Sales is missing leadership and whimsically changes market focus, leaving key verticals vulnerable to competition. Marketing is lacklustre, uninspirational, and fails to capture and evangelize the ubiquity of freelancing. Leadership is disconnected with the freelancer community, raising rates without a true understanding of the challenges a freelancer encounters.