Oleg Posternatsky

If your agency is still paying $5K a month for U.S. hires… you’re already behind and Pakistan is the reason. Here’s the uncomfortable truth most agency owners don’t want to hear: Your biggest expense isn’t payroll. It’s overpaying for average talent. I’ve sat with dozens of agency founders in the last year. They tell me the same story “We can’t find reliable people. We finally do… and they cost $60K–$80K a year.” Then, a client churns. Margins get squeezed. The team burns out. And suddenly the “dream hire” feels like a mistake. But here’s the part no one tells you: There are engineers, SDRs, account managers, copywriters, editors just as good (if not better) than the people you’re paying $5K a month for working in Pakistan for $700–$1,500. Agencies that figure this out scale faster. Not because they cut corners but because they reinvest the extra $40K a year into growth, ads, systems, and better client experience. I’ve placed 250+ hires and many in agencies. The pattern is clear: Those who adapt, win. Those who cling to the old model, bleed out. Your competitors are already building offshore teams. The question is will you be the agency owner who falls behind, or the one who scales ahead? If you’re an agency founder who wants to hire vetted offshore talent, let’s talk. If your from Pakistan, what skills do you bring to an agency?

307

102 Comments

It’s time for the November Upwork Monthly Hiring Report! Demand keeps rising for talent with AI expertise like machine learning (up 16% month-over-month) and app integration (up 7% MOM). But we’re also seeing big increases in demand for human connection and creativity. Demand for interpreters grew a whopping 48%, and categories such as audio production, music, and photography rose 14–20%. Demand endures for the ability to create connection and stir human emotion. Marketing, brand strategy, and e-commerce also continued to climb, as businesses focus on growth in the busy holiday season. Full report here: https://lnkd.in/gRP59x2e

49

More Niches, More $$$… Right? 💵 Everyone wants more business. So what’s the move? ➡️ “Let’s go after fintech!” ➡️ “What about healthtech?” ➡️ “I heard AI is booming right now…” New verticals get added like they’re menu items. But here’s what happens: 🔗 A chain of half-chewed plays: Half-researched lead lists Half-built messaging Half-mapped out strategy The result? ��� Cold pipeline. 💸 Burned budget. 🤷‍♂️ Zero market authority. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: You don’t need more markets... You need more mastery. Focus on one niche and own it. -> Message is so specific it hits like a sniper, not a spray-and-pray -> Case studies that scream ROI in 20 seconds -> A system that drives results while you’re still delivering Wanting more is easy -> Doing more (properly) is how you scale without chaos. Before you chase another “hot” industry: 👉 Audit the one you’re already in. The questions you can ask yourself to move forward: How well do you know your niche? 👀 Ever thought about switching it up? Speaking from experience, I did, back when I was running my recruitment agency. I was chasing every shiny industry: SaaS, Tech, Fintech, Life Sciences... But nothing was landing. 🌀 Messaging was generic 📉 Pipeline was flat Then I checked the numbers... 💥 90% of my business came from one vertical. So I cut the fluff and doubled down. That's when growth happened. 📈

19

8 Comments

Strobels Supply was stuck on Magento 1, drowning in tech debt and upkeep.​ Every update required a developer.​ Every tweak felt like a major overhaul.​ They faced a choice: sink more resources into Magento 2 or pivot.​ We guided them to BigCommerce to give them a scalable, intuitive shopping experience​ with less technical overhead. Now, their team can focus on growth, not glitches.​ Read the full case study in the comments.

14

4 Comments

The big economic headline this month isn't about AI replacing people; it's about the human skills needed to realize AI’s full potential. With the government shutdown sidelining the BLS employment report for September, Upwork's data on the $1.5 trillion freelance economy is the real-time signal we need. And here’s the spark: Businesses are hiring for the human brilliance that's critical to eliminating "AI workslop" – the costly side effect of unreliable AI outputs. In September, demand for Translation & Localization grew 29% on Upwork’s marketplace, and Quality Assurance (QA) Testing grew 9%. These jumps show that modern, future-focused businesses are making a strategic investment in uniquely human skills – validation, deep context, and creative refinement – to ensure their #AI investments pay off. Check out our full September Monthly Hiring Report (link in comments) and tune in to this segment on Bloomberg Television, where Upwork CFO Erica Gessert breaks down the new human-led, AI working reality and how people are providing the essential layer of quality needed to deliver actual business value: https://lnkd.in/geqDqgaY

194

1 Comment

Excited about this one! Upwork is teaming up with OpenAI to make AI training, certifications, and upskilling available to millions of professionals on our platform. This is a big step toward giving talent the skills they need to thrive in the AI era—and to immediately apply those skills to real work on Upwork for businesses all of sizes. And this is just the start. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/enRWxuN6

163

3 Comments

Struggling to find high-paying clients for guest posting? If you're stuck with low-budget clients and want to work with brands that pay $100, $200, or more per article, here are a few proven tips: 1. Identify your target audience (Agencies, SaaS, Finance, E-commerce) 2. Use LinkedIn outreach to connect with SEO & Marketing managers 3. Send simple, value-driven cold emails 4. Build a solid portfolio with proof of authority placements Bonus Tip: Use referrals – a happy client can bring you your next big client. I’ve explained all these strategies in detail in my latest video. Watch it here 👉 https://lnkd.in/d2A5hzAD #GuestPosting #FreelancingTips #SEOClients #DigitalMarketing #OutreachStrategy #HighPayingClients #LinkedInMarketing #Backlinks #ContentMarketing

5

Running a marketplace shouldn’t feel like flying blind. But that’s exactly what a lot of WooCommerce marketplace owners are doing — juggling vendors, commissions, and orders without a clear picture of how things are actually going. So we built this 👇 A proper Marketplace Dashboard inside WC Vendors. It gives marketplace owners a single place to: - See revenue and commissions at a glance - Approve new vendors in a click - Spot their top-performing sellers - Access key pages, docs & growth tips We’ve got a few more things cooking behind the scenes too — all focused on making marketplace growth easier and more intentional. Rolling this out soon. Excited to share more. #buildinpublic #ecommerce #woocommerce #wcvendors #marketplaces

23

4 Comments

The CFO of Upwork Erica Gessert (the world’s biggest hiring platform for freelancers) just released their monthly hiring report — and they’ve confirmed what I’ve been saying all along. 💡 The future is human + AI collaboration, not substitution. Upwork’s seeing a record rise in demand for freelancers who can oversee and guide AI tools. Businesses are adopting AI fast, but when they try to do it alone, things break. They need people who can bring human judgment and strategy to the mix. That’s exactly what we focus on inside The AI Academy. AI should handle the repetitive, boring stuff so you can focus on the work that actually grows the business. Let’s get real — a client would rather spend their monthly budget on a VA who’s using AI to do ten times more than one still stuck doing everything manually. This isn’t about fear. It’s about opportunity!! After years of being undervalued, VAs who collaborate with AI are finally being recognised as essential. That’s why I’m on a mission to educate assistants and ops teams on how to use AI confidently in their work — so they can stay relevant, valued, and future-proof. Not sure where to get started? Sign up for my free webinar: How To Use AI as a VA (link in comments). ⚡ Work smarter. Scale faster. The Modern VA.

47

23 Comments

Manual outreach is slowing you down. If your team isn’t leveraging AI and automation, you’re leaving leads and revenue on the table. Top staffing firms are boosting lead gen with: ✔️Automated email campaigns to nurture prospects at scale ✔️AI tools like ChatGPT for rapid content creation & messaging ✔️Predictive lead scoring and CRM-triggered follow-ups ✔️AI-driven scheduling tools to reduce admin time These tools aren’t just about saving time—they help your sales team focus on what matters most: building relationships and closing deals. 🖥️Get the full list of 8 lead-gen tools → https://hubs.la/Q03yM4Nw0 #staffingsales #staffing #staffingagency #staffingleadership

9