🏢 For employers: hiring in 7 steps
Create your employer account
Sign up and choose “Hire talent”. Then open Profile in your dashboard and add your company name, a short description, and your logo — applicants respond far more when they can see who's hiring.
Post your job
Click “Post a job”. Give it a clear title, a detailed description (responsibilities, hours, timezone), a category, the skills you need, and a pay range — hourly, monthly, or a fixed project price. Your post goes live on the job board immediately.
Review applicants
Applications appear under “My job posts”, each with a cover letter, the applicant's asking rate, their skills, rating, and a link to their full profile. Use Shortlist to mark promising candidates and Decline to pass.
Interview over messages
Every application has its own private chat thread — click “Send a message” to ask questions or schedule a call. Keeping the conversation on WorkHive keeps everything in one place and protected.
Hire with one click
Found your person? Click Hire. The contract page then unlocks the work diary (where they log hours) and the Payments panel.
Fund milestones and release on approval
Pay the Upwork way: fund a milestone up front and WorkHive holds the money — the freelancer sees it's secured before they start. When they submit the work, you review it and click Approve & release (or request changes). Funds only move when you're satisfied, and the work diary shows the hours behind every milestone.
Leave a review
After a hire, rate your experience 1–5 stars. Reviews build the trust that makes the whole marketplace work — and freelancers rate you back, which helps you attract better applicants next time.
🧑💻 For freelancers & VAs: getting hired in 8 steps
Create your freelancer account
Sign up and choose “Find work”. You'll land on your profile page — complete it before applying anywhere.
Build a profile that sells you
Add a real photo (profiles with photos get dramatically more replies), a specific headline like “Executive VA — inbox, calendar & travel”, your skills, your rates, availability, and a bio that explains what you're great at. This page is public — it's your storefront.
Set up payouts
On your profile page, click “Set up payouts” and connect your bank through Stripe. If Stripe doesn't support payouts in your country (for example Haiti), open a free Payoneer account and list it — along with MonCash, Wise, or other channels you use — under “Other ways to pay you”. Employers who hire you will see those options and can record payments they send through them.
Find and apply to jobs
Browse the job board and filter by keyword, category, or type. When you apply, write a short cover letter that responds to the specific job — mention their business, their tools, their problem. Generic copy-paste letters get declined.
Track your applications
“My applications” shows every application and its status: pending, shortlisted, hired, or declined. You can withdraw an application any time before a hire.
Chat with employers
When an employer messages you, reply quickly — response speed is one of the biggest factors in getting hired. All interviews happen in your Messages tab.
Log your hours
Once hired, use the work diary on the contract page: log the date, hours, and a short note about what you did. Clear, consistent logging builds employer trust and gets you paid without questions.
Get paid & reviewed
Employers fund milestones up front — you can see the money is secured by WorkHive before you start working. Submit your work on the contract page, and when the employer approves, the funds are released straight to you. After the job, leave a review and earn one back. Great reviews are what turn your first job into a career.
Common questions
Does it cost anything to join?
No. Signing up, posting jobs, and applying are free. The platform keeps a small percentage of payments made through the site.
How do I get the ✓ Verified badge?
Verified badges are granted by the WorkHive team after an identity check — they can't be bought. Complete your profile and you may be invited to verify.
Why should we keep payments on the platform?
Milestones are funded up front and held by WorkHive, so freelancers know the money is real before they work, and employers only release it when they've approved the work. Payments are processed by Stripe, recorded next to the hours logged, and they're what make you eligible for reviews. If something goes wrong, either side can involve a WorkHive admin while the funds stay safely held.
What if something goes wrong with a hire?
You can decline, withdraw, or close a job at any time. If someone behaves badly, contact the platform admin — accounts can be suspended, which removes them from the marketplace.
Is my payment information safe?
Yes. Card and bank details are handled entirely by Stripe, a payment processor used by millions of businesses — they never touch WorkHive's servers.