We say ≈ 3%.
Here's the math.
Toptal-style hard-gated marketplaces are a brand promise more than a product. We thought we'd show our working — the actual five-stage gauntlet, with live acceptance rate and median decision time, updated nightly.
≈ 3% is our target. We publish the live number once we've made at least 30 decisions — currently 2, so it would still be statistical noise.
Acceptance rate
≈ 3%
Target · published when n ≥ 30
On the roster today
2
Live public directory size
In the gauntlet
1
Applications mid-screening
Median decision
3–5 weeks
Typical · published once sample grows
Where applicants are right now.
Bars are absolute counts. Drop-off between stages is by design — we'd rather lose a strong-on-paper candidate at the screening call than at the test-project review. The cost of a bad match falls on the client.
- 00Applied3
- 01Language & personality1
- 02Skill questionnaire0
- 03Live screening call0
- 04Paid test project0
- 05Approved · on roster2
- 06Rejected0
What we check, what you show.
Every stage maps to a specific risk we'd otherwise be passing to the client. We don't keep the rubric a secret — what we look for, and the form your evidence should take, is below.
Stage 01
Language & personality
Time · 10 min
A written screen — communication style, working timezone, weekly availability, and a self-rated English level. We're looking for clarity under pressure, not native fluency.
You show
- How you communicate when a project goes off-track (we want a real example, not abstractions)
- What you actually want out of being on the roster
We check
- Hours overlap with your target client base
- Written communication is concise, owned, and outcomes-anchored
Stage 02
Skill questionnaire
Time · 45 min
A case study of a recent engagement — your role, the outcome, and the trade-offs you defended. Plus your methodology for the first seven days of any new client relationship.
You show
- One recent engagement explained in 200+ words (you decide what to highlight)
- A portfolio or proof URL (optional but moves you up the queue)
- Your week-one playbook for any new client
We check
- Depth: do you sound senior, or are you reciting playbooks?
- Judgement: did you optimize for the right thing?
- Self-awareness: what did you defer or get wrong?
Stage 03
Live screening call
Time · 30 min
One of our senior matchers joins a 30-minute video call. No tricks, no whiteboarding — a conversation about your last three engagements, references, and the kind of work you want next.
You show
- Two reference contacts we can verify (we email a 4-question form, not a phone call)
- Your ideal-client profile in your own words
We check
- Reference signal: is the story consistent with what the client says?
- How you handle being pushed back on — gracefully or defensively?
- Whether your stated rate matches the seniority on display
Stage 04
Paid test project
Time · 1–2 weeks
A real, scoped engagement — paid at your stated project rate. We've stockpiled briefs from past clients who agreed to be re-anonymised for screening. Your deliverable is reviewed by a two-person panel.
You show
- A self-contained deliverable (model, memo, code, design, plan) with a 1-page decision log
- A 5-minute Loom walking us through the choices you made
We check
- Quality of judgement on a problem you've never seen before
- Whether you communicate trade-offs proactively, or wait to be asked
- If you'd be embarrassed to hand this to a paying client — so would we
Stage 05
Approved · on the roster
Time · —
Your profile goes public, the Verified badge unlocks, and matching briefs are routed to you first. We do an informal review of your first three engagements; after that, you ride on client reviews.
You show
- An updated bio + portrait that the platform can market with
- Your availability for the next four weeks
We check
- On-time delivery and client review NPS on first three projects
- Whether your scope creep handling matches what you described in the gauntlet
Three things that don't bend.
Same gate for every applicant.
No referrals, no warm intros, no waivers. The five stages run identically whether you applied via a partner link or stumbled in from Google.
Every transition is a human decision.
No auto-rejects from a scoring model. A real reviewer logs the call, with notes shared back to you — even on rejection.
We'd rather over-reject.
Bad matches cost clients money and reputation, and they cost experts goodwill on the platform. We lean toward 'no' under uncertainty.
The questions we actually get.
- Why so many stages? +
- Because every shortcut we've tried has bitten a client later. The whole point of a hard-gated marketplace is that the gate actually works. If our acceptance rate were 30% we'd just be a directory.
- Is the test project really paid? +
- Yes — at your stated project rate, not a discounted screening rate. We invoice the original client (who has agreed to be re-anonymised) and pass payment to you on the same milestone-escrow system every other engagement uses.
- I failed at a stage. Can I reapply? +
- Yes, after 12 months — sooner if you have new credentials (published case study, materially different references, or a step-change in seniority). Email hello@worksoy.com with what's changed.
- How long does the gauntlet take, end to end? +
- Typical timeline is 3-5 weeks from application to decision, depending mostly on how fast you turn around the test project. We don't artificially delay reviews — every stage transition is a human decision logged the same day.
- Are stage results biased toward US/EU experts? +
- We screen in English and currently route US/EU clients more often, so yes — that asymmetry exists. We don't apply different bars by region, but we know our roster skews. If you're based in LATAM/APAC/Africa, we want to hear about it.
Apply — it's free, and you'll know inside a month.
We don't charge to apply. If you pass the test project, we pay you for it at your stated rate. If you don't, you'll get specific written feedback.
Hire from a list of people who've already passed.
Browse the roster, post a brief, or hand us your problem and we'll route it. Milestone escrow, transparent fees, fixed-price disputes if anything goes wrong.