General facts about WorkHub
WorkHub is a brand of the WorkHub GmbH with headquarters in Berlin. The platform is used to find people digital tasks that can be handled via a Smartphone, Tablet, or PC with internet access. The platform offers online access for end users and corporate clients (according to this website).
The company was founded in 2010 from the idea to break up a project in small tasks, distribute them to a crowd, and then put them back together as a whole. The service went online in 2011.
The technology of the platform is supported by funds provided under public development schemes (City of Berlin, EU regional funding, etc.) and the investment bank Berlin.
The company has been quoted since by well-known media and company owners such as Galileo ProSieben, TechCrunch, Zeit-Online, BMW, Uber, etc.
Corporate clients are promised the following services:
- Collecting data (product information, business information)
- Relevant queries (phrases, free-text query, fuzzy-query, etc.)
- Accumulation of data (business information, product descriptions, Social Media opinions)
- User tests (feedback before/at new product launch)
The WorkHub process
- It is not clear how the purchaser can create the digital tasks. Input screens or input modes are not to be found or cannot be accessed on the website.
- After registration as contractor one has to like the Facebook page and the Twitter account. One gets a credit for each (1 Credit = € 0.01).
An active notification (app-push) about new tasks is not planned. However, new tasks are communicated via email.
New tasks are then shown on desktop or within the app. When you start the tasks you can now and then leave the website and confirm the completion of the task e.g. with a „conclusion code“ (e.g. after ending a survey).
With other tasks (e.g. classification) the end of the task is not foreseeable. The single tasks can be carried out as often as one likes (as long as there are single tasks for each task).
The collected data are then checked by the operator of the platform for usability. - After two weeks max the contractor gets the payment from the platform. The payment is only made via PayPal. After reaching 50 Credits the contractor can apply for paying out.
- There is no information on how the data are transferred to the purchaser. It’s assumed that this is done via the data exchange API.
Screenshots of the WorkHup app and desktop website
WorkHub data usage range and spreading
The operators speak of millions of users which seems exaggerated (see http://cloudworking.de/team/ under „Die Community“). In the year 2011 the platform had the first 10K users. From the Social Media fans (6K Twitter follower, see https://twitter.com/workhub and 32K Facebook fans, see https://www.facebook.com/workhub/) a current number of users of around 100K can be guessed (it is firmly spoken of 80K). See also: http://www.crowdsourcingblog.de/crowd-sourcing-verzeichnis/profiles/workhub/ and http://cloudworking.de/technologie/ (under „Mobile Community“).
Participation in user journey survey
- Carrying out a survey is offered. This takes about 15-20min.
- The description of the survey says that after completing the survey you have to fill in a confirmation code on the Workhub website.
- The survey also takes place on an external survey platform.
- After completing the last answer a code is shown.
- This code is filled in at Workhub and the task is completed.
WorkHub strengths and weaknesses
WorkHub strengths
- A tasks API was provided under the name cloudworking.de so the digital mini tasks can be put in easily by the purchasers (see https://developer.workhub.com).
- The surface is intuitive and the texts on the website are easy to understand. The level of the tasks is bottom-up which corresponds to the Gamification character.
- You get regular email updates about new jobs (currently weekly).
WorkHub weaknesses
- The use of the App is limited as not all tasks can be shown on the smartphone. Some tasks require the use of a PC/Laptop.
- For „classification“ tasks the goal is not clear. After about 10 completions of single tasks you can still „classify“.
- No notification about new available tasks (no email or app-push).
- There are not enough alternative tasks offered. When, for example, you do not want to carry out further „classification of sectors“ or „recording of voicemail“ there are no alternatives available at the same time. Also, there is no possibility to report that you are not interested in a certain task as a user.
Personal evaluation of WorkHub
The platform (website and app) leaves a structured and well thought-through impression. Also the renowned list of customers is out to impress its contractors and purchasers.
Still, the platform is not enough oriented on mobile devices and there are not enough alternative tasks on offer.
The possibility to get a payment very fast after a converted amount of 0.50 Cents makes a very positive impression. Besides, the technological platform (Task API with REST web interface to CMS/CRM customer-system docking) is a bonus with regard to the processing of digital tasks.
Have you already tried WorkHub? Let us know about your experience in the comments.