Getting Started

Your Job Poster Dashboard

Dashboard Overview

Your dashboard is your command centre for everything on HelperGen. When you log in you land here automatically. The greeting header at the top shows your name, your current Gen Points balance, and a summary of your account activity — giving you a complete snapshot at a glance before you dive into the details below.

The dashboard is divided into focused sections, each covering a different stage of your job activity:

Each section updates in real time. Refresh the page at any time to see the latest status.

Action Items Needing Attention

The Action Items Needing Attention section (highlighted in amber) appears at the top of your dashboard whenever something requires your input. It is designed to surface tasks that are time-sensitive — ignoring them can delay your job or impact your provider relationship.

Common action items include:

Items in this section are colour-coded by urgency. Address them promptly — fast responses lead to better provider relationships and smoother job completion.

Jobs in Progress

The Jobs in Progress section shows every job that has been accepted by a provider and is currently active. This includes jobs that are scheduled for a future date, jobs the provider has already started, and jobs awaiting your payment authorization.

Each job card in this section displays:

How to use this section:

  1. Scan the status badge on each card to see where your job stands
  2. Click Message to send a note to your provider about arrival time, access instructions, or any changes
  3. Click View Job to open the full job detail page, where you can see the full description, photos, all messages, and activity timeline
  4. When a job is marked complete by the provider, an Authorize Payment button appears — click it to release their payment

Jobs remain in this section until payment is fully processed, then they move to Completed Jobs.

Job Stages Explained

Each job card displays a coloured status badge that tells you exactly where the job stands:

Auto-Authorization Explained

Auto-authorization is a setting that lets you automatically approve payment for a specific provider when their job is marked complete — without you having to manually click Authorize Payment each time.

This is useful when you regularly hire the same trusted provider for recurring work such as weekly cleaning, lawn maintenance, or caregiving. Instead of logging in every time just to release payment, auto-authorization handles it for you instantly when the provider submits their completion.

How to enable auto-authorization:

  1. Open any job detail page for a job with a hired provider
  2. In the Payment section, look for the Auto-authorize payments for this provider toggle
  3. Switch it on — this applies to all future jobs with the same provider

Important things to know:

Reading a Job Card

Each job card in the Jobs in Progress section is a compact summary of your booking. Here is what each element means:

Job title — The name of the job as you posted it. Click the title to open the full job detail page.

Service category — The type of service (e.g., Cleaning, Handyman, Gardening). Shows the icon and label for quick scanning.

Provider name and rating — The provider you hired. Their overall platform rating (out of 5 stars) is shown next to their name. Click their name to view their full profile.

Scheduled date and time — When the job is set to take place. If the job is flexible or ongoing, this shows the next scheduled occurrence.

Status badge — A colour-coded label showing the current job stage (see Job Stages Explained above).

Message button — Opens a direct message thread with your provider. All messages are stored on HelperGen for your records.

View Job button — Opens the full job detail page showing the description, photos, payment breakdown, message history, and activity log.

Authorize Payment button — Appears when the job is in Payment Authorization Pending status. Click this to release payment to the provider. If you do not act within 48 hours, payment releases automatically.

Top Smart Matches

Every job card in the Jobs in Progress section includes a Top Smart Matches panel directly below the View Job button. This panel is powered by HelperGen's AI matching engine, which automatically surfaces the most relevant service providers for your specific job based on their skills, location, availability, and past performance on the platform.

Top Smart Matches appear even before you have hired anyone — they are your shortlist of providers the platform recommends you consider. Reviewing these matches and inviting strong candidates is the fastest way to get quality applications.

How to read a provider match card:

Profile photo and name — The provider's photo and full name. Click the name (or the external link icon beside it) to open their complete public profile in a new tab, where you can read their full bio, see all their reviews, and view their listed services and rates.

Match percentage — The circular progress indicator and percentage (e.g., 90% match, 65% match) shows how well this provider aligns with your job. The score is calculated by the AI based on:

A 90% match means the provider is an excellent fit across nearly all criteria. A 65% match may still be a good candidate but has one or two areas of partial alignment (e.g., slightly outside your preferred distance or at the higher end of your budget). You can invite any provider regardless of match score.

AI explanation box — The blue-bordered info panel beneath the provider's details contains a plain-language explanation written by the AI describing why this provider is a strong match for your specific job. It highlights relevant experience, rate compatibility, proximity, and any other factors that make them a good fit. Read this carefully — it saves you time that you would otherwise spend manually comparing profiles.

Service category tags — The teal tags at the bottom of the card (e.g., Cleaning Services, Handyman & Minor Repairs) show the service categories the provider has listed on their profile. Multiple tags indicate a multi-skilled provider. Matching tags (filled teal) align with your job's category.

Provider badges — Each provider card may display one or more trust badges:

Additional badges you may see on a provider's full profile include:

Star rating — The yellow star and number (e.g., ★ 4.3) shows the provider's average rating across all completed and reviewed jobs on HelperGen. Ratings are left by job posters like you after each job. A rating of 4.0 and above is considered strong; 4.5 and above is excellent.

Jobs completed — The clipboard icon and number (e.g., 4 jobs) shows how many jobs this provider has completed on HelperGen. More jobs means more reviews and a more established track record.

Distance — The distance shown (e.g., 6.8 km) is the straight-line distance from your job address to the provider's listed location. Providers who are closer are more likely to arrive on time and may have lower travel-related surcharges.

Invite button — The orange Invite button sends a personal invitation to the provider, notifying them that you have specifically chosen them for your job. Invited providers are much more likely to apply quickly because the invitation signals that you already reviewed their profile and want them. You can invite multiple providers to the same job.

Invited status — Once you have sent an invitation, the Invite button changes to a green Invited badge. This confirms the invitation was sent. You can still invite other providers to the same job while waiting for a response. The provider receives a notification with a link to your job listing.

Save Provider (bookmark icon) — The bookmark icon in the top-right corner of each provider card lets you save that provider to your Saved Providers list with one click. A filled (blue) bookmark means the provider is already saved; an outlined bookmark means they are not saved yet. Use this to build a personal shortlist of providers you want to remember for future jobs — you can invite or re-hire saved providers directly from the Saved Providers panel on your dashboard without having to search again.

"Providers are matched based on skills, location and availability" — This footer note at the bottom of the Top Smart Matches panel is a reminder that the AI ranking is based on factual, objective criteria. The match score is not a guarantee of quality — always read reviews, check the AI explanation box, and view the provider's full profile before sending an invitation or accepting an application.

Completed Jobs

The Completed Jobs section shows all jobs where payment has been fully processed. A job appears here once Stripe has confirmed the payment transfer to your provider.

Each completed job card shows:

What you can do with completed jobs:

  1. Leave a rating and review — If you have not yet rated your provider, a Rate Provider button appears on the card. Honest reviews help other job posters make informed decisions and reward great providers.
  2. View the full job — Click View Job to see the complete record: description, photos, all messages, the payment receipt, and the activity timeline.
  3. Re-hire this provider — Click the provider's name to view their profile and post a new job directly to them.
  4. Download your receipt — Inside the job detail page, the Payment section has a Download Receipt link for expense tracking or reimbursement.

Gen Points reward: You automatically earn 5 Gen Points every time a job moves to Completed. These points are added to your balance immediately and can be used toward your next job posting.

Completed jobs are kept in your account permanently and cannot be deleted.

Draft Jobs

The Draft Jobs section shows job posts you have started but have not yet published. A draft is created whenever you begin creating a job (AI assistant or manual form) and close it before clicking Publish Job.

Drafts do not cost any Gen Points and are not visible to providers. They are private to your account.

Managing your drafts:

  1. Resume a draft — Click Continue Editing on any draft card to pick up exactly where you left off. All your previous entries (title, description, budget, schedule) are preserved.
  2. Publish from draft — After reviewing and finalizing the job inside the editor, click Publish Job to make it live. Gen Points will be deducted at that point based on your budget.
  3. Delete a draft — Click the Delete (trash) icon on the draft card to permanently remove it. There is no way to recover a deleted draft.

Tips for using drafts:

Saved Providers

The Saved Providers section shows service providers you have bookmarked for future reference. Saving a provider is a quick way to build a shortlist of trusted workers you want to hire again without having to search from scratch.

How to save a provider:

  1. Open any provider's profile page (from a job application, search results, or the Find a Provider page)
  2. Click the Bookmark (star or heart) icon on their profile
  3. The provider is added to your Saved Providers list immediately

Using your saved providers:

Saved providers are visible only to you — providers are not notified when you save them. There is no limit to how many providers you can save.

Invite Provider by Code

The Invite Provider by Code feature lets you invite a specific provider to your job directly — even if they have not found or applied to your listing yet. This is especially useful when you already know a provider you trust, have worked with them before, or received their contact details through a referral.

To open this feature, click the Invite by Code button on any of your published job cards.

How the modal works:

The modal walks you through three steps shown as a progress indicator at the top:

Step 1 — Enter Code Step 2 — Review Provider Step 3 — Send Invitation

Each step must be completed in order. The progress indicator (the numbered circles at the top) shows which step you are currently on. Completed steps are filled in; upcoming steps are greyed out.

Job context: The modal header shows the exact job title and Job ID (e.g., JOB-26-158533) that the invitation will be associated with. Always check this before sending to make sure you are inviting the provider to the correct job.

Step 1: Enter Code

Step 1 has three ways to find and validate the provider you want to invite. Choose the method that suits you:

Tab 1 — Enter Code (default)

Every service provider on HelperGen has a unique 6-character alphanumeric invitation code (e.g., ABC123). You can find a provider's code on their public profile page. Ask the provider to share it with you directly (via text, email, or in person), or look it up on their HelperGen profile if you have the link.

To use it:

  1. Type or paste the provider's 6-character code into the Enter 6-Digit Code field. The field accepts letters and numbers (not case-sensitive).
  2. Click Validate Code.
  3. If the code is valid and the provider exists on HelperGen, you will automatically move to Step 2: Review Provider.
  4. If the code is invalid or cannot be found, an error message will appear. Double-check the code with the provider and try again.

Code format hint shown below the field: 6 alphanumeric characters (e.g., ABC123)

Tab 2 — Scan QR

Many providers display a QR code on their business profile page, business cards, or marketing materials. The QR code contains their invitation code.

To use it:

  1. Click Scan QR tab.
  2. Allow camera access when your browser requests permission.
  3. Point your device camera at the provider's QR code.
  4. The scanner reads the code automatically — no need to click anything. When a valid QR code is detected, the app validates it instantly and moves you to Step 2.

If your camera cannot be accessed (e.g., permission denied or no camera available), an error message will appear with instructions. You can switch to the Enter Code tab and type the code manually instead.

Tab 3 — From Bookmarks

If you have previously saved (bookmarked) providers, they appear in this tab as a list. This is the fastest method when inviting a provider you have already worked with or saved.

To use it:

  1. Click From Bookmarks tab.
  2. Your saved providers are listed with their name, rating, and category.
  3. Click Select next to the provider you want to invite.
  4. Their code is automatically validated and you move to Step 2.

If you have no bookmarked providers, this tab will show an empty state message with a link to browse provider profiles.

Step 2: Review Provider

After the code is validated, Step 2 shows a full preview of the provider's profile so you can confirm you have the right person before sending the invitation.

What you see in the provider preview:

Optional message:

Before proceeding, you can type a personal message to the provider in the message box. This message is sent along with the invitation and appears in the provider's notification. Use it to:

A personal message is optional but recommended — it makes the invitation feel genuine and increases the likelihood the provider will respond promptly.

If this is not the right provider, click Back to return to Step 1 and try a different code.

Step 3: Send Invitation

Step 3 is the confirmation screen. Review the summary before sending:

Click Send Invitation to send it.

What happens after you send:

  1. The provider receives an instant notification on their HelperGen account with your job details and personal message
  2. They can view your full job listing directly from the notification
  3. If they are interested, they will submit an application — at which point they appear in your Pending Applications section, and you will receive a notification
  4. The provider's card in Top Smart Matches (if they appear there) will update to show an Invited badge confirming the invitation was sent

Can I invite multiple providers? Yes — you can send invitations to as many providers as you like for the same job. All of them can apply, and you choose which one to accept. Sending an invitation does not guarantee the provider will apply, but it significantly increases the likelihood compared to waiting passively for applications.

Can I cancel an invitation? Invitations cannot be recalled once sent. However, accepting one provider's application does not automatically reject the others — you control which applications you accept.

After sending, the modal shows a success confirmation and the button changes to Close. Click Close to dismiss the modal and return to your dashboard.

View this doc on HelperGen