How We Calculate Trust Scores for Remote Job Boards (2026 Methodology)

When you're searching for a remote job, the last thing you want is to waste time on a sketchy job board—or worse, fall victim to a scam. That's why we created TrustedRemoteJobBoards.com: to give you a clear, data-driven answer to the question "Is this job board legit?"

But how do we actually determine which job boards are trustworthy? This article explains our exact methodology so you can understand—and verify—how we arrive at our trust scores.

How Do We Calculate Trust Scores?

Our trust scores are calculated using a weighted average formula that combines ratings from 5 independent sources. Each source is chosen for its unique strengths, and weighted based on its reliability and relevance to job seekers.

Here's the formula:

Final Score = (Trustpilot × 0.30) + (G2 × 0.20) + (VRJB × 0.20) + (Reddit × 0.15) + (TRJB Reviews × 0.15)

All ratings are first normalized to a 0-5 scale before applying weights. The result is a single, easy-to-understand trust score that represents the consensus across multiple platforms.

Why Do We Use 5 Sources Instead of Just One?

No single review platform tells the whole story:

• •Trustpilot has massive volume but can be susceptible to review manipulation
• •G2 attracts business users but might miss individual job seekers' perspectives
• •Reddit discussions are authentic but can be dominated by vocal minorities
• •Proprietary scores (like VRJB) are rigorous but represent a single viewpoint

By combining multiple sources with appropriate weights, we create a more balanced and statistically reliable picture of each platform's trustworthiness. When 5 independent sources agree a platform is good (or bad), you can trust that consensus.

What Are the 5 Trust Sources We Analyze?

Trustpilot (30% Weight)

As the world's largest consumer review platform with over 200 million reviews, Trustpilot provides high-volume, verified feedback from actual users. We weight it highest because:

• •Verified review system reduces (though doesn't eliminate) fake reviews
• •Large sample sizes provide statistical reliability
• •Recent reviews show current platform quality, not outdated experiences

G2 (20% Weight)

G2 is the leading platform for business software and service reviews. Their reviews come from verified professionals who use job boards as career tools, making them particularly valuable for evaluating platforms from a professional standpoint.

VerifiedRemoteJobBoards.com (20% Weight)

VerifiedRemoteJobBoards.com is a verification authority that specifically evaluates remote job platforms using a rigorous 7-stage methodology covering:

• •Job listing authenticity and freshness
• •Scam protection measures
• •User experience and interface quality
• •Employer verification processes
• •Pricing and value assessment
• •User feedback integration
• •Ongoing monitoring

Their 0-100 scoring system is purpose-built for remote job boards, making it highly relevant to our analysis. We normalize their scores to our 0-5 scale (Score ÷ 100 × 5).

Reddit Sentiment (15% Weight)

Reddit provides something other platforms can't: unfiltered, anonymous community discussions. We analyze sentiment from relevant subreddits including:

• •r/remotework
• •r/workonline
• •r/digitalnomad
• •r/jobs
• •r/careerguidance

Sentiment is categorized and scored as:

TRJB User Reviews (15% Weight)

These are reviews submitted directly to TrustedRemoteJobBoards.com. While we have smaller sample sizes than Trustpilot, these reviews are from job seekers who specifically sought us out to share their experiences.

We verify reviews before publishing and give additional weight to reviewers who report actual hiring outcomes (did they find a job through the platform?).

How Is the Final Score Calculated? (Real Example)

Let's walk through an actual calculation using Remote Job Assistant as an example:

This is why Remote Job Assistant has one of the highest trust scores on our platform—it performs well across all five independent sources, not just one or two.

View Remote Job Assistant's Full Trust Profile →

How Often Are Trust Scores Updated?

We update all trust scores on a monthly basis. Each job board profile displays its last verification date so you always know how current the data is.

However, we also monitor for significant events that warrant immediate re-evaluation:

• •Major platform changes or redesigns
• •Acquisition or ownership changes
• •Significant negative press or scam reports
• •Large shifts in review sentiment

Are Trust Scores Influenced by Affiliate Relationships?

No. Absolutely not.

Our trust scores are 100% data-driven and never influenced by:

• •Affiliate commissions
• •Advertising relationships
• •Paid placements
• •Direct requests from job boards

Whether we earn a commission when you click through to a platform has zero impact on its score. This independence is fundamental to our mission of helping job seekers find genuinely trustworthy platforms.

We clearly disclose affiliate relationships on relevant pages, but these relationships never affect our ratings or recommendations.

What Makes Our Methodology Different?

• ✓Aggregate 5 independent sources for balanced view
• ✓Update scores monthly with clear timestamps
• ✓Show exact calculation methodology
• ✓Maintain independence from affiliate revenue
• ✓Include job board-specific verification (VRJB)

• ✗Accept payment for higher scores
• ✗Fabricate or estimate missing data
• ✗Rely on a single review source
• ✗Hide our methodology or calculations
• ✗Let affiliate relationships influence scores

How Do We Handle Missing Data?

Not every job board has ratings on all 5 sources. When data is missing, we:

Redistribute weight proportionally among available sources

Clearly note which sources lack data on the profile page

Never fabricate or estimate missing ratings

For example, if a smaller job board isn't listed on G2, we redistribute that 20% weight across the remaining 4 sources proportionally.

See Our Methodology in Action

Want to see how these trust scores look in practice? Check out our top-rated job boards:

• •Remote Job Assistant - 4.7/5 Trust Score
• •FlexJobs - 4.3/5 Trust Score
• •We Work Remotely - 4.2/5 Trust Score
• •Remotive - 4.2/5 Trust Score

Or use our comparison tool to see how any two job boards stack up against each other.

Questions About Our Methodology?

We welcome feedback and questions about our approach. Transparency is core to our mission.

Trust scores are updated monthly. This methodology document is reviewed quarterly.