Moderation 101: A Comprehensive Guide for New Content Moderators

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Okay, so hello everyone and welcome to this webinar. We’ll be covering important guidance for new moderators who have just joined the trust and safety industry. You might have just been offered your first moderator role or settling into your first week or two or you might already be a moderator but have moved to a new company.

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If so, this webinar is for you as we’ll be exploring what to expect in your first few weeks in content moderation. Explore some of the known and lesser known challenges that come with the role and tips to adapt as you settle in.

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We’ll also share some success stories from our experiences working directly with moderators. This webinar might also be useful for team leads, ops managers or even decision makers to better understand what it’s like to be a new moderator and to learn about some of the difficulties they encounter as they ramp up in their roles so you can better support them through their journeys.

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So joining me today is Lorraine Lindsay, clinical programme lead of our digital therapy programme here at Zevo Health. Lorraine provides and governs evidence-based well-being support for content moderators and support functions across a wide range of organisations.

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She’s a qualified cognitive behavioural therapist with nearly five years of experience offering well-being support throughout the career life cycle of trust and safety employees from onboarding to off-boarding with a particular focus on supporting content moderators during their onboarding and ramp-up stages.

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So welcome Lorraine. Thank you Pam. Thank you for the little bit of introduction as well. I’m looking forward to getting into this conversation. Yes me too. So you’ve worked a lot with new moderators in your time with Zevo Health.

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Can you share some of the challenges that moderators may not be aware of when they first started training and onboarding? Yeah absolutely. It’s a really good question as well. I suppose just before I go into some of the challenges it’s it’s really good to know this.

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well for anyone starting this role or starting their journey. The training on the onboarding stage in general is quite rigorous and it can be over a long period of time. So just to note that as well.

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And during this period, the content moderator will be introduced to strict policies, performing targets, other metrics that are part of their role. So it’s not just as simple as, they’ve taken down disturbing and sensitive content.

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There’s quite a rigorous rules and processes to be followed. And this is the first place where the content moderator learns about this. So they’re absorbing a lot of information in a relatively short period of time.

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And of course, they’re not processing this information. So it can be overwhelming. Of course, it can be overstimulating. I noticed people would have reported feeling really exhausted at the end of the day, emotionally and physically.

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So really important to note that as well, it is quite a tiring and fatiguing time. And of course, I couldn’t not mention one of the main challenges as well at the beginning of the training process. This would be, of course, again, the first time content moderator is exposed to sensitive content.

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And I think it’s one thing, understanding that the role will involve you being exposed and actioning sensitive graphic content that can be quite distressing to watch and it can come in form of videos and images.

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But it’s a different reality when you are in the role and you’re actually seeing this content for the first time. So people might notice they are having reactions and they are feeling quite distressed when they see or they’re hearing certain types of content.

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And I would also say that is very normal. It’s a very normal reaction to have. It’s a healthy reaction to have as well at the beginning. So sometimes I think people might underestimate the impact of content on them as well, which is important to call out and just to say that that could be quite normal.

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They might also kind of experience an array of emotions during the training process when they are exposed to content such as anger, could be fear, could be sadness. And just to note again, these are all natural reactions as well to have.

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I think as people, content moderators get more familiar with their role, they can be desensitized and disconnected from those kinds of feelings. So it can be quite intense during the training phase. That’s a good point.

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Yeah. And also we know that following their form of training period, moderators often move to what’s called the ramp up phase. So can you explain a bit about what that means and how moderators can navigate through this phase?

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Of course, yeah, really important. So after your training stage, it’s quite typical of putting the trust and safety in. industry to move into something that’s called a ramp-up phase, and it’s a phase when content moderators are working on even live content, so with a real impact as well.

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So that can be quite challenging for them as well to understand, okay, this has a real live impact, and of course they’re getting to groups with understanding the different policies, the different expectations from them, and how to apply this when actioning or trying to, you know, action content or action pieces of tickets, but the part about the ramp-up phase is usually there isn’t performance targets,

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so performance targets is a huge part of the role as a content moderator, and of course quite stressful when you’re trying to get to groups with reviewing sensitive content, and also on the other hand you have targets, you know, targets to reach as well, and your performance is monitored, so that can all be quite difficult, but in this space they don’t usually have the at the targets, and they’re just getting used to the role itself,

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the workflow, and they’re able to make mistakes and learn from mistakes. So it’s an important part of this role as well, or this stage to be able to lean into support such as team leads and more senior content moderators to be able to ask for support as you navigate through the ramp up phase.

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Very good. An important point is to normalise the experiences they’re having as well and to know to reach out for support where possible as well. Absolutely. And I suppose in this stage as well to be, because it’s so fast-paced as well, we can kind of really slide into being in, kind of a natural stress response ourselves.

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So it’s really useful to just check in and lean into the supports available, be curious to the supports available to you and even the wellbeing support. So in my role, I would have noticed a lot of people coming for one-to-one support, and it would have been, you know, a one-to-one before that or they’d never been to a one-to-one counseling session.

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So I would say if you’re just noticing any difficulties in your ramp up phase, whether it’s what your wellbeing, you can always go to the wellbeing services available and always check in and just ask questions, you know, what could I expect from attending a one-to-one session?

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How would that help me? And that’s okay to ask in the one-to-one sessions as well. And, you know, during your ramp up phase, if you notice issues more related to your performance, it’s also okay to check in with your supportive managers, team leaders, and for support, and, you know, how could they help your performance and help support you?

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And I suppose that’s what they’re there for as well. So just being aware of your supports and able to lean into them. Perfect, yeah. And from your experience of supporting moderators, are there any less obvious challenges that new starters should be aware of in your first few weeks of moderation?

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It’s a really good question as well, because we can spend a lot of time, of course, talking about the bigger topics, such as, you know, the obvious issue of content, sensitive content. but there are, of course, more or less obvious, but also very challenging pieces as well.

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And one of those I suppose to touch on is definitely the time tracking tools. So this can be another big stressor to the role. And I’ve heard so many people, content moderators, tell me whether it’s in a one-to-one session or a group session, that this can be really stressful and it causes them a lot of challenges in their day-to-day work and just for awareness for any new content moderators or somebody getting into the role as well.

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The time tracking tools is very common in trust and safety and they can be used to monitor performance so it can monitor the number of tasks completed, time spent on a task or a piece of content, and also monitor breaks and idle times.

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It’s the content moderators role to be able to manage their time tracking tool. And often, of course, in the training and the ramp-up stages, they can make a lot of mistakes. get to update the time tracking tool.

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So I would also just say that’s normal. You’re adjusting to this, this new practice as well. You might have never used it before, which is okay. It’s very common to make mistakes. And again, just leaning into sports that you have, whether it’s senior colleagues, or maybe it’s your team leaders for support, if you did forget to update your time tracking tool, you know, team leaders can help support you with this.

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And of course, they have so much experience in how, in helping people adjust to time tracking tools, they might have some tips and tricks to help you to adjust to this as well. Yeah. And as you’re starting as well, the cognitive overload can be at peak, because you’re learning to watch and adjust to policy and then, you know, do using the codes as well.

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So that’s just to be, I suppose, have self compassion going through that phase as well. Yeah, exactly. And I believe in overstimulating time. And that’s, of course, or, you know, some compassion can be really helpful and also very difficult for people to be compassionate towards themselves.

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You can often notice and be very compassionate towards work colleagues or towards friends, but it can be difficult to send that to work. So it’s a really good point as well to be kind to yourself because it is a period of change.

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And it’s very normal to find change quite difficult. It can be difficult to adjust to this very fast paced environment as well. Yeah. And for someone who might be a month or two in their new role, what type of difficulties might they experience?

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And would you have any tips for them that are some time? Yeah, it’s a really good point as well. So if they’re a month or two into their role, they’ve gone past the training stage, they’ve gone past the ramp up stage, and they’re working on the floor.

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It’s a very busy, open space as well, which can be difficult in itself. But also, I suppose a piece here to note is they now have to have targets, you know, they have performance targets and can be difficult when you’re trying to correctly action content to make sure you’re you’re making the correct decision in line with your policy, but you’re also then mindful of your targets and your performance rate.

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So all of that can be really difficult to adjust to. So I would say that piece of course, and then also another piece because you’re putting ones on the floor now when you have some experience of actioning content and being exposed to different types of content, you might notice that something that we call psychology as moral injury might be something that you experience and moral injury is that kind of psychological distress.

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When a content moderator or someone witnesses an action that, you know, violates their their moral belief system, what’s important to them, what they value in life. And in a role as a content moderator, this can really happen for a number of different different reasons.

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One of the reasons could be, of course, its exposure to disturbing content, and they might frequently, you know, review kind of violent, harmful materials, which, of course, is distressing and leads to that conflict with their personal values and our morals.

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That’s one reason. And then also they might perceive some ethical dilemmas or issues here. Content moderators may feel moral conflict when they have to allow content to maybe stay on the platform because it’s not violating a certain policy or certain guidelines.

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Of course, it might be a conflict with their own morals or values, and that can be really difficult and have that internal conflict, you know, there might be an internal conflict going on for themselves here.

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And of course, the final point even on this would be, you may notice a disconnection from a sense of purpose. So sometimes content moderators may feel that the decision that they have to make, particularly because it’s a spaced environment, doesn’t align with their understanding of what’s right and maybe what’s wrong.

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And that does cause, of course, a kind of ethical disconnection and difficult to navigate those pieces as well. So it’s also where it all say, check in with yourself, be mindful and try to be aware of how you’re reacting and lean into the wellbeing supports that you have.

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There are just some pieces to highlight that can happen after a couple of months in the road where you’re getting more used to the day to day. Yeah, and an impact on worldview starting to develop maybe if you’re looking at a lot of negative content and you’re not balancing out with normal day to day exposure in normal life.

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So it’s just a kind of, I suppose, take note of any, you know, anger, depressive symptoms that are starting to develop that you might think, alright, looking at this content too much might be starting to have the impact and how can I balance that out a bit more as well.

Unknown speaker

It’s such a good point. as well Pam and it’s such a common one that I would have seen come true maybe in month one or in group sessions because you’re spending such a large part of your day reviewing content.

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We really need to take you know efforts and do you know small acts that help to balance out that piece as well so it’s really important to you know look after yourself that way as well. Yeah absolutely.

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So so far we’ve chatted a lot about the challenges and difficulties and shared some tips on helping new moderators navigate. Can you talk a little about some positive experiences reported by moderators you’ve worked with?

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Of course and it’s a really important point as well because there is so many positives in this kind of complex environment and complex world as well it’s not just old challenges and I know we’ve talked a lot about challenges and I’ve had you know the privilege to work with so many amazing content moderators over the years that show great vulnerability and great strength.

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in the work that they do. And I’ve noticed, you know, certain observations over that period of time. I would say, firstly, some tips I’d always recommend for content moderators when they’re studying in their role.

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And even throughout their life cycle, or their career cycle of the content moderators to be aware of their own internal reaction to content. I think that’s really important because we can’t really work on our managing our stress if we’re not really sure how it impacts us.

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And of course it’s going to impact everyone quite differently, which is completely okay. So I would say, you know, there’s lots of opportunities within the trust and safety industry to learn about your content might impact you, to learn about your own internal reactions.

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Maybe it’s about attending some trainings or attending some one-to-one sessions or group sessions to have the opportunity to learn about this. And just to be curious of it, all, you know, kind of checking in on yourself each day, just checking in, how am I doing today?

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What feelings have I noticed come up? Have I noticed any tension, you know, in my body? How is my body feeling? That can be the more obvious one for us as well. I know, you know, over the years I’ve noticed people, content moderators would have came to one-to-one sessions to me and said, you know, I’m not really sure what’s wrong, but my body is really sore, you know, my shoulders are really tense and my lower back is a common place and my stomach is all very tense and I’ve seemed to be holding a lot of tension,

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but there’s nothing, there’s nothing wrong. Usually people say that there’s nothing wrong, I can’t pinpoint anything. Then after, of course, some exploration and reflection together, we might notice, well, actually, there was some indicators, maybe I wasn’t doing okay and I was quite stressed and there was some changes happening so we can pinpoint what was going on.

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So it’s really important to be able to check in with yourself and notice stress building rather than when you’ve become completely overwhelmed. And the body is sometimes the first way to write that. true as well.

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That’s the one we might be more familiar with as well, noticing how our body is feeling. So that’s really important. I’d also just say another tip is also being aware of the supportive community. So trust and safety and the content moderators teams generally are very supportive and very interactive teams.

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So it’s a great sense of support. It’s a great place to check in with colleagues, whether that’s having a cup of tea in the kitchen space, or whether it’s attending one of your well-being peer support sessions or group sessions.

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Just to check in and understand that if you are reacting to content or you’re stressed by other workplace, this is common. It’s probably a very shared experience and you’re definitely not isolated. So there’s a lot of comfort and knowing you’re not alone and to lean into the supports of your colleagues is usually people are you know very kind and very warm and in the trust and safety industry and they want to help their colleagues especially people that come out of training or maybe they’re in training they understand you know more senior tenured staff what it was like for them when they were at the early stages of their career and usually people are quite open to sharing their experiences so it can be really helpful of course yeah um also naturally many people tend to fall into the trust and safety industry without consciously choosing it as a career path um and the same history for content moderators are there any key tips that you can give to new moderators as the adapter to new roles especially in relation to taking care of their psychological health and well-being of course it’s really really good point as well and i know i spoke a little bit about self-awareness and just checking in with yourself and your stress levels i would say true right doing that you know on a daily basis really with yourself but i would also say um you know resilience is something that’s very much talked about in trust and safety uh industry and it’s for a very good reason i would say sometimes um within the role i would have noticed patterns of you know content moderators might have said at the beginning when i first started working i noticed it was okay it was fine i didn’t notice really any challenges i didn’t have a lot of stress in my life my resilience you know solid and they may expect that to continue but what i might notice down the line and what i observed is of course our resilience isn’t the solid concept it’s fluid and it can change from time to time and we really need to be very proactive and you know care for well-being and make sure that we’re doing lots of the resilience actually you know was decreasing over a period of time there was subtle signs that they weren’t okay but they hadn’t noticed until they were really overwhelmed and they noticed they were really agitated by their their colleagues on the floor,

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they noticed that they were really impacted by content that they previously weren’t impacted, which is okay. That’s okay too often as well. But they might notice, you know, they’re really stressed out by time tracking to all the performance.

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Whereas beforehand, they were able to really kind of detach from that after work, but that’s not the case for them anymore. So I would say a really important point is to check in on your resilience and attend the sessions, whether they’re group sessions or one to one sessions, whatever you would prefer to attend.

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To really learn about resilience and how you can support your own well being and to build that self care routine. And again, with self care, there’s a lot of talk about self care, it doesn’t have to be fancy spa treatments, although they’re very nice as well.

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Those small day to day acts, looking after ourselves, it can be a walk in nature, it can be any joyful movement, you know, it can be making sure you’re getting enough sleep, which is, you know, the most important thing you can do for yourself.

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taking some deep breaths in the workplace, it’s the small acts that add up to change over time. So they don’t have to be, you know, big acts that are too overwhelming to do, it has to suit you. And what might work one day, what was said to content collaborators might not work the other day, which is perfectly fine.

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Because it’s really important to have a toolkit of kind of self care strategies to help support yourself within the workspace. Yeah, and I suppose exploring what that toolkit is for you, because everyone’s different, to take note of what might be depleting your resources, which, you know, sometimes, you know, you catch yourself scrolling, and you’re like, it’s the student man who’s gone by, or, as you said,

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getting out in nature, or, you know, some people do martial arts, or go to the gym, especially exercise to help process any, you know, impactful images or stress and high cortisol in that. Yeah, I think, do you have any tips for team leads or those who manage people in the role and how they can best support moderators?

Unknown speaker

Yeah, I just want to say as well, team leaders can be such amazing advocates of well being. I’ve worked with so many amazing team leads over the years. And I did, of course, notice, observe certain patterns, certain content moderators would come to one to one and they might often say, well, my team leader encouraged me to come, you know, in a one to one session with my team leader, I would have let them know that I’m struggling with whatever workplace issue might be,

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if it’s content or, you know, it’s a systematic issue within, you know, the work that they do. Their team leader would have listened to them and signposted them to attend their one to one session. So it’s really important that team leaders are advocating well being.

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And also for team leaders, sometimes it can be really difficult. They can be the first point of contact or content moderators that might be struggling with content or might be struggling with some other workplace issue or even a personal issue and it can be quite overwhelming for team leaders because of course they’re working in such a busy organization of so many tasks to complete as well.

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So it also just always say to team leaders that there is wellbeing supports there, usually for team leaders as well. It’s really important to check into their wellbeing supports if they’re not sure how to navigate a conversation maybe with someone on their team.

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They’re not sure how they can best support them. It’s really important to check in on one of the mental health professionals that’s available to you to be able to know what you can do within your boundaries of your roles as well and what support that you can signpost your team to.

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So being aware of the support available for the team, whether that’s one-to-one, how you join a one-to-one, whether it’s peer support sessions or just being aware of different trainings that are coming up and being able to attend the BuCon as well.

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That really shows that you’re advocating wellbeing support. Yes, just a model of that, you know, well being culture as well. Very good. And any final takeaways for our voice for new moderators? Yeah, absolutely.

Unknown speaker

There’s so many, you know, tips and tricks here. I’d say the main thing the content moderators to be aware of is just observing their own stress levels, learning about how stress can impact them, and just always checking in with themselves in their role because it’s so, as I was saying, it’s so fast paced, we can really get slipping to the fast paced environment and kind of forget about our wellbeing,

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and then we realize, oh my goodness, we’re going to be overwhelmed and depleted. Yeah, exactly. So I would say just being very mindful of how you’re doing in the work as, you know, as the one to progress as well, and you come out of your training and your ramp up phases, and just to normalize that there are hazards on the job, why there are wellbeing services and lots of supports available.

Unknown speaker

I would say be curious of these supports and check into the supports, try them out and see if they’re able to benefit you, and just checking in on your resilience and having those daily self-care, small rituals to help support yourself within your goals really being important.

Unknown speaker

Perfect. Thank you so much, Lorraine, for all your insights today and new moderators. I hope you found this webinar has been useful and that you now have more awareness of what to expect when you start your new careers.

Unknown speaker

And make sure to catch us next month when Zeevo returns with our next webinar. So thank you for joining. Thank you, Pam.