Content Moderation at Scale

SITUATION

Our client created one of the most popular video game titles of all time. They were at the early stages of allowing additional UGC (User Generated Content) in the form of a creative mode that enabled players to build their own in-game worlds. This massive increase in the scale of UGC necessitated a requisite expansion of their moderation capabilities. They needed the ability to build out an Outsourced Trust and Safety function with highly scalable moderation capabilities. In addition, they required a robust wellness program to reduce attrition and take care of the consultants performing such mentally taxing work.

SOLUTION

Apex put together a small US-based team to manage consultants, interview and train new hires, document policies, and report directly to the client on established KPIs. This management team fully manages the entire moderation process and reports on ticket volume and metrics to the client. The team would include consultants based remotely in the US with capabilities in Arabic, Japanese, German, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, and Spanish. This team was later expanded to include consultants on-site at our Mexico Delivery Center, augmenting our ability to moderate content in both English and Spanish. Using this combined team, Apex provides moderation coverage 12 hours a day including weekends and holidays. Apex assisted in reorganization, onboarding, and training that created seven new teams and allowed the client to scale globally.

Additionally, Apex created a promotional path to foster career growth as well as establishing recognition and teambuilding programs to drive retention. To ensure the mental well-being of our consultants, Apex implemented a best-in-class wellness program which included employing professional psychologists from across the US and Mexico, setting up a 24/7 therapy helpline, individual therapy, group therapy, monthly coping skills sessions, and quarterly skill-based webinars. 

RESULTS

Internally, our North American team grew from a headcount of 15 to 612 over the course of two years. Currently, the team supports seven languages. We were able to reduce attrition to 1.4% domestically and our team averages 2.6 million pieces of UGC moderated per month. After our success in North America, the client asked us to train the two partners they had selected to manage content moderation for the EMEA and Pacific regions in moderation practice management.