This group’s background spans several areas including economics, finance, psychology, consulting, journalism, marketing, product development, politics, education, general business and advertising. Moreover, they have moderated interview sessions covering a wide range of topics, including financial services, sports and entertainment, packaged goods, photography, publishing, advertising, telecommunications, food and beverage and pharmaceuticals, just to name a few.
Our moderators broad range of expertise in numerous vertical industries coupled with their extensive research experience ensures we have experts on hand that are ideal for any project. It is precisely the creation and constant enrichment of this team that allows us to conduct sizeable, multi-moderator projects on a variety of topics, and continually garner great results.
Training Overview
Moderator training at iModerate consists of a multi-phase curriculum designed to build on traditional moderating techniques adapted for the dynamic online environment in which we generate qualitative insight.
Initial Phase
New moderators start by delving into our Moderator Training Guide. The multi-section manual, developed with input from Burke trained moderators, introduces the moderator to the capabilities/functionality of our software and the principles of online moderating.
Topics covered include:
- What is an “online” moderator?
- Keys to effective moderating in the online space
- Principles of online chat moderating
- Understanding topics and objectives
- Targeted questioning and follow-up
- Maintaining objectivity
- Full discussion in allotted time
- Building rapport
- Effective questioning techniques
- Conversational tone
- Non-rewarding responses
Moderators also undergo extensive training regarding the functionality of our platform. Several practice exercises are required to demonstrate that the moderator understands how the software works during an online session.
Static Shadowing Phase
The new moderator will then “side-car” for several days to a week with 3 to 4 of our experienced moderators to see how each of them moderates online, how they use the guide, how they formulate questions, how they manage respondents, etc... This serves as an opportunity for the new moderator to gain exposure to moderating in the online space, ask questions and observe how a job fields.
New moderators also spend a significant amount of time reading the moderator briefings and transcripts from a number of research projects we’ve completed in the past to understand how a job will evolve in the field, and to learn how our moderators adjust their questioning to solicit the richest, most compelling feedback. We believe that the breadth of exposure this exercise provides the new moderator is invaluable as they prepare to begin moderating.
Practice Moderation
After the new moderator has had plenty of static exposure to moderating online, we have them moderate internally with an experienced moderator playing the role of respondent and serving as “coach”. We conduct these mock interviews on a wide variety of subjects ranging in complexity. Each session is then reviewed with the new moderator and areas for improvement are identified.
Live Moderation
After the new moderator has the approval of the Director of Moderating Services, they moderate in tandem with an experienced moderator on a live job. These transcripts are then reviewed with the new moderator and areas for improvement are identified.
Once the new moderator has demonstrated a consistent level of competency moderating jobs in a live environment, they will begin to moderate solo. These interviews are monitored closely by the Director of Moderating Services who provides feedback in real-time to guide the new moderator as needed. At the conclusion of the job, the transcripts are reviewed and areas for improvement are identified.
Upon completion of the training process, the moderator participates in monthly review sessions designed to address advanced techniques and overall quality of their work. These collective review sessions encourage dialogue among the moderators, provide a forum for peer review and ensure our moderators' skill sets do not stagnate. Moreover, each project undergoes a quality control process that involves measuring the session output against the project’s qualitative objectives at several milestones during the fielding stage.
