Gear Inc. wins two accolades at SBR Management Excellence Awards 2024

The company was recognised for its Wellbeing & Resiliency Program and transformative initiatives by its Regional HR team.

Gear Inc., a leading managed outsourced service provider, well known for their content moderation solutions in the trust and safety industry, was honoured with the Health & Wellness Initiative of the Year - Business Services and the Team of the Year - Business Services accolades at the SBR Management Excellence Awards 2024.

Holistic support for workforce resilience

Gear Inc.’s Wellbeing & Resiliency Program, launched in 2023, is designed to support the mental health and overall well-being of its workforce. With a team of over 6,000 employees, Gear Inc. is committed to ensuring a safer online environment by moderating all forms of content to protect the public and is extending that commitment to safeguarding its employees, who are regularly exposed to sensitive and potentially harmful content as part of their vital work.

The programme focusses on creating a resilient workforce by providing a comprehensive framework that promotes mental health, resilience, and overall employee well-being. The company’s Regional Wellbeing Team implements this initiative and is globally standardised to ensure that employees across all of Gear Inc.'s offices receive the same level of support. The programme is backed by onsite mental health professionals and dedicated support teams. 

A standout feature of the programme is the Hire to Retire Wellbeing Life Cycle Framework, which supports employees throughout their entire journey with the company. The framework’s key components are pre-hire resilience assessments, resilience training, counselling sessions, curated weekly group activities, and ongoing monitoring of employee well-being. 

The results of the programme have been overwhelmingly positive, with a 95.8% employee satisfaction rate and a 96.8% well-being adherence rate in 2023. A recent 6-month assessment conducted in Q2 2024 highlighted significant improvements in employee mental health, including a 3.7% reduction in severe depression, anxiety, and stress levels, alongside a 3.5% increase in psychological resilience and endurance. 

Gear Inc. also leverages innovative technologies, such as incorporating Virtual Reality (VR) applications into stress reduction activities, allowing employees to participate in mindfulness exercises and meditation in immersive, calming environments. 

Furthermore, Gear Inc. has developed robust standard operating procedures, risk mitigation, and crisis plan frameworks to ensure the welfare of content moderators and their support teams. These protocols provide clear guidelines for promoting a safe and healthy work environment, ensuring that everyone involved in content moderation understands and follows the same established procedures.

The programme significantly enhanced employee mental health and resilience, earning Gear Inc. the Health & Wellness Initiative of the Year - Business Services accolade. 

Transforming HR operations

The Regional HR team at Gear Inc. has played a pivotal role in driving significant transformations within the company's HR processes. Over the past 24 months, the team has led the development and deployment of several initiatives, which have been successfully integrated across all of Gear Inc.'s Asia-Pacific offices. This widespread implementation ensures a consistent and efficient HR approach throughout the region, aligned with the evolving needs of the workforce.

A key achievement in this transformation was the introduction of a streamlined HR Information System (HRIS), a critical enhancement that has revolutionised operations. The HRIS enables the efficient management of key functions such as employee data, leave management, payroll, and performance evaluation, improving productivity and the accuracy of HR operations across all sites.
Tailored to meet the diverse needs of Gear Inc.'s regional offices, the HRIS has improved data accuracy and provided real-time reporting, enabling better decision-making. Automation of previously manual processes has also allowed HR personnel to focus on more strategic initiatives rather than administrative tasks.

To address challenges in aligning HR practices across multiple countries and cultures, the team conducted needs assessments at each location to ensure adaptability whilst maintaining a consistent framework.

Beyond optimising internal processes, the HR team has supported Gear Inc.'s international expansion into countries such as the Philippines, Poland, Korea, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, Lao, China, Hong Kong, and Spain. They ensured that new operations met legal requirements whilst contributing to the company's revenue growth.

The successful implementation of the HRIS was honoured with the Team of the Year - Business Services accolade. 

The SBR Management Excellence Awards recognises the most exceptional business leaders, innovators, teams, and initiatives that drive growth and make a positive impact on both the business operations and its workforce in Singapore. 

The awards programme, now in its 10th year, acknowledges positive change and honours those who have successfully propelled their companies to new heights of success whilst fostering a nurturing environment that positively influences their employees.

The SBR Management Excellence Awards is presented by Singapore Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2025 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's employee engagements and management initiatives, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez at [email protected].