Workplace Investigations - Witnesses Interviews

Overview:

Many employers struggle to gather information during witness interviews in investigations. Many employees for a variety of reasons are reluctant to be involved and can be less than forthcoming. Friends of employees and those accused of an offense are often downright angry and vengeful. In investigations, to meet its employer tax obligations, it's crucial that interviews are structured to capture and gather all available accurate information, notwithstanding employee emotions that are often running high.

Some investigators, unable to gather information, turn to body language to make determinations of credibility. Not only can that approach be fraught with indefensible and challengeable findings, TV shows while entertaining, are not good training for reading body language. 

Investigations by their very nature tend to leave at the least some employee relations damage amongst employees. It's important that an employer learn how to take steps to avoid retaliatory behavior towards individuals involved in investigations or making complaints. Additionally there are steps an employer can take to minimize the inevitable gossip and side taking that disrupts business.

Why Should You Attend:

The assigned investigator in many workplaces is often an already overburdened employee to whom another time consuming project is now assigned, often to their dismay. This investigator may have had little to no training in how to perform investigations. Or they may have had training in the process of investigatory mechanics but never actually performed an investigation. In theory, investigatory interviewing sounds easy but in reality, it's often not.

Areas Covered in this Webinar:

• When are employees entitled to representation during an investigation?
• Organizing your interview so you can ask good questions 
• The angry "hothead". Dangerous or something else? 
• What about tape-recording: Is it a good idea?
• Considering cultural diversity
• The note taker and their role
• Taking notes and pacing the interview 
• Educating all parties about retaliation
• What about witnesses that are not your employee? Tips for customer complaints and joint employment interviews

Learning Objectives:

• How to prepare and what to do before an interview
• Strategies for the reluctant witness 
• Body language: Can you tell if a witness is giving false or skewed testimony? Developing behavioral baselines 
• Starting and ending your interview

Who Will Benefit:

• Anyone who has to do investigations, fact findings, or solve employee relations problems and disputes
• Plant Managers
• Front Line Managers
• HR Managers
• Branch Managers
• Those with Employee Relations Positions

Email: [email protected]
Toll Free: +1-844-746-4244
Tel: +1-516-900-5515
Fax: +1-516-900-5510

Speaker Profile:

Teri Morning, MBA, MS, SHRM-SCP is the President of her own HR Consulting firm, Teri Morning Enterprises and a new company Hindsight HR; employee relations and investigation management software. Morning is also affiliated with HR Performance Solutions as a compensation and performance management vendor. She has over 15 years human resource and training experience in a variety of professional fields, including retail, distribution, architectural, engineering, consulting, manufacturing (union), public sector and both profit and non-profit company structures. She has consulted with employers on their problems and trained managers and employees for over 15 years, meeting and working with employees from all types of businesses. In addition to a MBA, Teri has a Master’s degree in Human Resource Development with a specialization in Conflict Management. She was certified by the State of Indiana in mediation skills, is certified in Project Management, qualified as a Myers-Briggs practitioner and holds the SHRM certification of a Senior Certified Professional.

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