Utilizing a Proven Process When Conducting Sensitive, Internal Investigations
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Speaker : PETE TOSH
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When : Monday, September 08, 2025
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Time : 01 : 00 PM EST
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Pete Tosh is Founder of The Focus Group, a management consulting and training firm that assists organizations in sustaining profitable growth through three core disciplines:
- Implementing Strategic HR Initiatives
- Maximizing Leadership Effectiveness
- Strategic Planning
The Focus Group has provided these consulting and training services to manufacturing and service organizations across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. Pete has worked closely with the leadership teams of organizations such as Exxon, Brinks, EMC, State Farm, Marriott, N.C.I. YKK and Freddie Mac
Pete holds a B.A. degree in Psychology from Emory and Henry Univeresity and Masters degrees in both Business Administration and Industrial Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. Pete is also co-author of Leading Your Organization to the Next Level: the Core Disciplines of Sustained Profitable Growth.
This webinar has been approved for 1.00 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™, and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). Please make note of the activity ID number on your recertification application form. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HR Certification Institute website at www.hrci.org.
For any further assistance, please contact us at support@grceducators.com.
An internal investigation is a formal inquiry to determine whether workplace policies or regulatory practices have been violated. Investigations can follow:
- A complaint
- Allegation
- Suspicion of misconduct
- Fraud
- Harassment accusations
- Or many other reasons covered by federal, state, and/or local employment laws.
The goal of any internal investigation is to obtain a straightforward view of the facts:
- What happened?
- When did it happen?
- Who was responsible?
- Who may have been harmed?
- What actions may be necessary to prevent the alleged wrongdoing from recurring?
Internal investigations assist organizations in gathering information, fashioning defenses, and crafting remedies. Specifically, internal investigations are useful for organizations to identify where there are remediation needs.
The final investigative report should include:
- The incident was investigated, with dates
- The individuals involved
- Key factual findings
- Applicable employer policies
- Interviewees’ statements
- Conclusions
- Issues that could not be resolved
- Employers follow up on the action
It is critical to investigate an allegation quickly. Stretching an investigation out over a lengthy period tells employees that the alleged misconduct is not important. As time goes by, collecting evidence and getting witnesses to talk to becomes more complex, details are forgotten, and documents disappear.
If the organization terminates or disciplines an employee and that person files a lawsuit or complaint, the investigation report will be critical in protecting the company in court. While every complaint is unique, having a well-defined, consistent process can prevent future lawsuits.
Areas Covered
- Recognizing the Situations Where an Internal Investigation May be Warranted
- Our Role When Conducting Investigations
- Information to Obtain to Determine the Best Approach to the Investigation
- Determining Who Should be Interviewed
- Utilizing an Introductory Interview Guide
- Following a Proven Interview Methodology
- Utilizing an Investigatory Interview Questionnaire
- Closing the Interviews
- Preparing an Investigatory Findings Report
Who Should Attend
HR Managers & any other line manager or leader
Why Should You Attend
Employers are legally mandated to investigate harassment, discrimination, retaliation, safety, and other complaints. Good investigators first create a plan that includes:
- What is the objective?
- Who will be interviewed?
- What will be investigated?
- What evidence needs to be collected?
Workplace investigations are crucial to establishing a safe and welcoming work environment. However, they are often complex and can involve navigating sensitive topics and disputes.
A poorly conducted internal investigation can cost a company financially and damage its reputation, not to mention the reputation of the person overseeing such a probe. Some of the common mistakes made include:
- Failing to plan
- Delaying an investigation
- Not remaining objective
- Using aggressive interviewing tactics
- Not conducting a thorough investigation
- Failing to conclude with a written report
Conducting workplace investigations is one of the most challenging duties that HR professionals and other managers must face due to today’s workforce demographics, new employment laws, employees' increased awareness of their rights—a quagmire of potential landmines—and many managers not trained to do so.
Employers must demonstrate fairness when conducting workplace investigations. And investigations should be thorough and well-documented before an employer takes any action. Additionally, effective workplace investigations need to be guided by the following principles:
- Neutrality—HR and other personnel involved in an investigation must be detached from an incident, remain objective, have no personal stake in the outcome, and give all employees involved the opportunity to provide their version of the incident.
- Thoroughness—To ensure that the proper decision is made, investigators must be thorough in uncovering all the necessary information while asking detailed questions during interviews
- Timeliness—Once an investigation is triggered, investigators must act promptly to avoid further acts of wrongdoing, and any disciplinary action must be administered in a timely manner to avoid legal issues.
Topic Background
Internal investigations are fact-finding initiatives conducted to uncover the truth about alleged misconduct. They must be done without compromising the relationship with employees or unnecessarily damaging anyone's reputation. All of these require planning, consistent execution, analytical skills, and an understanding of the legalities involved.
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$160.00
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