Versions of Events Differ? Raising Challenges in Interviews If you are conducting a workplace investigation, no doubt you’re dealing with something unpleasant. All the more so because at some point you will have to conduct an interview with the person against whom allegations have been made. Allegations have been made, an interview is required To […]
How to Use Timelines in Interviews When conducting an investigative interview in the workplace, finding out exactly ‘who did what when’ can be somewhat easier said than done. Because we are generally interviewing a number of people and collating various documents and/ or items, we need to find ways to accurately collect and reconcile the […]
Using Sketches to Trigger Memory in Interviews Professional investigators face one challenging adversary – human memory. The deterioration of memories over time, plus a number of ‘tricks’ that the brain can play when attempting to recall information has often frustrated professionals in the field. The well-known PEACE model of interviewing certainly assists workplace investigators to […]
Want to Audio Record Interviews But Not Sure How? When you are called upon to investigate a workplace issue, the desire to get a clear and accurate picture of the problem is understandably strong. Recording the interviews seems like a good idea – you’ll have a word-for-word transcript and be able to concentrate more on […]
Considering Cognitive Interviewing or Conversation Management? In carrying out workplace investigations, even the most seasoned investigators can grapple with selecting the right questioning techniques to use in particular circumstances. Choices can depend upon such variables as the nature of the alleged workplace problem, the character and cognitive make-up of each witness, and the amount of […]
Interviewing witnesses is a crucial part of any workplace investigation but it can sometimes be difficult to extract reliable evidence. According to the rules of evidence, hearsay, opinions and assumptions are not admissible in court and you should avoid using unsound evidence to make a decision on allegations of misconduct in the workplace. There are […]
The Fair Work Amendment Bill 2013 has just passed in the Senate, and come January 2014 HR managers will have to consider more carefully how their organisation responds to complaints of bullying. The primary source of information in any complaint is the people involved; the complainant, the accused and co-workers who may have witnessed the […]
A woman suffered a vicious rape in London. There was little information to work with after the initial investigation. The victim had been drinking heavily before the attack and she believed there was little chance of the rapist being caught, let alone convicted. She seemed unable and unwilling to provide important details of what had […]
HARRIET STACEY on an age-old dilemma for investigators – even as technology makes it all so much easier. Regardless of recent technological developments that enable reliable digital audio recording without great expense – and mass access to MP3 and MP4 files and transcription programs – workplace investigators still dwell on this question: to audio record […]
During August we posted daily tips on investigations on our website, facebook and twitter. Here is the complete list of those tips. 31 Days 31 Tips Tip 1 – Silence is an interviewer’s best friend Tip 2 – Don’t assume anything Tip 3 – If in doubt ask Tip 4 – Consider each case on […]