Workplace Investigations – How to Conduct Witness Interviews
Duration: 90 minutes
Speaker: Teri Morning
Webinar Description
Every employer will at some time be faced with conducting a workplace investigation. For most employers the most challenging aspect is struggling to gather information during witness interviews. Many employees for a variety of reasons are reluctant to be involved and can be less than forthcoming. To fulfill employer obligations with respect to complaints that could result in employer liability, it is crucial that interviews are structured to gather all available accurate information, notwithstanding employee emotions that are often running high.
The investigator in many workplaces is often an already overburdened employee to whom another time consuming project is now assigned. This investigator may have had little or no training in how to perform internal investigations.
Investigations by their very nature tend to leave at the least some employee relations damage. It is important that an employer learn how to take steps to avoid retaliatory behavior toward individuals involved in investigations or who have made complaints. This webinar will help investigators move through a difficult process that must be done correctly to assess the facts.
Agenda
- How to prepare and what to do before an interview
- Organizing your interview so you can ask good questions
- Starting and ending your interview
- Strategies for the reluctant witness
- The angry "hothead". Dangerous or something else?
- Body language: Can you tell if a witness is giving false or skewed testimony? Developing behavioral baselines
- Considering cultural diversity
- The note taker and their role
- Taking notes and pacing the interview
- Educating all parties about preventing retaliation
- What about witnesses that are not your employee? Tips for customer complaints and joint employment interviews
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Continuing HRCI Credit Information
This program has been pre-approved for 1.5 hours of General recertification credit hours through the HR Certification Institute. Use of the seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute's criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit.
Continuing SHRM Credit
Logistics
- 90 minutes (Travel Free) delivered over the Internet.
Unlimited listeners per connection - bring the entire department.
Q&A session with the expert.
This event will be presented live with a PowerPoint presentation to be viewed on your computer. You may listen to the audio of the webinar by telephone or through your computer. The PowerPoint slides will be provided shortly before the event. Once you register, you will receive an email which is your receipt and which includes your instructions for dialing in and logging on. You will also receive an email reminder 24 hours before the webinar.
What is a webinar?
A webinar is a live Internet based seminar. Webinars are a way for participants in many different locations to see and hear a presentation and view PowerPoint slides. You can also have your colleagues attend the webinar using one connection.
What kind of equipment do I need?
You will need a computer with an Internet connection (high speed service such as DSL or cable works best) and a telephone. You may listen to the webinar through your computer speakers, in which case you will not need to use a telephone connection. Internet access is not required for phone-only participants, but you will not be able to see the speaker’s slides.
How can I share the webinar with my colleagues who may not be able to attend the event?
CDs of each program will be available for sale and can be shared with your business associates.
Can I get a copy of the PowerPoint slides used in the webinar?
The PowerPoint slides will be available on the materials page link in the confirmation email that will be sent to you no later than the morning of the day a webinar is presented.
How do I ask a question during the webinar? Will my question be answered during the presentation?
A question and answer session will be scheduled at the end of each webinar. You can then ask a question by typing it into the question box that will be provided to you duringthe webinar. You may also ask a question through the telephone connection. As many questions as possible will be answered during the Question and Answer period.