Top Five Best Practices For Workplace Investigations

A well-conducted investigation can reduce workplace conflict, promote job satisfaction and inclusion, and can also help shield you from legal liability. However, the converse is also true — a botched investigation can have enormous implications, both from a business and legal perspective. Fortunately, there are a number of simple steps you can take to ensure effective workplace investigations:

• Plan each investigation first: After receiving a complaint, you should first plan the investigation — identify the appropriate investigators and interviewees, the questions to ask, and any documentation to collect and review. Of course, you can revise this plan during the investigation, but you should always give some advance thought to how to conduct the investigation.