Investigations

There are a lot of different things to take into consideration when you are considering using a phone or video interview versus face to face. Here are some things to consider.

As we all get used to a new normal, hopefully you’ll get excited about the prospect of phone interviewing. Here are some boiled down tips as a refresher.

In part one of this series, we discussed the increased need in today’s restrictive climate for investigators to conduct remote interviews. Now, we want to dive into technology that is becoming increasingly more popular for remote workers—the use of video conferencing platforms to communicate.

Investigators are now tasked with conducting more interviews remotely while taking precautionary measures for the safety and well-being of their team. This first in a two-part series will focus on the solutions that many investigators are relying on at this time.

If you think about after the interview, you have to worry about termination hearings, unemployment hearings. You have to worry about the defense if you’re doing a criminal case. You have to worry about any other area where they may try to attack the investigation. Let’s talk about that.

Are you a “great interviewer” or are you someone trying to do interviews? Are you a “loss prevention professional” or are you someone who catches bad guys? Finding the right definition for yourself can make all the difference.

New precedent has been set in a case over a retail chain’s handling of workplace investigations. The recent decision by the National Labor Relations Board makes it presumptively lawful for employers to mandate confidentiality during workplace investigations.

While nonverbal behaviors are open to interpretation by observers, the word choice individuals use must have been intentionally picked to express the person’s meaning. By examining the words selected, an interviewer can identify underlying information that needs to be more fully explored.

The first thing we should consider when examining lying is the differing cognitive aspects of the liar and truth teller. The truthful person knows they didn’t do the crime, while the liar knows they did and must hide that information from others. There are multiple ways for interviewers to identify liars.

Most instructions to witnesses in an interview may seem pretty straight forward, simple to understand, and easy to comply with. But it never hurts to take the time to explain why these instructions are so important and why their conduct during the conversation can have such a big impact on the ultimate outcome of the conversation.