Investigations

In this week’s WZ / IAI interview and interrogation training tip—one of the most popular in the archives—Dave Thompson, CFI, details discussing rationalization with the subjects, and the content of such rationalization.

Compassion can be an important component to assist people when they decide to tell the truth. How might you, as an interviewer, apply compassion to your conversations about employee dishonesty?

Sometimes we forget about that all-important time frame and all the things that could go wrong during that two- to five-minute walk. Are we properly preparing our business partners on what to do or say during that conversation?

Often, experienced and confident interviewers tend to ask for less feedback over time. The more interviews they have conducted, the less feedback they request. That's a dangerous combination.

Interviewers often make an implicit promise or suggestion of leniency, without actually realizing what they're saying. Think about the risks that come along with your go-to lines or phrases.

Simply put, change of perspective is to allow the subject to see the situation from a decision-maker's point of view. Even though somebody has done something wrong, there are still two different ways to handle that situation: talk about it, or continue to lie about that happening.

Few core competencies are as important to senior loss prevention executives as a proficiency in theft investigations. Whether it is knowing when to initiate an investigation, how...

Rationalizing and allowing a subject to save face is a very powerful tool. We want to make sure we're doing it the right way. My challenge to you is: have you evolved in the way you deliver and understand the risks and importance of rationalizing with your subjects?

The commonly used phrase "human lie detector" is a worrisome phrase. It's worrisome when people think they can identify truth or deception simply based off somebody brushing lint off their shoulder.