How COVID led improvements to our Investigations and Assessments
Most of our investigations and workplace reviews are now conducted virtually. The use of virtual technology to keep us connected has been a positive adaptation to the challenges of the pandemic. The use of technology for conducting workplace investigations and anonymous culture reviews has increased confidentiality, saved time and money and therefore reduced the cost of conflict.
Prior to the now widespread use of virtual meetings, our clients were concerned with how their employees would accept a virtual interview. How comfortable and willing would they be to talk to someone over a computer screen? They asked how could trust be built and sustained? How could honesty and candor in the interview be ensured?
We question the myth that falsehoods and deflections are spotted more easily face-to-face. In Talking to Strangers, author Malcolm Gladwell suggests we make assumptions that alter our judgement based on many factors including appearance, context, and our own deeply-rooted cultural lens. Our questioning and memory may be influenced by underlying assumptions related to age, position, the nature of the complaint, and known history of the complaint. When using the telephone, being unable to be influenced by the race, age, and appearance, we start with fewer assumptions.
In-person interviews do not guarantee we find the truth. Interviewing is the path through the investigation. The questions we ask, the context of the complaint, the workplace culture and relationships, as well as the structures and systems imbedded in the workplace all play a part in understanding the complaint. The purpose of an investigation is to get to the best understanding of the origins and the facts of the complaint and then resolve the conflict.
The goal of our work as investigators is to be trustworthy and thorough and to constantly challenge our assumptions, regardless of the investigation venue. Virtual interviews have become our preferred venue to conduct climate reviews and most investigations.
When conducting anonymous interviews for culture reviews, using the phone is an option that creates a deeper sense of privacy and confidentiality for the person providing information. This comfort, when conducting an anonymous assessment for a complaint of bullying, provide a distance from the threat of retaliation which is, in many cases, paramount in a successful investigation.
Most employees are now comfortable with the technology and appreciate the option to be away from the office and out of sight and influence. A virtual call is often more private and confidential, increasing trust. When our clients are relaxed and in familiar surroundings, they may reveal more of what is important to them.
Communication and administration are easier and travel costs eliminated. Virtual and telephone interviewing is far less intrusive. When an investigator physically enters the workplace and takes colleagues away for interviews, rumours begin to circulate and Inevitable assumptions are made about the reason for the interviews. Once the rumours are widespread, divisions between people are created or worsened long before the investigation is completed. Restoring the workplace after an investigation becomes more difficult.
We are passionate about managing complaints fearlessly, proactively and in reducing the costs of conflict. All conflict is just good information that can be used to proactively improve the workplace.
