<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>investigation Archives - Wicklander-Zulawski</title> <atom:link href="https://www.w-z.com/tag/investigation/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.w-z.com/tag/investigation/</link> <description></description> <lastBuildDate>Fri, 24 Feb 2023 22:20:30 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.6</generator> <image> <url>https://www.w-z.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cropped-Favicon-Size-WZ-1-32x32.png</url> <title>investigation Archives - Wicklander-Zulawski</title> <link>https://www.w-z.com/tag/investigation/</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <item> <title>She Was Doing WHAT?!?</title> <link>https://www.w-z.com/2019/10/29/she-was-doing-what/</link> <comments>https://www.w-z.com/2019/10/29/she-was-doing-what/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Tony Paixão, CFI, CFE]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 29 Oct 2019 14:14:39 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Loss Prevention]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Police Interviewing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Workplace Investigations]]></category> <category><![CDATA[investigation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[methods]]></category> <category><![CDATA[research]]></category> <category><![CDATA[social media]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.w-z.com/?p=9610</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Social media is a treasure trove of personal, often relevant information at the disposal of any investigator willing to take the time to discover it. When preparing for an interview, no matter the nature of the offense, the investigator should plan to obtain background information on the subject. </p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com/2019/10/29/she-was-doing-what/">She Was Doing WHAT?!?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com">Wicklander-Zulawski</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<h5><em>Disclaimer: Verify company policy and legal guidelines regarding protection of personal employee data and privacy prior to conducting an investigation of social media accounts.</em></h5> <p>You know it’s a compelling case when your HR business partner is caught off-guard by the revelation. This was the response my team received after revealing the findings of a cursory social media investigation conducted before an upcoming interview.</p> <p>The issue was relatively trivial. The subject, an assistant manager at the location, was involved in a minor policy-related violation. Even if this individual admitted to violating the policy in question, the repercussion would have been limited to a write-up. Nothing more. Regardless of the underlying evidence, we still went about our routine of reviewing the social media footprint of the subject. In doing so, we located a video posted by the assistant manager on her Facebook page.</p> <p>She was seen in the cash office, after hours, with doors open, bills spread over the counter, and the safe wide open—all while smoking (<span style="color: #3366ff;">and we’re not talking about cigarettes</span>)! The video was posted to her personal, PUBLIC, Facebook profile. In addition to the video, when looking through the “comments” section, we discovered one of the stores’ OTHER assistant managers had commented on the photo with unapologetic laughter.</p> <p>So, as you can imagine, the interview initially scheduled to take place regarding a minor policy infraction, ended up evolving into something far different.</p> <p>Social media is a treasure trove of personal, often relevant information at the disposal of any investigator willing to take the time to discover it. When preparing for an interview, no matter the nature of the offense, the investigator should plan to obtain background information on the subject. This could involve anything from running their criminal record to obtaining their HR file to speaking with individuals who may be able to provide knowledge of the prospective interviewee.</p> <p>What is often overlooked, is the power of leveraging social media queries to aid in building the subject profile.</p> <p>Going into the conversation armed with the subject’s personal data, allows the interviewer to strategically craft their approach to elicit the maximum amount of truthful information. It also provides the interviewer with a baseline reference of background information to corroborate or disprove statements introduced throughout the conversation.</p> <p>Many investigators have told me, “Well, I always try to quickly look them up on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/identifythetruth/">Facebook</a>, or something, before I sit down with them.” While an effort is being made, it’s just barely scratching the surface of where the hunt could (and likely will) take you. I’d venture to guess everyone reading this article has observed firsthand the volume of unnecessary information that people share on social media platforms.</p> <p>…or have none of you met my mom?</p> <p>What most of these over-sharers fail to consider (or generally don’t care about), is how easily accessible this data is to anyone willing to take the time to find it.</p> <p>My suggestion: Take the time to find it.</p> <p>It’s not a stretch to start your social media deep dive armed only with the employee name and email address and walk away with any or all of the following:</p> <ul> <li>Marital status</li> <li>Children</li> <li>Financial status (perceived through photos and reality via comments)</li> <li>Family members</li> <li>Close acquaintances</li> <li>Location (concerning the event in question)</li> <li>General health/Physical capabilities (especially for workers comp cases)</li> <li>Outlook on current/former jobs and peers</li> <li>Political affiliation</li> <li>Religious affiliation</li> <li>Hobbies</li> <li>Education level</li> <li>Criminal history</li> </ul> <p>And the list goes on.</p> <p>Let’s take a hypothetical scenario:</p> <p>You are about to conduct a subject interview of, let’s call him Dave, who allegedly made a threatening comment to a co-worker. You have his HR file, which includes all of his basic personal identifying information. You start on Facebook and locate a profile where the listed photo (remember this for later in the article) matches your subject, Dave. After spending a couple of minutes scrolling through his profile, you obtain a list of two “potential” family members, along with three other people who appear to be close with him. You make this assumption based on the frequency of photos where they appear together, in addition to one individual who frequently comments on Dave’s posts.</p> <p>You observe Dave has posted a few comments alluding to being “frustrated” at work—explicitly referring to an unnamed coworker. You also notice some of the posted photos are linked to Dave’s Instagram profile, now providing you with the associated username for that platform—which you can dive into next.</p> <p>With the newly acquired information, you can now run similar queries on each of the individuals who were “associated” with Dave.</p> <p>As you can see based on the example above, once you start down a path, you will be presented with one open door after the other that you can continue to walk through, each one providing more information than the last. You’ll find yourself checking the clock, and realizing you’ve spent the last few hours digging into this individual’s digital footprint, but it’s not for nothing. You went in with only an HR file, and you will likely be walking out with intimate knowledge critical to your investigation/interview.</p> <p>Starting with a focused objective and staying true to the objective is key.</p> <p>Ask yourself, “What am I looking to achieve?” Whether you’re simply trying to gain insight on the background of a witness, hoping to find incriminating/mitigating evidence before a suspect interview or just corroborating known information—the path taken can lead you in a thousand different directions.</p> <p><em>Don’t undervalue the step of establishing your intent BEFORE getting started on your quest. </em></p> <p>What often happens if the investigator goes in without clarity for cause, is distraction settles in. Take our hypothetical example with Dave. If you went in without a codified goal in mind, you could have easily “come to” after an hour of digging, only to realize that you’ve been taking notes for a cornflake casserole recipe posted on the profile of Dave’s great aunt, twice removed.</p> <p><em>Targeted goals are critical for staying focused and maximizing your efficiency with the investigation.</em></p> <p>Believe it or not, there’s more to social media than Facebook—a lot more. As School House Rock so eloquently preaches, “knowledge is power.” Let’s look at a few simple resources available to the public and offer a helping hand to the eager investigator:</p> <p><strong>Spokeo: </strong></p> <p>Spokeo isn’t new to the social media investigators arsenal, but there’s a reason it’s still around today—it helps. This site assists in combing through sixty of the most popular social media sites in search for multiple profiles all connected via the same email address. So, once you obtain the individual’s email, you can start down the Spokeo trail.</p> <p><strong>Geosocialfootprint.com:</strong></p> <p>Initially created to be used as a research tool, this site offers the ability to create a location “footprint” associated with the Twitter handle in question. It aggregates all location data tied to the tweets from the handle in question and plots the data directly onto a map. Visually, this a great tool to start conceptualizing your subject’s known locations during the timeframe of interest.</p> <p><strong>Knowem:</strong></p> <p>I’m going to share a personal, terribly embarrassing story with you—strictly for educational purposes. When I was in 6<sup>th</sup> grade, I was sitting around with one of my good buddies trying to come up with our first AOL Instant Messenger screen name.</p> <p>Now, this was a big deal at the time—this name would be synonymous with who we were as 11-year-olds.</p> <p>All our potential coolness would be riding on this paramount choice. After what felt like hours of intellectual debate amongst the two of us, the song “Ghetto Superstar” came on the radio. It was as if the divine walls to juvenile wisdom came tumbling down. And in that moment, that vital, pivotal moment, my friend shouted, “I’ve got it! I’m going to be “Supastar8450!”. Not wanting to be left out of his inspirational decisiveness, I piggybacked.</p> <p>“Perfect! I’ll be Ghetto86842!”</p> <p>So, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. The screenname for the first few years of my online existence was Ghetto86842.</p> <p>A true trailblazer, I was.</p> <p>Now, how is this relevant to Knowem? Had someone wanted to do some digging to find out what 11-year-old me was up to, they could have searched my ridiculous screenname to see if there were other profiles linked to the same handle. This is especially helpful if you are looking for sister accounts across various platforms. When the handle doesn’t include the person of interest’s actual name, using a resource like Knowem can be clutch. Had I owned multiple accounts across various platforms with the username “Ghetto86842”, Knowem would have been able to find the link and provide a list of all accounts associated with that depressingly terrible handle.</p> <p><strong>Google (ever heard of it?):</strong></p> <p>The last resource I’ll cover is without question the most obvious: GOOGLE, people! Typing personal data points into Google often uncovers a wealth of knowledge that can serve as the springboard to your investigation. When searching on Google, or just about any search engine for that matter, you’ll save a lot of time and heartache by familiarizing yourself with “Boolean Operators”.</p> <p>While the term brings one to imagine these “operators” are tools of vast complexity with alien origin, that couldn’t be further from the truth. They are simple words (AND, OR, NOT or AND NOT) used to enhance the outcome of the intended search parameters. Using these clever conjunctions properly allows the investigator to comb through <em>likely</em> relevant results, rather than looking for the needle in a haystack.</p> <p>Another helpful Google search function is the use of the “reverse image” query. Similar to how people often use the same username across multiple platforms, they tend to use the same profile photo as well. Running a reverse image search of the known profile photo could surface new landing pages previously unknown to the investigator.</p> <p>While these are just a few of the resources available, there are many, many more, that can be of great assistance to the aspiring social media detective. Some resources appear on the scene and are immediate game-changers (think Facebook Graph Search, Stalk scan..etc), but only end up lasting for a brief moment in time. Staying relevant with the best tools simply requires the investigator to remain vigilant to industry trends. In addition to staying up to speed with trends, it’s also beneficial if the investigator has a level of personal expertise navigating the social media realm.</p> <p>The easiest way to accomplish this is either by creating and USING (careful not to overshare) the sites on your own, or, if the thought of having an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wz_training/">Instagram </a>or TikTok account is the stuff your nightmares are made of—do a little reading on the side to stay informed.</p> <p>Like all things, if you want to become (and remain), a savvy social media investigator—you need to practice, practice and practice some more. And if you’re considering taking the leap and creating an account, feel free to reach out to me for username suggestions.</p> <p>Based off my track record, I’m clearly a <a href="https://twitter.com/Paixao_WZ">natural</a>.</p> <p>Yours Truly,</p> <p>Ghetto86842</p> <div id="ritekit-alerts"></div> <div id="ritekit-alerts"></div> <div id="ritekit-alerts"></div> <div id="ritekit-alerts"></div> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com/2019/10/29/she-was-doing-what/">She Was Doing WHAT?!?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com">Wicklander-Zulawski</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.w-z.com/2019/10/29/she-was-doing-what/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>10</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>And We Wonder Why Victims Don’t Report Sooner</title> <link>https://www.w-z.com/2019/09/12/and-we-wonder-why-victims-dont-report-sooner/</link> <comments>https://www.w-z.com/2019/09/12/and-we-wonder-why-victims-dont-report-sooner/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Dave Thompson CFI]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 12 Sep 2019 19:51:23 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[In the News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[harassment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[investigation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rape]]></category> <category><![CDATA[trauma]]></category> <category><![CDATA[victim]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.w-z.com/?p=9496</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Here we go again.  A report of rape and sexual assault where everyone, including NFL reporters, suddenly becomes an expert on how victims should react after a rape.  Unless you’ve shut yourself off from all news outlets, you are well aware of the federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District of Miami on September 10 alleging the New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown raped and sexually assaulted his former college classmate and personal trainer. I have no idea if these crimes occurred, and I’m going to reserve my judgment until further information is released.  These are serious allegations and should be investigated thoroughly without prejudice or bias… at least that’s how I thought this process worked. Unfortunately, I made the poor decision of scrolling through Twitter comments on this subject and I was not surprised to see the amount of journalists and other public figures immediately discrediting the complainant’s suit. Here is a quick glimpse of what made me take a double dose of my blood pressure meds this morning (I removed their twitter handles because they don’t deserve any more exposure): “If you’re raped the first you should do is call the police and have a rape kit done”...</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com/2019/09/12/and-we-wonder-why-victims-dont-report-sooner/">And We Wonder Why Victims Don’t Report Sooner</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com">Wicklander-Zulawski</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here we go again. A report of rape and sexual assault where everyone, including NFL reporters, suddenly becomes an expert on how victims should react after a rape. Unless you’ve shut yourself off from all news outlets, you are well aware of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/10/sports/football/antonio-brown-sexual-asssault-patriots.html">the federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District of Miami</a> on September 10 alleging the New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown raped and sexually assaulted his former college classmate and personal trainer.</p> <p>I have no idea if these crimes occurred, and I’m going to reserve my judgment until further information is released. These are serious allegations and should be investigated thoroughly without prejudice or bias… at least that’s how I thought this process worked.</p> <p>Unfortunately, I made the poor decision of scrolling through <a href="https://twitter.com/DThompsonWZ">Twitter</a> comments on this subject and I was not surprised to see the amount of journalists and other public figures immediately discrediting the complainant’s suit.</p> <p>Here is a quick glimpse of what made me take a double dose of my blood pressure meds this morning <em>(I removed their twitter handles because they don’t deserve any more exposure)</em>:</p> <p><em>“If you’re raped the first you should do is call the police and have a rape kit done”</em></p> <p><em>“If someone raped me in May I would have called the police in May, not issue a civil suit in September, when football season arrived”</em></p> <p><em>“…if they ‘sexually assaulted’ me I’m not going back to work with them”</em></p> <p><em>“Nobody would get raped and then stay in contact with the person”</em></p> <p><em>“No victim of rape would wait this long to report it, how convenient”</em></p> <p>Is there a motive to create a false allegation when there are millions of dollars involved? Yes.</p> <p>However, does the presence of money and fame make the accused less likely to be guilty? Hell, no.</p> <p>I understand the skepticism, especially coming from those who have never been a part of these investigations or victimized themselves. It’s difficult for the layperson to comprehend why a victim of sexual assault does not report it immediately, or even remains in the relationship where it occurred. One of the benefits of the #MeToo movement was broadcasting this very topic and the multiple reasons that victims delay reporting or never come forward. The bystander effect, the fear of being disbelieved or blamed, embarrassment and shame or the all too common “nothing is going to happen anyway” perception all combine to create the lack of reporting these issues.</p> <p>What’s more infuriating is regardless if the reports are substantiated or not, the reaction by those who have discredited the victim only perpetuates the fear of other victims of these types of crimes. Think about the incredible courage it takes to tell a loved one that you’ve been sexually assaulted, sharing that story with the media and in open court, reliving that experience repeatedly. Now, add to that the notion that if the report is made against a person of high financial status, there will be immediate doubt and skepticism to your allegations.</p> <p>In case you missed my point earlier, I don’t know if the allegations are true or not and neither do you. Regardless of the outcome of this case, my message to you is to withhold judgment and be aware that your commentary may very well be the one reason that a victim exists somewhere – and we’ll never know about it.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com/2019/09/12/and-we-wonder-why-victims-dont-report-sooner/">And We Wonder Why Victims Don’t Report Sooner</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com">Wicklander-Zulawski</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.w-z.com/2019/09/12/and-we-wonder-why-victims-dont-report-sooner/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>5</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Any Questions? Preparing for a Sexual Harassment Investigation</title> <link>https://www.w-z.com/2018/02/18/any-questions-preparing-for-a-sexual-harassment-investigation/</link> <comments>https://www.w-z.com/2018/02/18/any-questions-preparing-for-a-sexual-harassment-investigation/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Brett Ward CFI]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 18 Feb 2018 21:00:50 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Interview Strategies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Workplace Investigations]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Human Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[investigation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[sexual harassment]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.w-z.com/?p=7659</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com/2018/02/18/any-questions-preparing-for-a-sexual-harassment-investigation/">Any Questions? Preparing for a Sexual Harassment Investigation</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com">Wicklander-Zulawski</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wpb-content-wrapper"><section class="vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid"><div class="wpb_column vc_column_container col-xs-mobile-fullwidth"><div class="vc_column-inner "><div class="wpb_wrapper"><div class="last-paragraph-no-margin"><p>Did anyone else hear (feel) that loud “WHEW” a handful of weeks ago? ZERO chance you missed it. I happened to be in the air and its power knocked my plane off its heading. The Captain came across the intercom – “Folks – hope everyone’s okay back there. Unsure as to the root cause of that wind shear. Going to turn the seat belt sign back on for a little while in case of any others ahead. Flight attendants please take your seats.” While waiting down in baggage claim, I learned the source thanks to a TV with CNN running in the background. It was an exhale direct from the Cosby Legal Camp – a significant release of emotion due to the sexual harassment spotlight shifting somewhere else.</p> <p>We learned quickly that the spotlight was about to get <em>muy caliente</em>, and hit a target rich arena (the first of what would be many) – Hollywood. These last couple of months have been like watching a Cy Young winner at a local county fair throw a baseball and knock down targets to pick out a teddy bear for their better half. “Ping” – down goes Harvey Weinstein. “Ping” – there goes Kevin Spacey. “Ping” – Russell Simmons selling his own company. “Ping” – Brett Ratner knocked off the podium. <em>Attention then shifted to the media</em>. “Ping”- goodbye Bill O’Reilly. “Ping” – has anyone seen Charlie Rose lately – he’s not in makeup. “Ping” – adios Matt Lauer. “Ping” – Roger Ailes disappears. (<em>The dude behind the wire is nervously perusing his stuffed animal inventory</em>) <em>Then with unbelievable accuracy the world of sports comes in focus</em>. “Ping” – Bye bye Marshall Faulk, Heath Evans and Ike Taylor. “Ping” – Isiah Thomas on point again. “Ping” – Larry Nassar (175 is not enough). <em>Even the world of professional chefs was not unscathed.</em> “Ping” – Mario Batalli (Chew on that). “Ping” – Johnny Luzzini not so sweet apparently<strong>. </strong> <em>How about Washington DC?</em> “Ping” – Al Franken adjusting his professional goals. “Ping” – John Conyers. “Ping” – Roy Moore. “Ping, Ping” – Donald Trump, and Mark Halperin each taking direct hits. <em>Attention shifts back to the world of comedy</em>. “Ping” – Andy Dick gets dropped. “Ping” – Louis CK – not so funny eh? I can hear Larry Wilmore screaming in the backdrop “I AINT FORGOT ABOUT YOU #@$!!!“ (worth the You Tube – still makes me giggle). You know who else I can hear – the women’s voices who are clearly being heard now. “Any Questions?”</p> <p>It’s become increasingly apparent that 2018 is going to be the year of Karma. I’m sure everyone knows, or has been told by someone who loved them, “<em>Whatever Decisions you Make in Life, You Also Decide the Repercussions</em>.” The pace is different in many cases (unfortunately), but damn sure know it is coming. Rest assured, none of us are immune to it. I seem to remember reading somewhere “Let ye who is perfect cast the first stone” (and everyone drops their stone and walks away silently). We’ll just start with yours truly. Those sensitivity trainings (plural) sure have come in handy. Points taken, duly noted, implemented often (Last facilitator – “Do we have a clear understanding of areas of improvement? Me – “Crystal” (he said with above average eye contact)). And the Chicago WZ team just blew coffee through their noses ruining their laptops……</p> <p>Apparently I have been known to crack a “funny” (very loose & subjective use of the term) that others <em>who clearly do not share the same sense of humor </em>do not find as comical. Or maybe in a previous life I showed tendencies of an “aggressive management style” that apparently did not meet the standards of the world we currently reside in. It is amazing how many investigations I’ve worked in 28+ years in this field where someone who was asked to do their job was feeling “bullied” (and the HR crowd reading says “Amen”.) The only people who laughed at that are the 20K people who were forced to listen to me at one of my speaking engagements in my 20+ year career with WZ (ok, well at least the 200 that remember it…or the 20 who’d publicly admit it.)</p> <p><strong>It is, in fact, in your best interest to “know your audience”. </strong> What a blessing for someone like me to work for an organization that is more like a family (a tad more understanding and forgiving of <em>alleged</em> flaws). For example, I just returned from our annual internal meetings up in Chicago. Rest assured a handful of the pranks we have pulled on each other will go down in infamy, some of which created reactions that, let’s just say, were “colorful” in nature. Our last evening together, coming out of dinner with a few my fellow WZ speakers, Chris (Norris) and I head to our car while Mike (Reddington) is finishing up a chat with the others. We’re warming up the car as he’s heading over, hear the door open and close, so away we drive away. We’re heading down Butterfield Road chatting about our game plan for the morning and without turning around to look at him, Chris asks Mike for directions to a location for one more Coke Zero (cough cough) and there is silence. ”Yo Mike” (continued silence). Chris looks at me, I yell back “Dude – peel away from texting the wife for a second” (cricket noises in the backseat). We both turn around (yes, still driving) only to find the back seat is completely empty. Mike is AWOL. We both die laughing. Amazing we didn’t get in a wreck. We’re now officially 5+ miles away from where Mike was left behind, and later would discover he had resigned to the idea of walking back to our hotel. I call him and to his credit (and my disbelief), he was composed. Being a professional interrogator of like mind, I now must antagonize him into unshackling the real Michael Reddington at which time he unleashes a tirade explaining both of our untimely demises he created in quite a short timeframe. Had there been any witnesses to said conversation, an investigation would have certainly ensued. Both Chris and I would have of course (after paying off the restaurant management for all copies of parking lot video) proclaimed our innocence to avoid surfacing our (obvious) innocent participation in this (alleged) event to avoid potential repercussion, nor would we have brought forward any complaints of assault, workplace violence, fear of aggravated battery, larceny of my delicate emotional well-being, and a laundry list of other potential goodies. So now we have not two, but three unwilling participants in this hostile arena, each of which shall we say do not harbor the “submissive” gene so delicately sought after in the investigative interview. Who would like to tackle this one? Any Questions?</p> <p>Amazing how those of us tasked with handling sensitive investigations definitely understand what is appropriate, and what is not. We claim to know what is humorous, and what is not. We’re certainly supposed to know what policy is and what is not. Probably shouldn’t be in the role we’re in if we don’t know what the law is and what is not. Fantastic start, but you know what else would help? How about knowing the answers to incredibly valuable questions I hear often in our workshops such as:</p> <p><strong>Who should we talk to first – second – last?</strong> <em>It <u>does</u> make a genuine difference, and yes, there are strategic and specific options based on the severity of alleged offense.</em></p> <p><strong>How will I be able to identify the truth when interviewing professionals who’ve conducted these interviews themselves? </strong> <em>Through structured principles associated with specific, targeted questions.</em></p> <p><strong>How do we handle this case when brought to our attention by someone outside of the alleged victim or offender?</strong> <em>Are we sure the allegation is even accurate? A must know before initiating.</em></p> <p><strong>Can I ensure that everything I or my team will say will not incentivize an honest person to saying something untrue? </strong> <em>Absolutely, if using morally and ethically appropriate strategies.</em></p> <p><strong>What areas should I be considering during my investigative prep? </strong><em>Pros do not skip this step – ever.</em></p> <p><strong>What potential denials might each side present and how will I handle?</strong> <em>Emphatic, Explanatory, Specific</em></p> <p><strong>What strategy should I consider a best fit for the players involved?</strong> <em>Best investigators on the planet have multiple strategies, and they know when it is appropriate to use them.</em></p> <p><strong>Who all is involved in the investigative team and will they be consistent with their questions and strategy?</strong> <em>Could I compromise the success of the investigation with wrong team? YES</em></p> <p><strong>Without evidence, is there a strategy that I can be confident using to obtain as much information as possible?</strong> <em>That’s what education and training is for. WE ALL needed guidance throughout our career.</em></p> <p><strong>How do I get out of these conversations should everyone be unapologetically unwilling to participate? </strong><em>When in doubt – back out, professionally.</em></p> <p><strong>What rationalizations do I feel would create an atmosphere that would allow savvy people the opportunity to want to participate in this sensitive communication?</strong> <em>If all we have here are stories as old as dirt, memorized and regurgitated over and over – well, no Bueno.</em></p> <p><strong>What exactly do I want/need in the documentation to ensure our final objectives as an organization is met? </strong> <em>Quickest way to compromise a good investigative interview is a poorly structured document.</em></p> <p>I can’t define how much I enjoy working with our HR/ER professional partners around the globe. They have a sincere desire to elevate their education and skill sets in the art of investigative interviewing. They know how important it is to their careers to be efficient and confident in the strategies they need for these sensitive communications. And my personal fave – they know how to laugh and learn at the same time. I’m always amazed when speaking at different HR conferences how much “Legal Definition” and “What Is” training they have access to. However, I’m equally amazed at how little “So How Do I Handle It?” training they receive. The vast majority of these ever increasing Title VII, Title IX, and general sexual harassment cases are going to be handled with little more than circumstantial evidence. Whether WZ or someone else, we need to give the folks handling these cases the necessary tools to do so with confidence, integrity, and with proven techniques that are morally and ethically sound. <u>And then the next thing we do is bring change to a society that can, in fact, be impacted positively, one person and one act at a time……Any Questions?</u></p> </div><div class="vc_separator wpb_content_element vc_separator_align_center vc_sep_width_100 vc_sep_pos_align_center vc_separator_no_text vc_sep_color_grey wpb_content_element wpb_content_element" ><span class="vc_sep_holder vc_sep_holder_l"><span class="vc_sep_line"></span></span><span class="vc_sep_holder vc_sep_holder_r"><span class="vc_sep_line"></span></span> </div></div></div></div></section><section class="vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid"><div class="wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-8 col-xs-mobile-fullwidth"><div class="vc_column-inner "><div class="wpb_wrapper"><div class="last-paragraph-no-margin"><p>The <strong>WZ Seminar on Workplace Investigative Interviewing Strategies for HR/ER Professionals </strong>is pre-approved for recertification credit by HRCI. Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates, Inc. is also recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDC’s for the SHRM-CPSM or SHRM-SCPSM. Learn more <strong><a href="https://www.w-z.com/courses/?course=Workplace+Investigative+Interviewing+Strategies+For+HR%2FER+Professionals">HERE</a></strong>.</p> </div></div></div></div><div class="wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-4 col-xs-mobile-fullwidth"><div class="vc_column-inner "><div class="wpb_wrapper"> <div class="wpb_single_image wpb_content_element vc_align_left wpb_content_element"> <figure class="wpb_wrapper vc_figure"> <div class="vc_single_image-wrapper vc_box_border_grey"><img width="150" height="150" src="https://www.w-z.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-WZ-HRCI-SHRM-Side-by-Side-150x150.png" class="vc_single_image-img attachment-thumbnail" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" title="2018 WZ HRCI SHRM Side by Side" srcset="https://www.w-z.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-WZ-HRCI-SHRM-Side-by-Side-150x150.png 150w, https://www.w-z.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-WZ-HRCI-SHRM-Side-by-Side-100x100.png 100w, https://www.w-z.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-WZ-HRCI-SHRM-Side-by-Side-60x60.png 60w, https://www.w-z.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-WZ-HRCI-SHRM-Side-by-Side-75x75.png 75w, https://www.w-z.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-WZ-HRCI-SHRM-Side-by-Side-40x40.png 40w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></div> </figure> </div> </div></div></div></section> </div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com/2018/02/18/any-questions-preparing-for-a-sexual-harassment-investigation/">Any Questions? Preparing for a Sexual Harassment Investigation</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com">Wicklander-Zulawski</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.w-z.com/2018/02/18/any-questions-preparing-for-a-sexual-harassment-investigation/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Skilled Interviewers Only: “The Walk & Talk” Method</title> <link>https://www.w-z.com/2014/08/19/skilled-interviewers-only-the-walk-talk-method/</link> <comments>https://www.w-z.com/2014/08/19/skilled-interviewers-only-the-walk-talk-method/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Wicklander-Zulawski]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 19 Aug 2014 16:33:10 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Interview Methods]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Certified Forensic Interviewer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[interrogation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Interrogation Training]]></category> <category><![CDATA[interview technique]]></category> <category><![CDATA[investigation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Loss Prevention]]></category> <category><![CDATA[walk and talk]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.w-z.com/blog/?p=1383</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>This article discusses a theory and approach to a modified form of general loss interviews.  Before making any practical use of this theory please partner with your respective supervisor and decision- makers at your company to ensure it complies with their guidelines.  This is an approach that takes a skilled, experienced interviewer to maneuver through the conversations appropriately. We have so many resources nowadays to help us identify internal theft or dishonesty.  Now we see IP cameras, remote monitoring, exception reporting, biometrics and other technology that provides us with alerts and reports pointing us to who the bad guys are in our company.  However, regardless of what technology is out there; sometimes the best resources to identify issues are the employees themselves.  They are a wealth of information; anything from knowing who is dating whom or which employee just got a DWI and is in some serious financial trouble.  Our employees can provide us with invaluable information initiating an otherwise vague investigation. Normally we would get a call from the boss regarding an awful shrink number and start scrambling, hoping that the answer is hidden in some exception report.  After looking for a few hours, calling your peers freaking out...</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com/2014/08/19/skilled-interviewers-only-the-walk-talk-method/">Skilled Interviewers Only: “The Walk & Talk” Method</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com">Wicklander-Zulawski</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This article discusses a theory and approach to a modified form of general loss interviews. Before making any practical use of this theory please partner with your respective supervisor and decision- makers at your company to ensure it complies with their guidelines. This is an approach that takes a skilled, experienced interviewer to maneuver through the conversations appropriately.</p> <p>We have so many resources nowadays to help us identify internal theft or dishonesty. Now we see IP cameras, remote monitoring, exception reporting, biometrics and other technology that provides us with alerts and reports pointing us to who the bad guys are in our company. However, regardless of what technology is out there; sometimes the best resources to identify issues are the employees themselves. They are a wealth of information; anything from knowing who is dating whom or which employee just got a DWI and is in some serious financial trouble. Our employees can provide us with invaluable information initiating an otherwise vague investigation.</p> <p><span id="more-4362"></span></p> <p>Normally we would get a call from the boss regarding an awful shrink number and start scrambling, hoping that the answer is hidden in some exception report. After looking for a few hours, calling your peers freaking out and maybe doing some video review, odds are that you haven’t identified the problem. If it was that obvious, shouldn’t we have found it months ago?</p> <p>My suggestion is we start talking to people. Normally this would be a great time to initiate selective or general loss interviews. But we all live in the real world, and especially in retail, it may be difficult to schedule 8-12 people and pull them out of the store. Maybe you’re in a drugstore or a specialty retailer and you only have 3 people working all day! Don’t let that scare you away… that’s when we implement “the walk and talk.”</p> <p>Hopefully when you are visiting stores you are taking time to talk to everybody, whether it’s the General Manager, the cashier or the receiving team. If you’re not, you need to start. This will help you develop rapport and minimize any reputation you may already have of being the “terminator.”</p> <p>During these quick meetings and touch-bases, let’s integrate a few selective interview questions. Now we don’t want to jump right into them, so calm their nerves a bit. Develop some rapport and explain that your job is to help identify the shrink issue in that location.</p> <p>You’ll be amazed what people will tell you. You just have to ask the right questions.</p> <p><strong>What do you think is the cause of the shrinkage?</strong></p> <ul> <li>9 times out of 10 times in a retail environment, you’re going to get an answer similar to this: “I think our shrink is bad because of shoplifting.”</li> <li>Agree with the employee that external theft is part of shrinkage, but now is a great time to give your sales pitch on internal theft and get their minds thinking in that direction.</li> </ul> <p><strong>What would be the easiest way for an employee to take merchandise/money from the store?</strong></p> <ul> <li>More than likely you’re going to get 2 different answers here:</li> </ul> <p style="padding-left: 60px;">– If they have some specific details, they are telling you either how someone in the store is already stealing, or even better, how they are stealing.</p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;">– If they are vague or give a few examples, these are probably good indicators of operational opportunities in your store that you need to clamp down on.</p> <p><strong>Who would have the best opportunity to cause a loss at the store?</strong></p> <ul> <li>Sometimes they will look at you like you have a horn coming out of your forehead, so you may need to follow up with a good probing question, such as: “If you were conducting the investigation, where would you start? Which department?”</li> <li>If and when they do answer the question, they are giving you a good idea of where you may want to start looking. Sometimes you’ll be lucky enough to get an actual name of somebody!</li> </ul> <p><strong>When is the last time you saw another employee cause a loss at the store?</strong></p> <ul> <li>Again, you don’t know unless you ask! We phrase this like an assumptive question to make it easier for the employee to tell us they do know something. It almost makes them want to give you an answer to satisfy your question.</li> <li>If they don’t have any examples, or claim to not know anything, follow up with “What would you do if you saw somebody doing something dishonest?”</li> </ul> <p>Depending on your relationship with the employee and the environment that you’re in, you will have to back out of the conversation after 10-15 minutes.</p> <p>There are two different ways that I end the “walk and talk”:</p> <ul> <li> <strong>WZ Method:</strong> If the employee gave you enough indications that they are up to no good, then this may be a situation where your “walk and talk” results in an actual interview back in the office.</li> <li><strong>Back-Out:</strong> Once you’ve collected your information you need to professionally and politely back out of the conversation without causing them to feel uncomfortable. I would suggest ending by describing your companies anonymous tip-line, and hand them a business card. You’d be surprised how many emails and calls I’ve received after these conversations where somebody happened to “remember” who they saw stealing.</li> </ul> <p>Remember, generally people want to help and people like to talk. It’s our job to reduce resistance, ask the right questions and elicit the truth. Keep in mind that you are in a public area, so you don’t want to discuss anything confidential or ask about anybody specific.</p> <p>Good luck out there, and after your next store visit… I think you’ll be happily surprised!</p> <p>To learn more about Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates visit our</p> <p>Web site: <a title="Main page" href="https://www.w-z.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.w-z.com</a> or follow us on twitter @WZ_Training.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com/2014/08/19/skilled-interviewers-only-the-walk-talk-method/">Skilled Interviewers Only: “The Walk & Talk” Method</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.w-z.com">Wicklander-Zulawski</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.w-z.com/2014/08/19/skilled-interviewers-only-the-walk-talk-method/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss>