There are several reasons why HR professionals say they don’t need an HR investigation software, but there are a few that I hear time and time again. You may even find yourself using one or more of the reasons below. And that’s understandable with all the new technologies entering the HR marketplace today. As a 25- year HR professional myself, I used to feel the same way. But before you reply on the same old responses, it may be worth looking a bit deeper.

Let’s look at the 5 reasons “why we don’t need HR investigation software” that I hear most often.

  1. We have a team of HR people who conduct our investigations. They all have experience and like to do things their own way. They’d be resistant to being told how to do their investigations.
    • Good HR investigators have developed special skills such as how to draw out information from someone who doesn’t want to talk. Or, how to know when someone is lying. But no matter how strong your investigators are, using different skills and techniques can result in challenges when it comes to proving that your investigation process (or processes) are consistent and unbiased.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
  2. Every investigation is different and needs to be handled according to the situation. Investigation technology is too rigid to allow us to handle each investigation accordingly.
    • If you have ever had to defend your investigation process in response to a discrimination or harassment claim with the EEOC or a state agency, then you understand the fine line between having an effective, repeatable investigation process and using your process to obtain the information needed across all types of investigations. An automated investigation platform makes it easy to prove that a consistent process is used every time by not leaving any step to chance. For example, core questions are used to begin every interview ensuring an unbiased approach with every witness. While inserting clarifying questions based on responses allows you to dig in to obtain the responses you need to make a fair determination.
  3. Investigations are time consuming enough without complicating the process with pre-determined steps and requirements.
    • No matter how you conduct your investigations, the time required can be very taxing on your staff. And if you’re a solo HR practitioner, it can really impact your schedule. When asked approximately how many hours it takes to conduct an investigation, responses were all over the board. But one thing was very consistent. When asked to provide a time estimate that included preparing for the investigation, converting notes to readable testimony, and writing the final report, the time estimates almost always doubled. An automated process can be very simple to use and reduces redundant data entry, time spent creating notices to investigation participants, and final reports are generated for you, reducing time by up to 40%.
  4. We have an attorney who we consult with on our investigations, so we’re pretty sure that we can defend our determinations and practices.
    • It is always important to have good legal counsel to provide you with guidance on appropriate corrective actions, especially in the case of a termination resulting from an investigation. But your attorney cannot be there every step of the way during the investigation itself. If your attorney participates in conducting the investigation, he or she is not able to represent you should litigation ensue, due to the potential of being called as a material witness to the case. For that reason, automated investigation technology allows for your attorney to participate in an advisory role, while the technology itself provides the built-in compliance measures needed to protect you from exposure during every step of the investigation. Most attorneys appreciate the protections that technology provides for their clients.
  5. I understand the benefits from this type of technology and how it could be useful, but it’s not at the top of our priority list. We just don’t have a need for it yet.
    • The two items that are most often on the top of the HR priority list are talent acquisition and employee performance/engagement. And rightly so. When you are struggling to fill positions as we are in the current economy, productivity slows down making it of utmost importance to fill those open positions. Especially if current staff is not working to their fullest potential. But when you flip the coin and look at these issues from a proactive rather than reactive position, it becomes clear that cultural improvement through civility and communication can improve retention and build employee trust in their managers, peer and leaders. Studies show that employees who feel appreciated and respected, stay longer and work harder. These foundational begin with accountability for all staff, in all positions, throughout the company. And if waiting results in even one claim of harassment, discrimination or retaliation, hesitation can be very costly.

If you are ready to take a new look at how technology can standardize your investigation process, save you time and money, and ensure a consistent, defensible outcome to your investigations, schedule a demo at  http://thehrinvestigator.com/get-started/.  

For more helpful tips follow the HR Investigator’s Blog.