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Employee investigations are often started when they are the most difficult to complete --- after something has gone wrong. The next three paragraphs outline a more cost effective way to get better results, before problems develop.
Every business owner should maintain a written list of the most serious employee risks that they face, and they should prioritize these risks. The list of risks will vary according to the type of business. The owner and the leaders should regularly review the risks to see if any have changed. Preventive investigations are almost always less expensive than after-the-loss investigations.
Regular written job performance reviews are a key component of prevention. Done well, these reviews help most employees become better at their assigned functions. When used to document the repeat offender, written reviews are invaluable validation for the termination decision, and they are often useful to defend against employment litigation.
Finally, MBAs are often valuable employees, but MBWA is an invaluable process. Managing By Walking Around provides significant time to managers at the production and service levels of their organizations. A keen observer can often spot the precursors of a problem before it requires an investigation.
If you suspect that something has gone wrong, or that a crime has been committed, you should complete an intelligent investigation. In certain cases, you may ask an outside agency or resource to complete the investigation for you, especially if you have any kind of relationship (business or personal) with the employee in question. Employee investigators should be licensed.
At least three forms of investigation are widely used, covert, overt and a hybrid. The hybrid combines some of the best elements of the covert and the overt, and it is often performed by an outside consultant or investigator. If you hire an investigator with actual business or consulting experience, then you have a very strong cover story for your investigation.
Hiring an outside consultant or investigator to work on a real business problem or opportunity has the following benefits:
(1) the suspects are not the focus of the intervention,
(2) a broad range of questions can be asked,
(3) all participants are obligated to answer questions and participate in any solutions, and
(4) you may find out about other problems and opportunities, outside the scope of the original employee investigation.
Let me review with you your particular situation and examine if an outside investigator would make the best sense for your situation. Fill in the form below and I will contact you within 24 hrs. There is no obligation
