When HR Gets It Wrong: Lessons Learned from Botched Investigations

Podcast Title: The HR Investigations Podcast

Episode Title: When HR Gets It Wrong: Lessons Learned from Botched Investigations

Hosted by: Natalie Ivey

 

Episode Summary:

In this episode of The HR Investigations Podcast, Natalie Ivey breaks down real-life investigation failures that resulted in serious consequences for organizations—from wrongful termination lawsuits to reputational damage and broken employee trust.

You’ll hear three case studies where HR got it wrong—sometimes unintentionally—and discover the critical lessons each one teaches about fairness, documentation, neutrality, and investigative bias.

Natalie also shares her Top 5 Prevention Strategies for avoiding costly missteps and building investigation processes that are defensible, ethical, and compliant.

 

🔍 What You’ll Learn:

• Why skipping key steps in an investigation can be legally risky
• How poor documentation can damage your credibility
• How bias—conscious or unconscious—can derail fact-finding
• The importance of procedural fairness and neutrality
• Five practical strategies for strengthening your HR investigations

 

🧪 Case Studies Covered:

1. The Accused Was Never Interviewed – Leading to a wrongful termination lawsuit
2. Investigative Notes Go Missing – Resulting in lack of evidence during a legal dispute
3. Bias in the Interview Process – Causing mistrust and reopening of a closed case

 

✅ Natalie’s 5 Prevention Strategies:

1. Use an investigation plan
2. Document every step
3. Ensure neutrality
4. Base conclusions on facts, not feelings
5. Close the communication loop with all parties involved

 

📚 Resources Mentioned:

• How to Conduct Internal Investigations by Natalie Ivey
  https://www.amazon.com/How-Conduct-Internal-Investigations-Professionals/dp/1948382970/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fMSMv7BRFHw6ljJoBjP4uGljsUr8ocRRqCxTa6rWlSnGTlSUW7w1EUy8qROIMQPvboHzq4T7AX2fM0DI2T-eyVjPtyaK3aIZLR8lDDTOR8diQtTTAkNSWoNyP9Y0qlH7DjF5D7Zm7baLMUMDJyUmIUoAyCy6YA-MXARlZUOvk2U0AdiiLHIELS1i6lweM_F-dgzrSkLVNq34XyWd3uzdLuHaKiyTQgo3ZBCG6SqFdCc.wzBpFyf_pJMoKelkCm3YeZPXZzCfdZUvuKyrwwpLH_I&qid=1755647855&sr=8-1

Join Natalie Ivey for a live, 2-day virtual workshop:
How to Conduct Internal Investigations – A Practical Workshop for HR Professionals
September 23–24 | 🕚 11 AM – 5 PM ET | 📍 Via Zoom
Walk through a mock investigation, learn credibility assessment techniques, and gain practical tools to handle even the toughest cases.
Register by September 16 – Spots are limited!

Join Natalie Ivey for a live, 2-day virtual workshop:
How to Conduct Internal Investigations – A Practical Workshop for HR Professionals

September 23–24 | 🕚 11 AM – 5 PM ET | 📍 Via Zoom
Walk through a mock investigation, learn credibility assessment techniques, and gain practical tools to handle even the toughest cases.

Register by September 16 – Spots are limited!
https://www.rpchr.com/events

 

 

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When HR Gets It Wrong: Lessons Learned from Botched Investigations

As HR professionals, we do our best to handle investigations thoroughly and fairly. But let’s face it—sometimes we miss the mark. And when that happens, the consequences can be costly: lawsuits, damaged reputations, and broken trust.

In the latest episode of The HR Investigations Podcast, I break down real-world investigation failures—cases where things went sideways—and share the key lessons every HR pro should know.

✅ A supervisor was fired—without ever being interviewed
✅ Investigation notes mysteriously “disappeared”
✅ Bias derailed the fact-finding process

I also share my Top 5 Prevention Strategies to help you avoid these mistakes and build investigation processes that are ethical, defensible, and compliant.

🔁 Share with your HR colleagues
💬 Let me know in the comments: What’s one lesson you learned the hard way in an investigation?

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