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The HR Investigations Podcast

The HR Investigations Podcast

By: RPC HR
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 The HR Investigations Podcast: Exploring the Issues, Challenges, Strategies, and Solutions New episodes available bi-weeklyCopyright 2022 All rights reserved. Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Certified to Lead: Why HR Credentials Matter in Investigations & Employee Relations with Guest CEO Laura Middleton

    Certified to Lead: Why HR Credentials Matter in Investigations & Employee Relations with Guest CEO Laura Middleton
    Sep 1 2025

    Guest Laura Middleton, CEO, Human Resources Certification Preparation | HRCP.com

    In this episode, podcast host Natalie Ivey discusses Key topics:

    • The role of HR certification in building trust and influence during investigations
    • Key differences between SHRM and HRCI credentials
    • How certification prepares HR pros for high-stakes conversations with executives
    • Real examples where certification helped drive results
    • Getting started: Choosing the right certification for your goals
    • Announcement of Natalie’s upcoming 2-day virtual workshop: How to Conduct Internal Investigations: A Practical Workshop for HR Professionals on September 23-24 from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.

    REGISTER HERE

    • The workshop will provide education on how to navigate tricky employee relations’ issues, how to assess when to open an investigation and when not to, how to prepare for and conduct effective witness interviews, how to gather and preserve evidence, and how to prepare a final investigation report.
    • Examine the issue of managers just not documenting employee behavior and performance issues.
    • Discuss the danger in firing an employee “At-will” without any sort of documentation and how an EEOC investigator sees it
    • Examine why it is critical to have documentation that supports an employee engaged in misconduct that violated organizational policy or that the employee wasn’t meeting performance expectations
    • Discuss the issue of managers failing to document employee issues, run to HR announcing they wish to fire an employee and then view HR as “the enemy” when HR pushes back on a termination of employment due to lack of documentation.
    • Identify root causes to managers failing to document
    • Explain the benefits of phone apps and tech shortcuts to help managers stay organized and minimize the burdensome task of memorializing notes of employee conversations
    • Review several key solutions to improving managers’ documentation capabilities

    Natalie’s new book now available on Amazon:

    Check out Natalie’s new book here

    Connect With Us:

    • Subscribe at rpchr.com
    • Follow us on LinkedIn
    • Learn more about our SHRM and HRCI approved training programs and upcoming events at rpchr.com
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    22 mins
  • When HR Gets It Wrong: Lessons Learned from Botched Investigations

    When HR Gets It Wrong: Lessons Learned from Botched Investigations
    Aug 18 2025
    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 riskyHow poor documentation can damage your credibilityHow bias—conscious or unconscious—can derail fact-findingThe importance of procedural fairness and neutralityFive practical strategies for strengthening your HR investigations 🧪 Case Studies Covered: The Accused Was Never Interviewed – Leading to a wrongful termination lawsuitInvestigative Notes Go Missing – Resulting in lack of evidence during a legal disputeBias in the Interview Process – Causing mistrust and reopening of a closed case ✅ Natalie’s 5 Prevention Strategies: Use an investigation planDocument every stepEnsure neutralityBase conclusions on facts, not feelingsClose 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 👂 Listen + Subscribe: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms. 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review! LinkedIn: 🚨 New Podcast Episode Alert! 🎧 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? #HumanResources #WorkplaceInvestigations #HRPodcast #EmployeeRelations #Compliance #HRInvestigations #Leadership #HRTips #NatalieIvey #PodcastPromotion
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    12 mins
  • The Power of Persuasion in HR: A Conversation with Cindy Skalicky

    The Power of Persuasion in HR: A Conversation with Cindy Skalicky
    Aug 11 2025

    Episode Title: The Power of Persuasion in HR: A Conversation with Cindy Skalicky Host: Natalie Ivey Guest: Cindy Skalicky, Author of Red Light, Green Light

    Episode Summary:

    In this powerful episode, host Natalie Ivey sits down with messaging strategist and executive coach Cindy Skalicky to explore the power of persuasion in Human Resources. Whether you're presenting investigation findings to executives, coaching a challenging employee, or making a case for disciplinary action, how you deliver the message can make or break your influence.

    Cindy shares insights from her bestselling book, Red Light, Green Light: How Top Leaders Present with Polish, Get Buy-in, and Become More Influential. Together, Natalie and Cindy unpack strategies HR professionals can use to build executive presence, craft compelling narratives, and communicate confidently—especially in high-stakes, high-pressure environments.

    This episode is filled with real-world tips and practical tools that every HR professional should have in their communication toolkit.

    Key Topics Covered:

    • Why persuasion is essential in HR roles
    • The HOW-TO Model for structuring persuasive communication
    • Using storytelling techniques without compromising objectivity
    • Building executive presence in high-stakes meetings
    • Real-life scenarios: Persuading leadership to act on difficult decisions
    • Cindy’s top advice for becoming a more influential communicator

    Resources Mentioned:

    • Book: Red Light, Green Light by Cindy Skalicky

    • Link: https://www.amazon.com/Red-Light-Green-Buy-Influential-ebook/dp/B0FHGWNCPJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2GB9RLOCY9LTS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.i59XGqpF9NPzikhokdwGt0uFCd1t24XDscAW795j6Ac.XSN7YFwfAWyZXH_iUnGBZNG8AcYeet66MI4mil9ycfI&dib_tag=se&keywords=red+light+green+light+book+cindy+skalicky&qid=1754580145&sprefix=red+light+green+light+cindy%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-1

    Subscribe & Share

    Enjoyed this episode? ✅ Subscribe ⭐ Leave us a 5-star review 📤 Share with a colleague who could use a persuasion boost!

    Connect with Us

    Host: Natalie Ivey Website: https://www.rpchr.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieivey/

    Cindy's Website: https://onpoint-communications.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-skalicky

    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
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
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