In this episode of The HR Investigations Podcast, we speak with a leading executive from CaseIQ, a premier case management software company, about the vital role of technology in handling sensitive HR investigations. From bulletproof documentation to ironclad evidence security—and now AI-driven insights—you’ll learn how to modernize your HR practices to minimize risk and boost efficiency.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to document investigations properly to protect your organization
• Why spreadsheets are no longer safe for managing case files
• How AI is assisting with case summaries, trend analysis, and risk reduction
• What to look for in a modern case management platform
• Why case analytics can help HR be more proactive and data-driven

Guest:

Jakub Ficner, Director of Partnership at CaseIQ https://www.caseiq.com/?utm_source=hr-investigations-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=Smart-Investigations-How-AI-and-Case-Management-Solutions-are-Transforming-HR-Investigations-Case-Management

Connect with Us: Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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! To Register go to: https://www.rpchr.com/events

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

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

In this episode of The HR Investigations Podcast, host Natalie Ivey dives into a crucial but often overlooked area: the role of senior leadership in supporting internal investigations. Too often, HR teams are conducting complex and sensitive investigations without clear support or understanding from the C-suite—and that can spell disaster.

Natalie unpacks the most common misconceptions executives hold about the investigative process and how HR professionals can bridge this knowledge gap. From enterprise risk management to legal exposure and employee morale, investigations have ripple effects throughout the organization—and the C-suite needs to be tuned in.

Tune in to learn:

• How to educate executives about HR’s role in investigations
• Tips for presenting investigative findings to senior leaders with clarity and impact
• What to include in your next leadership briefing on workplace culture and legal risk

Whether you're in HR, legal, or a leadership role yourself, this episode will equip you with the insights to elevate the investigative function in your organization—and ensure it gets the strategic attention it deserves.

Resources Mentioned:

• Connect with Natalie Ivey on LinkedIn
• Explore more episodes of The HR Investigations Podcast, specifically Seal of Honor: Leadership Accountability and Lessons from the Frontline https://rpchr.podbean.com/e/seal-of-honor-leadership-accountability-and-lessons-from-the-frontline/

Remote but Not Invisible: Investigating Misconduct in Hybrid and Remote Work Environments

Episode Highlights: As remote and hybrid work have become the norm, employee misconduct hasn’t disappeared—it’s just gone digital. In this episode, host Natalie Ivey unpacks the complexities of conducting internal investigations when your workforce is no longer down the hall but scattered across Zoom, Slack, and email threads.

Tune in to learn how to handle complaints in a virtual environment without compromising the integrity of your investigations. From digital evidence to virtual interviews, this episode is packed with actionable strategies for HR and employee relations professionals navigating misconduct in today’s dispersed workplace.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• The key differences between remote and in-person investigations
• Common complaints arising in hybrid and remote settings (harassment, time theft, digital communication conflicts, and more)
• How to gather and preserve digital evidence with help from IT
• Interviewing best practices for virtual environments
• How to maintain confidentiality when employees are working from home
• Mistakes to avoid when investigating remotely

Upcoming 2-day Virtual Investigations Workshop: Ready to sharpen your investigation skills? Join Natalie Ivey for a live, 2-day virtual workshop: How to Conduct Internal Investigations – A Practical Workshop for HR Professionals July 23–24 | 🕚 11 AM – 4 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 July 16 – Spots are limited! Visit www.rpchr.com or click the link in today’s show notes.

Resources Mentioned:

• Register for the Workshop https://www.rpchr.com/webinar/internal-investigations-virtual-event
• Connect with Natalie Ivey on LinkedIn
• Explore more episodes of The HR Investigations Podcast

Natalie’s upcoming 2-day Virtual Investigations Workshop:

July 23-24, 2025 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Details and registration link:

https://www.rpchr.com/webinar/internal-investigations-virtual-event

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

• Announcement of the release of the 2nd edition of Natalie Ivey’s book, How to Conduct Internal Investigations: A Practical Guide for Human Resource Professionals
• Announcement of the upcoming 2-day virtual workshop: How to Conduct Internal Investigations: A Practical Workshop for HR Professionals on July 23-24 from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm. 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

Check out Natalie’s new book here:

https://www.amazon.com/How-Conduct-Internal-Investigations-Professionals-ebook/dp/B0F6W3CM8M/ref=sr_1_1?crid=85BSXHJNIJZD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fMSMv7BRFHw6ljJoBjP4uGljsUr8ocRRqCxTa6rWlSliyLb1ONDXw2uFskHFDMgJrFZYU6wBbZtWWt1f40QjEPHBqcKQLxThHAdG8qr7WYRjihInvDtQv5WKLxiNchk0ISvRSh3mVRHdpRjh0Xk1xOwGBrJJFKFS3nu6ZBJ2tPaRD5WxK2_S9j2qMo1FO37E_pjkwBF46P-zFuwxgvY-dQJmex4m-cgpkXKAbsvXSu4.Ycb0vQbtuKH2IaUhA4lKpd3uAreWsrft58a2JMMsVSw&dib_tag=se&keywords=natalie+ivey&qid=1748551923&sprefix=natalie+iv%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-1

Visit RPC HR for more information.

Check out Natalie's REVISED book How to Conduct Internal Investigations: A Practical Guide for Human Resource Professionals here: https://tinyurl.com/y39s7n77