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In episode 68 of “The JoyPowered^® Workspace Podcast,” JoDee and Susan discuss conducting workplace investigations. Topics include when workplace investigations are warranted, who should lead investigations, and the most critical steps to follow.

A large number of listeners have been requesting a podcast on this topic. Susan asks JoDee why she thinks so many people are interested in this topic. JoDee says a lot people just don’t know what to do about it – people are not sure how to approach the issue, who to talk to about it, and sometimes are not sure what they need to do.

JoDee and Susan discuss their experiences with workplace investigations over the course of their careers. Both JoDee and Susan say they wish they would have approached issues with a more formal investigative approach or structure. Susan goes on to discuss an example of a workplace investigation and the types of things involved in an investigation. Susan says she has seen or been involved in several different types of investigations, involving money laundering, stealing equipment, and more. She shares about a time when an individual on her team was misusing the corporate credit card.

JoDee and Susan close the podcast by responding to past listener questions related to investigations and lay out a structure on how to appropriately respond to these issues. One thing they discuss is the importance of making sure concerns, grievances, or issues are heard and that people know who to report them to. They also discuss when it’s important to bring executive leadership into investigations and when they might not be needed. Susan and JoDee also share an 8-step structure they believe is important to follow when investigating workplace issues.

For the listener question, JoDee and Susan tackle an issue about a coworker who wears strong perfume every morning to work and how this really irritates her colleague, Mary. How can Mary address this issue so her workspace can be joyful again? In the news, an article in the Wall Street Journal titled, “Walmart Uses Virtual Reality Before Promoting Workers” explains that not only is virtual reality becoming popular in recruiting and hiring, but that it is also used by Walmart in determining who to promote.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Purple Ink
• Susan Tinder White Consulting
• JoyPowered^®: Intentionally Creating an Inspired Workspace by JoDee Curtis
• The JoyPowered^® Family by JoDee Curtis and Denise McGonigal
• The JoyPowered^® Team by Erin Brothers, JoDee Curtis, Peggy Hogan, Denise McGonigal, Laura North, Susan Tinder White, and Liz Zirkelbach
• The JoyPowered^® Workspace Podcast Episode 18: SHRM Credit: Harassment
• “Walmart Uses Virtual Reality Before Promoting Workers”

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