If you are searching for a workplace investigator in Brisbane, there is a good chance something has already happened at work and you are trying to work out what to do next.
It might be a complaint about bullying, harassment or inappropriate conduct. It might involve a senior employee. You may have two completely different versions of the same event. Or your People and Culture team may be perfectly capable of managing the matter but too close to it to investigate it comfortably.
The answer is not always to outsource the investigation. Plenty of workplace matters can be handled well internally. The question is whether an independent investigator will give you a clearer, fairer and more workable process in the circumstances you are dealing with.
What does an independent workplace investigator actually do?
An independent workplace investigator is engaged to establish facts.
That usually means clarifying the allegations, interviewing the people involved, gathering relevant documents and other evidence, testing competing accounts, and making findings based on the available evidence.
The investigator is not there to take sides. They are not the complainant’s advocate and they are not there to defend the respondent. Their job is to work out what happened and explain how the evidence supports the findings reached.
That distinction is important. A good investigation gives the organisation a reliable factual basis for whatever decision it needs to make next.
When is an independent investigator worth considering?
There are a few situations where independence can make a real difference.
The first is where the complaint involves somebody senior. Asking an internal employee to investigate an executive, business owner or senior leader can place that person in an awkward position. Even if they are completely fair, other people may still question whether the process was genuinely independent.
The same issue can arise where the People and Culture team has already been closely involved. They may have advised a manager, supported the complainant, dealt with earlier concerns or had previous involvement with the respondent. None of that means they have done anything wrong. It simply means their role in the matter may now be broader than that of a neutral fact finder.
An external workplace investigator can also be useful where the allegations are sensitive, the evidence is complicated, several witnesses need to be interviewed, or there is already a lack of confidence in the internal process.
What if the matter is serious?
Serious allegations often make organisations feel they need to act immediately. Sometimes they do need immediate practical measures, particularly where there is a current safety or wellbeing issue.
But acting promptly is different from deciding the outcome quickly.
If the facts are disputed, the investigation still needs to be careful. The more serious the allegation and the potential consequences, the more important it is that the process is fair, the evidence is properly tested and the reasoning is clear.
That may be a good reason to bring in somebody who has no previous involvement in the matter and can concentrate on the investigation itself.
When can an investigation stay internal?
There is nothing inherently better about an external investigation simply because it is external.
An internal investigation may be entirely appropriate where the issues are reasonably contained, the investigator has the right experience, there is no real conflict, and the people involved are likely to have confidence in the process.
Internal investigations can also be more efficient where the investigator already understands the workplace, systems and relevant background.
The key is to make the decision based on the matter in front of you, rather than having a rule that every complaint must be outsourced or every complaint must stay internal.
Do you need a Brisbane based investigator?
For organisations in Brisbane and across Queensland, having an investigator who understands the local workplace environment can make the practical side of an investigation easier, particularly where in person interviews are useful.
At the same time, many workplace investigations can be conducted effectively across Australia using secure video interviews and electronic documents. The right arrangement depends on the people, the evidence and the nature of the allegations.
My own work includes workplace investigations in Brisbane as well as matters for organisations elsewhere in Australia.
Sometimes you need advice before you need an investigator
One of the most useful conversations can happen before an investigation is commissioned.
You may have received a complaint and be unsure whether it needs a formal investigation at all. You may need help separating the real allegations from the surrounding workplace history. You may want an independent view on scope, process or whether your internal team can reasonably handle it.
That does not require turning the matter into something bigger than it is.
If you are weighing up whether to manage a matter internally or engage an independent workplace investigator in Brisbane, I can help you work through that decision. If an independent investigation is the right next step, I can conduct it. If it is not, I will tell you that too.