Best practices in workplace investigations are well known and generally followed by both internal and impartial workplace investigators. The Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI) and the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) among other professional organizations outline steps that generally ensure a defensible and strong workplace investigation. These steps include the importance of a prompt and thorough investigation, a strong investigation plan, interview strategies, analysis frameworks and the investigation report.
While these standards are important, ensuring the investigator has a healthy level of curiosity to avoid confirmation bias, failure to track down nuances that could be important in the final analysis and simply questioning the “why” behind certain data points, can make all of the difference.
Here’s why curiosity in workplace investigations will result in better outcomes:
- Curiosity Combats Confirmation Bias
One of the most significant risks in any investigation is the tendency to unconsciously seek out information that confirms an initial hypothesis while discounting evidence that contradicts it. A curious investigator actively resists this pull. By approaching each interview, document review, and data point with genuine openness, asking: “what else might this mean?” investigators are more likely to follow the evidence where it naturally leads, rather than where they expected it to go.
- Curiosity Uncovers the Full Story
Workplace situations are rarely as straightforward as they first appear. A curious investigator doesn’t stop at the surface-level account. They probe the context behind events including the team dynamics, the history between individuals, and the organizational pressures at play, because they understand that facts without context can lead to flawed conclusions. Asking “why did this happen?” rather than simply “what happened?” often reveals systemic issues, contributing factors, or mitigating circumstances that are critical to a fair and accurate assessment.
- Curiosity Improves Interview Quality
Structured interview techniques are a cornerstone of best practices, but curiosity is what breathes life into them. An investigator who is genuinely interested in what a witness has to say will pick up on hesitations, inconsistencies, and offhand comments that a less engaged interviewer might miss. A curious follow-up, “can you tell me more about that?” or “what did you mean when you said…?” can open doors to information that no pre-planned question would have reached.
- Curiosity Leads to More Thorough Evidence Gathering
Standard investigation checklists are valuable tools, but curiosity pushes investigators beyond the checklist. When an investigator notices something unexpected in an email thread, a gap in a timeline, or a discrepancy between two accounts, curiosity compels them to investigate further rather than set it aside. These loose threads, when pulled, sometimes unravel a far more complete and accurate picture of events.
- Curiosity Supports Procedural Fairness
A thorough, curiosity-driven investigation is also a fairer one. When investigators take the time to genuinely understand all sides of a situation, not just the most obvious or convenient narrative, both complainants and respondents are more likely to feel that the process was fair, even if they disagree with the outcome. This perception of fairness is essential not only for the individuals involved, but for maintaining broader organizational trust in the investigation process.
- Curiosity Strengthens the Final Report
Investigation reports are only as strong as the analysis behind them. An investigator who has asked probing questions, chased down inconsistencies, and considered alternative explanations will produce findings that are more credible, more defensible, and more useful to decision-makers. Curiosity leaves fewer gaps for the report’s conclusions to be challenged.
Conclusion
Compliance with established investigation standards is the baseline, it is not the ceiling. The investigators who consistently produce the most reliable and defensible outcomes are those who bring genuine intellectual curiosity to their work. In a field where the stakes (careers, reputations, organizational culture, and legal liability) are extraordinarily high, curiosity is not a soft skill. It is a professional imperative.