Corporate Investigations

We live in a divided time where it seems like it’s hard to find common ground with each other. But, it’s not all dark. There are still topics that we can agree on. Like, the idea that corporate investigations are a real headache. 

One of the biggest pains of corporate investigations is the discovery process. Overworked teams are often required to sift through  vast volumes of data and documents in a time-consuming and complex process. This data is  stored in disparate systems spread across different departments, making it more challenging to analyze.  

You might be thinking about bringing outside counsel to ease the pain, but it might be a good idea to look at the fees before jumping in. While all this drags on, your organization remains at risk.

Launching a  company internal investigation? The reasons can be many. If your company is in the middle of a merger or acquisition, corporate due diligence investigations might be required to move the deal forward. These help decision-makers understand the possible risks associated with the target company. 

Suspected fraud or misconduct within your organization can trigger a corporate forensic investigation to find the paper trail that leads to the suspect. Corporate digital forensics is also critical for finding the source, extent, and impact of cybersecurity breaches. Other reasons when you may have to launch an investigation could include regulatory compliance requirements, suspected intellectual property theft, and litigation support (gathering evidence in advance of a trial).

Ultimately, this is what corporate forensics and forensic corporate intelligence are all about – finding and analyzing the data in order to uncover the truth.

Corporate Investigation Process

Corporate investigations are a necessary tool for companies to ensure that their operations are running smoothly and ethically. When something seems off, it's important to conduct an investigation to find the truth. This could be anything from suspicion of fraud to a potential security breach.

The investigation process starts with gathering information. This could involve interviews with employees, reviewing financial records, or conducting forensic analysis. Once the investigators have all the facts, they can start piecing together what happened and who might be responsible. We’ll get to that in a minute. Before that, let's take a look at why we should conduct corporate investigations in the first place. 

The immediate aim of any corporate investigation process should be analyzing everything that occurred inorder to prevent it. Early intervention can play a big role in today's changing business world where companies need to ensure that their employees are operating ethically and within the boundaries of the law. 

Corporate investigations can help uncover any potential misconduct, fraud, or violations of company policies. By conducting thorough investigations, companies can prevent legal and reputational damage, as well as ensure a safe and fair workplace for their employees. 

Success in addressing and correcting workplace culture problems, encouraging employee communication and reporting, and enforcement of company policies is often a result of the right investigation management software and discovery tools. They help make the investigation process more transparent, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the company and its stakeholders.

How to Conduct a Workplace Investigation Step by Step

Let’s work back from that outcome and uncover the big question — what are the steps in conducting an investigation? If you’re already knee-deep in this process, you may be too familiar with how corporate investigations work, but it’s still worth covering for those of you who may have been taken by surprise. 

Step 1: Define The Scope

Corporations have business to do, so we need to start by setting boundaries on the time and resources we’re going to spend on this investigation. Setting the scope right on the front end is vital. A scope that is too broad can result in a weighty investigation that drags on for months after the main issues have already been resolved. On the other hand, we don’t want the investigation to fail to resolve the problem or miss related problems because the focus is too narrow. Companies that get this right weigh the available evidence and do their best to determine the necessary extent of the investigation. Plus, the scope can always be adjusted where necessary if new information comes to light. 

Step 2: Collect the evidence

Want to avoid meaningful evidence from being altered or destroyed? Get to  collecting and preserving every piece of relevant information immediately.  Documents and files will need to be collected and stored in a protected location either digitally or physically. Temporary suspension of all electronic data disposal procedures is the best way  to focus on preserving both digital and physical evidence. This process can be streamlined by using the right tool for the job. 

Step 3: Assemble a team

Once the scope of the investigation is set and you’ve started hunting for evidence, it’s time you  appoint a special investigation team to conduct the internal affairs investigation process. This team is usually made up of members of the HR department and attorneys working for the company. The most important part of this step is ensuring that the team you set up is completely independent of the investigation. You don’t want a conflict of interest devastating an employment investigation process you took the pain of getting off the ground. 

Step 4: Conduct The Investigation And Review The Results

The final step of the investigation process is to actually dive into the data and follow wherever it leads. Sometimes this means you might have to open up the scope of the investigation to other parts of the company. Other times, the investigation can be completed fairly quickly. The key part is having the evidence collected and the right team in place to scan, analyze and report what they find quickly. 

Occasionally, witnesses will need to be interviewed as part of the process as well. HR investigation questions for the accused might be used in order to gather evidence on a suspect. Once the investigation is complete, the next best step is to review the results and then take appropriate action (employee termination, legal proceedings, etc.) based on the findings. 

Workplace Investigation Examples

To give you a better idea of what a corporate investigation looks like, we’d like to illustrate with  some workplace investigation examples. These demonstrate how the different investigation procedures and techniques can be used for different goals. Workplace investigations can cover a wide range of issues, from suspected misconduct to violations of company policies. Here are some corporate investigation examples: 

1. Harassment or discrimination

If an employee makes a complaint about experiencing harassment or discrimination, the company may launch an investigation to determine if the allegations are true. This could involve interviewing the employee, witnesses, and the alleged perpetrator, as well as reviewing relevant communication channels and documents.

2. Theft or Fraud

If you suspect that an employee has stolen money or other assets, your organization may launch an investigation to uncover the truth. This could involve reviewing financial records, conducting interviews, and potentially involving law enforcement.

3. Safety Violations

If a company receives a report of safety violations, it may launch an investigation to determine if there are any risks to employees or customers. This could involve inspecting the workplace, interviewing employees, and reviewing safety procedures.

4. Data Breaches

If there’s a suspicion that data has been compromised, a company may launch an investigation to determine the scope of the breach and how it occurred. This could involve IT professionals conducting forensic analysis, interviewing employees, and reviewing security protocols.

5. Performance Issues

If an employee is consistently underperforming or not meeting expectations, a workplace investigation may be launched to determine the cause. This could involve interviewing the employee and their supervisor and reviewing their work history and performance evaluations.

eDiscovery for Internal Investigations

One of the biggest challenges associated with corporate investigations is eDiscovery. This is the process of collecting, reviewing, and producing electronic data in response to a legal request. It's a complex process that requires specialized knowledge and tools.

The sheer volume of data that needs to be collected and reviewed presents many challenges. Companies generate massive amounts of data every day, including emails, documents, and social media posts. Sorting through all of that data manually makes things worse. 

Pulling all-nighters to sift through endless documents and complex spreadsheets? Yeah, that’s a pain in the neck. Literally.  

You might then turn to expensive outside counsel or tools that aren’t built for your business to try to turn the tide, but those options just drain your budget or leave you hanging. eDiscovery doesn’t have to be a frustrating hike. With a powerful eDiscovery tool like Logikcull, you can review documents 10x faster than with manual methods. Our workplace investigation software is easy to use and enables you to get started with eDiscovery in minutes as you wave goodbye to vendor delays. . Get the data you need as easily as you found this article — a simple search. Cut to the chase and get the job done quickly, affordably, and confidently with Logikcull.