A two-day IAML certificate program for HR, employee relations, compliance, and legal-adjacent professionals who need a more structured way to plan investigations, interview witnesses, assess credibility, document findings, and write defensible reports.
The hardest investigation decisions happen early: how to frame the concern, who to interview first, what to preserve, how much to share, and how to document facts without turning assumptions into conclusions.
This two-day certificate program moves participants through the full investigation lifecycle, from complaint intake and planning to interviews, credibility assessment, findings, and report writing.
Define the allegation, scope, witnesses, documents, confidentiality limits, and retaliation risks before the process drifts.
Practice interview habits that surface facts, preserve neutrality, and reduce avoidable credibility problems.
Learn how to separate facts from conclusions and write reports that HR, counsel, and leadership can rely on.
The curriculum follows the sequence investigators actually face: intake, planning, interviews, evidence, credibility, findings, and communication.
Clarify what is being investigated, what is outside scope, who needs to know, and what must be preserved early.
Build a plan before interviews begin so the process stays neutral and organized.
Structure interviews, ask open and follow-up questions, handle reluctant witnesses, and avoid leading the answer.
Get better facts from complainants, accused employees, witnesses, and managers.
Gather documents, messages, timelines, policies, prior records, and digital evidence without losing the thread.
Create an investigation file that supports the finding instead of creating confusion.
Evaluate consistency, plausibility, corroboration, demeanor cautions, motive, timing, and conflicting accounts.
Explain why one account is credited without relying on shortcuts or unsupported impressions.
Move from evidence to findings, organize the report, distinguish findings from recommendations, and avoid overstatement.
Write clear, fair reports that can stand up to internal and legal review.
Protect the process after interviews end: confidentiality, retaliation monitoring, outcome communication, and follow-up.
Close investigations without creating new risk in the handoff back to the workplace.
The program is designed for people who receive complaints, conduct interviews, advise managers, support employee relations decisions, or need to understand whether an investigation record is complete enough to act on.
People responsible for handling complaints, interviewing witnesses, and preparing investigation records.
Legal-adjacent professionals who advise on process, risk, privilege, and defensibility.
Leaders who support investigations, collect facts, or need to know when to escalate concerns.
Each session covers the complete two-day investigation workflow and leads to the same certificate outcome.
Full two-day certificate program, including materials and certificate documentation.
Professional continuing education credits, subject to applicable approval and reporting rules.
Send one participant or a small HR, employee relations, compliance, legal, or manager group.
These employment-law practitioners connect investigation process, documentation, credibility, and defensible decision-making to real workplace disputes.
Experience advising employers and defending workplace decisions.
Instruction connects intake, interviews, credibility, and report writing.
Participants work through practical investigation questions and decision points.
Director, Global Employment Law, Terumo Blood & Cell Technologies
Brenda represents employers on discrimination, wage-and-hour compliance, workplace privacy, and wrongful termination disputes. She partners with HR professionals to prevent problems before they become lawsuits—and has delivered dynamic, practical IAML training for over 15 years.
Founder, Law Offices of Wayne Williams
Wayne advises employers on discrimination, harassment, wrongful discharge, wage-and-hour compliance, and traditional labor law. A former University of Colorado professor and IAML faculty member for over 20 years, he brings both courtroom experience and classroom clarity to every issue.
Of Counsel, Wymer Employment Law
Dawn represents employers in employment, contract, and insurance disputes—with experience on both the plaintiff and defense sides. She champions a proactive approach to workplace issues, helping businesses prevent conflicts before they escalate into costly crises.
Participants point to the same practical value again and again: real scenarios, stronger interview habits, clearer investigation structure, and tools they can bring back to work.
Professionals have completed IAML certificate and employment-law programs.
Years helping HR, legal, compliance, and management teams navigate workplace law.
Experienced employment-law attorneys connect legal rules to practical workplace decisions.
“Having everyone participate and practice was an effective way to work on our interview skills, and at the same time challenge some techniques that are possibly outdated or ineffective.”
Chandra Talerico
Human Resources Business PartnerAerojet Rocketdyne
“Excellent course for establishing a foundation in conducting investigations.”
George Vukazich
Sr. Director, Employee and Labor RelationsCity of Hope
“Fantastic blend of need-to-know information with practical application. I appreciated the role playing and feedback to help us be better interviewers and investigators.”
Jami Painter
Associate Vice President for HRUniversity of Illinois System
“I loved the case/scenario review. The small group setting allowed us the ability to ask questions. Although I was hesitant to do the role play I learned a lot from it.”
Andrea Johnson
School Nutrition DirectorGeorgia Department of Education
“I really enjoyed the engaging presence of your faculty. I took away a greater knowledge of conducting investigations by the end of the course and have quite a few things to share with my team.”
Marci Bennett
Human Resources GeneralistBurning Man Project
“Fantastic instructor. He was able to keep everyone engaged and the seminar interactive. I feel more confident in my investigation skills after this seminar.”
Nicole Wheeler
HR Generalist IICiti Trends
“Engaging and knowledgeable instructor made the class interactive and the learning fun.”
Tammy Fennell
Human Resources Business PartnerTronox Limited
“Your presenter is a great instructor. He made the session fun and relevant to the real world.”
Karina Beltran
Human Resources DirectorKB Home
“I thoroughly enjoyed the program. I appreciate the role playing and explanations, as it helps to determine which scenario may work best for a situation.”
Tammy Gabard
Senior Manager – Employee RelationsRAI Services Company
“I really liked the presenter and it was definitely worth my time. It was interactive and gave me some really good skills and knowledge to take with me.”
Heidi Nollan
Sr. Human Resources GeneralistAnderson Hay
Get clear answers on the two-day schedule, audience fit, credits, format choices, team attendance, and what participants will be ready to use after the program.
Participants complete the full investigation path across two days, from intake and planning through interviews, credibility, findings, and report writing.
The program is built for HR professionals, employee relations specialists, HRBPs, compliance leaders, in-house counsel, managers who support investigations, and anyone responsible for responding to workplace complaints.
No. The program is useful for people who are new to investigations and for experienced HR or legal professionals who want a more structured, defensible process.
The two-day program provides 13 SHRM, HRCI, and CLE credits, subject to applicable approval and reporting rules.
Tuition includes the two-day program, materials, certificate documentation, 13 professional credits, and access to IAML participant resources.
Yes. The program covers how to organize findings, separate facts from conclusions, document credibility assessments, and write reports that are clear, fair, and defensible.
Yes. Organizations can send one participant, register a small group, or ask IAML about team training aligned to their investigation process.