HR Investigation Certification

HR investigation offers a wealth of opportunities.

Employee fraud, theft and sexual harassment are just a few of the issues with which businesses must contend. A certified human resources investigator performs a competent, thorough investigation to diligently and factually respond to allegations and protect the business' legal and financial interests.

Identification

HR employees perform investigations in instances of employee accidents, misconduct or alleged transgressions. The better prepared and knowledgeable the investigator, the clearer and more concise the documentation is. The investigator must perform highly professional, fair and confidential interviews with employees and other key people involved in the alleged incident or infraction in a timely fashion.

Significance

Employee theft costs over $40 billion a year; a company loses about 7 percent of its revenue in employee fraud each year, according to Leslie Bottomly, a partner at Ater Wynne, attorneys at law. False accusations and sloppy fact-finding put a business at risk of facing costly legal suits.

Types

The Human Resource Certification Institute offers a certificate program called "Conducting Workplace Investigations" that also credits 18 hours toward recertifying Professional in Human Resources or Senior Professional in Human Resources credentials. Online HR portals such as HRTrainingCenter.com and HRCertification.com offer some training programs in internal investigations, including certificate programs.

References

• "Legal Issues in Employee Fraud"; Leslie Bottomly, Partner; April 28, 2010
• HR Certificate Institute
• HRCertification.com: Internal Investigations Certificate Program
• HRTrainingCenter.com: Internal Investigations Training

Resources

• Cornell University: IRL School--Certification in EEO/HR Complaint Handling
• Management Practices Group: Cross-Border Investigations