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The Peter Berlin Report on Shrinkage Control

How to Prepare to Conduct an Employee Interview

David E. Zulawski and Douglas E. Wicklander

Once the decision has been reached to conduct an interview, the next step is to prepare for the interview.

Notification And Authorization

Depending upon company policy, notifications and authorizations may be required prior to conducting an interview and may include store management, regional management and corporate personnel. Store management should generally be notified so that they have adequate staffing on hand to be able to remove one or more associates from the sales floor for the interview and/or provide immediate replacement for any associate(s) who may be terminated as a result of admissions made during the interview.

Profiling The Suspect

Profiling of the suspected associate is one of the most crucial areas in preparing to conduct an interview because it helps the interviewer to anticipate the suspect's actions which will help him to maintain control of the interview and be more effective in his approach.

The single most important question to be answered by the interviewer prior to his confrontation with the suspect is: "How did the suspect react to discipline in the past?" This information will allow the interviewer to understand the suspect's likely response and to prepare a strategy to avoid conflicts.

Profiling the suspect requires the interviewer to obtain as much background information as possible prior to the actual interview. Background information would commonly include previous employment, work history, pay scale, reviews, his/her likes and dislikes, possible motivation such as need, opportunity, revenge, sex or curiosity.

Additionally, the interviewer should consider the possible fears of the suspect which the interviewer must overcome before the suspect is likely to confess, such as: 1) fear of termination; 2) fear of embarrassment; 3) fear of prosecution; 4) fear of restitution; and finally 5) fear of retribution by co-conspirators. Contrary to popular belief, the two primary fears are usually fear of termination and embarrassment with co-workers and family.

In instances where multiple suspects may be involved in an incident, the use of profiling can help the interviewer identify the weak link in the group and where an initial confession is most likely to be obtained.

Room Setting And Timing Of Interview

The primary goal of a room setting is privacy, where the interviewer can minimize the potential for embarrassment of the suspect and enhance the intimacy of the encounter. Potential distractions should be minimized such as a ringing telephone, interruptions by people wanting to enter the office, pages, windows looking out of the building or into a hallway.

The general rule is that the interview should be conducted in a non-supportive environment for the suspect. For example, if a store manager was to be interviewed, it would be much better to conduct the interview outside of his/her store rather than in it, where the store manager is king and master of all that is contained within. Taking the manager out of the store, perhaps to the regional or corporate office, re-establishes the reporting relationship and reduces the king to a duke.

Timing of the interview is important so that it doesn't conflict with the suspect's work schedule, breaks, lunch or need to go home and therefore, shorten the interview. To help avoid the need for the suspect to leave the interview because of a need to use the rest room, the subject should be offered the use of the rest room before the interview.

Prior to the interview, the interviewer should work with the suspect employee's supervisor to choreograph the arrival of the associate at the interview. By clearly instructing the supervisor in his/her assigned task (i.e., walking the employee to the interview), the interviewer will reduce the likelihood that the supervisor will give up any information or make statements to the suspect that might make the interview more difficult.

The Interviewer And Witness

As an associate's status within an organization grows, so does the necessity to use an interviewer who is at the same level or higher than the suspected employee. An interview could be made more difficult in the event a store manager was to be interviewed by a store loss prevention manager.

The witness to the interview should be a member of loss prevention management or a neutral third party who will simply act as an observer. The witness should be instructed to sit quietly and not speak unless spoken to by the interviewer or to solicit support from the witness, whom the suspect often perceives as less threatening than the interviewer.

In general, the interviewer's attitude is that of a mediator, attempting to resolve an "error in judgment" which caused a loss to the company. The attitude, tone of voice, language and physical behavior utilized by the interviewer will play an important part in convincing the subject that his guilt is known and that there is a benefit to confession. The interviewer's physical behavior should show an open, understanding attitude, feet securely planted, hands with palms up and arms spread in an accepting type of posture. The interviewer's eye contact should be warm and encouraging. The interviewer's style of dress and appearance may be casual or formal, based on the perceived needs and fears of the subject.

Understanding The Evidence

Prior to any interview, the interviewer must understand the strengths and weaknesses in the case against the suspect. By understanding the evidence, the interviewer can anticipate possible ploys and explanations by the suspect and prepare to successfully counter them. This will also help the interviewer establish a level of confidence in the subject's guilt which will directly affect the believability and presentation made by the interviewer.

Preparing The Case File

The case file used by the interviewer is the embodiment of the investigation. Besides acting as a prop during the course of the interview, the file should contain the necessary documents to conclude the interview (i.e., statement forms, consent to search or restitution forms) and is something tangible that the subject can look at and see that indicates an investigation has been conducted. The case file should also contain additional evidence in the form of fraudulent refunds, voids or other media.

Legal Liability Issues

The interviewer should also anticipate potential legal problems resulting from any employee interview. The legal issues tend to concentrate themselves in three primary areas: 1) defamation of character; 2) false imprisonment; 3) intentional infliction of emotional distress. Check with your attorney for specific guidelines to follow in order to avoid civil liability.

Documenting The Interview

The final consideration in the preparation to conduct an interview is how the interview will be documented. It can be a statement written by the suspect (or the interviewer) which details the suspect's involvement in the theft of money or merchandise or violation of company policy, or it can be a formally recorded statement by a stenographer or by audio-visual recording. A formal recording is commonly used on more complex cases, such as kickbacks, complicated financial frauds or where others are involved.

In general, the only part of the interview recorded is the final written statement where the suspect acknowledges his guilt and provides details to substantiate the admission.

Conclusion

The preparation for a successful interview begins well before the interviewer actually meets his suspect. The preparation and pre-planning for the encounter often is able to defuse potential problems and entirely prevent others. This is the final place where the interviewer has complete control and, as such, he should make the most of his opportunity to succeed.



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