Home / RCA Methods / Investigative Interviewing
PEOPLE METHODS · 11 / 12
Investigative Interviewing
People remember more than they say. The right questions let them.
Witnesses who feel accused say as little as possible. We plan who to speak to and in what order, put people at ease in their own language, let them tell it in full before asking anything, and test accounts against records, never against the person.
1 · PLAN
Order, place, what to ask
2 · ENGAGE
Rapport, purpose, their language
3 · FREE RECALL
Their account, uninterrupted
4 · PROBE
Open questions, no leading
5 · CLOSE
Summarise, confirm, thank
The most important step is the third: letting them speak before we ask anything.
Pick the better question
A loader saw a crane drop its load. What do you ask him?
Choose the question that gets the truth. See what each one does to the account. Illustrative example.
ROUND 1 OF 4 · SCORE 0 / 4
Since the 1990s
30
years investigating
250+
investigations closed, incl. HiPOs
15
countries served
20+
countries of lead seminars
100+
nationalities trained
Why interviews decide investigations
A frightened witness protects himself, not the truth.
In many workplaces, people fear an interview will cost them their job. Until that fear is removed, accounts stay short.
Letting people speak in Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto or English, whichever is easiest for them, brings detail a translated account loses.
Open questions protect the evidence: nothing is planted that a lawyer or insurer could later challenge.
Use it for
Every investigation with witnesses
HR and conduct inquiries
Events where accounts disagree
On its own it cannot
Replace physical and documentary evidence
Work if people fear punishment for being honest
Method names are given for reference. Several are proprietary or trademarked; P3i selects the approach that suits each case and does not claim licensed certification in proprietary methods.
Witnesses going quiet, or accounts not adding up? A first call costs nothing, and we will tell you how we would approach the interviews.
The P3i approach
How we investigate by listening properly. Fact-finding, not fault-finding.
Every P3i investigation is led by a senior investigator and supported by internationally qualified process specialists. You will not receive a list of people to blame, or a long list of generic actions. You will receive the facts, the proven causes, and a short plan that closes the gaps, in this case and across your system.
Independent
No products, repairs or contracts to sell you afterwards.
Senior-led
Thirty years of investigation, from the first call to the final briefing.
Beyond the event
Process specialists find the other cracks before they fail.
Ready to present
Written for boards, buyers, insurers and regulators.
How P3i does it for you
- 01
Plan the order
Who to speak to first, and where.
- 02
Put people at ease
Private, respectful, in their language.
- 03
Let them tell it
Free recall before any question.
- 04
Test gently
Against records, not against the person.
- 05
Record accurately
Accounts people will stand behind.
What you receive
Call us when
Free 30-minute case assessment.
Tell us what happened. In confidence, we will tell you what the investigation should cover, how long it will take and what to preserve today.
Questions
What HR and HSE heads ask about interviews.
Can a manager sit in on the interview?
Usually not. A manager in the room changes what people say. Where a companion is appropriate, we agree it in advance.
Do you record interviews?
We take accurate notes and read them back. Audio recording is used only with consent and where the case needs it.
What if two witnesses contradict each other?
That is normal. We test both accounts against records and the scene; the evidence decides, not the more senior person.
Can you train our team?
Yes. Our Investigative Interviewing Skills course is two days, with recorded practice.
Ask better questions. Hear the whole story.
