Summary

In this episode of HR Voices, Rebecca Taylor is joined by Paul D. Brubaker, VP of HR for North America at KARL STORZ, to work through one of the most complex scenarios an HR leader can face: a confidential misconduct investigation has leaked from inside the function, and now HR must run two simultaneous inquiries without contaminating either one. Paul walks through his sequencing framework, explains why maintaining an open mind during a contested investigation is a form of rigor, and reflects on the two inputs that carry teams through organizational change. This episode is for HR leaders who want to think more clearly about what it means to hold the function's standards when holding them is hardest.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to HR Voices and show format
02:00 The scenario: The Internal Investigation Leak
03:30 First move: the legal hold
06:00 Who investigates when your investigator is compromised?
08:00 Fighting the assumption of guilt
12:00 Zero gray: what happens when the leaker is found
15:30 Building trust as an HR function
17:00 Data, courage, and speaking truth to power
22:00 Purpose and people: what holds teams through change
24:00 Final advice: step back, stay open, follow the process

Takeaways

When an investigation leaks from inside your own function, issue a legal hold before you make any personnel decisions.
Fighting the assumption of guilt is not kindness. It is what keeps the investigation clean and defensible.
If the leaker inside HR or legal is identified, the consequence is termination. There is no gray area.
The two inputs that stay stable through organizational change are purpose and peer relationships. Point people back to what hasn't changed.
HR's credibility is built in the hard cases, not the easy ones.

Guest links

Paul D. Brubaker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pdbrubaker/
KARL Storz: https://www.karlstorz.com/us/en/index.htm?target=

Sponsor

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(00:00) - Welcome to HR Voices and show format
(02:00) - The scenario: The Internal Investigation Leak
(03:30) - First move: the legal hold
(06:00) - Who investigates when your investigator is compromised?
(08:00) - Fighting the assumption of guilt
(12:00) - Zero gray: what happens when the leaker is found
(15:30) - Building trust as an HR function
(17:00) - Data, courage, and speaking truth to power
(22:00) - Purpose and people: what holds teams through change
(24:00) - Final advice: step back, stay open, follow the process

Purpose, People, and Process: The Three Things That Hold in HR

HR Voices

Purpose, People, and Process: The Three Things That Hold in HR