Sharlyn Lauby, the ‘HR Bartender,’emphasizes the need for impartial third-party specialists in workplace investigations to ensure objectivity, integrity, and fairness in addressing issues like harassment or discrimination:

If the incident or suspicion involves a senior executive or board member. There are positions in the organization that, should they become a part of an investigation, it might be better to have a third-party conduct the investigation. It’s possible that HR has a reporting relationship to the executive, or they work with board members on projects.