VM Mastered

12/19/2025

When the world’s largest Human Resources organization faces an $11.5 million verdict for racial discrimination and retaliation, it sends shockwaves through the entire profession.

Beyond the headlines about the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) recent legal defeat lies a critical lesson that every organization must internalize: investigator training matters.

Read more: https://buff.ly/ZTaf6Nl

08/04/2025

VM Mastered is proud to partner with HR Acuity to deliver exclusive workplace investigation training for the empowER™ community — a network of over 6,000+ employee relations professionals!

As highlighted in HR Acuity’s latest press release, this partnership marks a major step in advancing skills-based, practitioner-led training in the field of employee relations.

🔍 What’s coming?
With registration opening this September, we’ll launch interactive trainings that combine HR Acuity’s proven investigation framework with VM Mastered’s real-world expertise in impartial and defensible investigations.

Topics will include:
1. Investigation Fundamentals
2. Planning the Investigation
3. Gathering & Analyzing Evidence
4. Documenting Findings
5. Concluding the Investigation

This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to raising the bar in how workplace issues are handled—with transparency, fairness, and confidence.

Read the full release here: https://buff.ly/vs5tq5B

02/26/2025

Are you organizing training for your internal investigative team in 2025?

Collaborate with VM Mastered for a top-tier, customizable training program! Our courses are designed to provide the knowledge and expertise needed for conducting thorough and unbiased workplace investigations.

Visit vmmastered.com to learn more.

02/05/2025

Check out our latest addition of VM Minutes, where we share short tips on essential workplace investigation skills.

In this video, Matt Rose, a Senior Attorney Investigator with extensive experience in both workplace investigations and criminal law, discusses the intricate process of conducting workplace investigations that have a criminal overlap. He dives into key strategies for handling situations where workplace misconduct may intersect with criminal activity, such as theft, harassment, or violence. https://buff.ly/411wHCO

11/19/2024

❓“Does the report need to be so long?”
❓“Can you edit this down?”
❓“Why are some of these paragraphs so long and confusing?”

If you author workplace investigative reports for a living, chances are you have fielded these questions, whether from a client or a supervisor.

Mastering the art of concise writing is not achieved instantly. However, there are several practical strategies to enhance your writing skills effectively. In this insightful blog by VM Senior Attorney Investigator, Matthew Rose, he outlines six actionable tips you can implement immediately: https://buff.ly/4fqUzVn

11/15/2024

Watch the recorded HR.com webcast, "AI in Workplace Investigations: Friend and Foe," hosted by VM Mastered Instructor Eli Makus.

This session explores the impact of generative AI on workplace investigations and examines how this emerging technology could provide new solutions. As AI continues to advance and become more integrated into the workplace, it's essential for HR professionals, managers, and others involved in workplace investigations to understand the capabilities, limitations, and potential risks associated with these technologies.

Click here to watch: https://buff.ly/3AyrtV3

10/03/2024

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has closely examined the employment practices within the construction sector in recent years. On June 18, 2024, the EEOC released a document titled "Promising Practices for Preventing Harassment in the Construction Industry," aimed at guiding employers and leaders in this field.

To learn more about the recommendations for minimizing workplace harassment in construction, delve into VM Attorney Investigator, Jasmin Darron's insights here: https://buff.ly/4drqfbm.

10/02/2024

📢 Register Now For Free!

Join VM Mastered Instructor Eli Makus on October 10 for an HR.com webcast titled, AI in Workplace Investigations: Friend and Foe. This training explores the impact of generative AI on workplace investigations and how this new technology may provide a path forward. As AI systems become more advanced and integrated into the workplace, it is important for HR professionals, managers, and others involved in investigating workplace complaints to understand the capabilities, limitations, and concerns of these technologies.

Learn More and Register for Free: https://web.hr.com/4xft

09/19/2024

Join VM Mastered Instructor Eli Makus on October 10 for an HR.com webcast titled, AI in Workplace Investigations: Friend and Foe. This training explores the impact of generative AI on workplace investigations and how this new technology may provide a path forward. As AI systems become more advanced and integrated into the workplace, it is important for HR professionals, managers, and others involved in investigating workplace complaints to understand the capabilities, limitations, and concerns of these technologies.

Learn More and Register for Free: https://web.hr.com/4xft

09/17/2024

Explore effective techniques for eliciting direct responses in interviews with valuable insights from VM Mastered instructors Eli Makus and Sue Ann Van Dermyden. Enhance your interview skills by delving into strategies that encourage clear and informative answers.

Click to watch the whole video: https://buff.ly/3B9Ex2S

06/11/2024

In an investigative interview, it is essential to build rapport with witnesses in order to obtain critical, complete, and reliable evidence. Here are some simple strategies you can employ to develop rapport with the witnesses you interview:

Investigations are fact-finding missions, and witness interviews are ground zero in evidence gathering. Therefore, it is essential to build rapport with witnesses in order to obtain critical, complete, and reliable evidence. There are some simple strategies you can employ to develop rapport with the...

06/06/2024

Explore the latest VM Minutes featuring a discussion on microaggressions by Daphne Pierre Bishop from Van Dermyden Makus. Stay informed about this important topic and gain valuable insights. https://youtu.be/Pi4M16MLE4c

Welcome to VM Minutes where we share short tips on essential workplace investigation skills. Learn more about Microaggressions from frequent filers with Van ...