What do you do if you are asked by somebody involved in the investigation about the progress of your investigation? It’s happened a couple of times to me that I’ve been at a workplace and maybe I’ve left the interview room and somebody that I’ve interviewed sees me and says, “Well, how’s it going? You’re almost done? You have many interviews left today?” I realize those folks are just trying to indicate a connection with me and be friendly. I have also received emails from folks indicating that I “forgot” to update them about things they have no right to be updated about.
At the end of the day, you need to avoid talking about investigations in hallways, and most certainly not with people who were involved in your investigation. In a private area, I can respond by reminding people about the confidentiality clauses we discussed. In a more public area, I will just change the topic and end the exchange. It can be awkward, but necessary.
