📣 Annette Guerra Gonzales, Director of HR @ Kerrville Public Utility Board
I think a third-party investigation would be the best approach. Since they wouldn’t have prior relationships with anyone involved, their findings would be unbiased, and employees may feel more comfortable opening up.
As Margaret pointed out (see response below), there aren’t many safe options for employees to raise concerns about the very people responsible for upholding our code of standards and ethics. To me, that points to a bigger issue: leadership isn’t communicating effectively, and it shouldn’t have gotten to this point.
HR leaders especially have an opportunity to set the tone by holding themselves — and their teams — to the highest standard, which could help rebuild trust and encourage more open dialogue.
📣 Beth Porreca, Senior Director @ USA Football
I’ve experienced a similar situation in a company with under 100 employees, so I understand how quickly toxic leadership, especially in HR, can affect the entire organization. When we faced this, we brought in outside counsel to lead the investigation rather than having an internal manager run it. That approach helped ensure neutrality and built more trust among employees who were hesitant to speak up.
For your upcoming meeting, I would suggest the following approach:
Be objective but honest: Share your experiences factually and avoid emotional language. If you’ve witnessed toxic behaviors or mismanagement, provide specific examples and explain how they impacted your work environment, team/direct repoort or team dynamics.
Focus on patterns, not people: Rather than pointing fingers, talk about consistent behaviors or issues that point to larger systemic problems within HR.
Highlight the impact: Toxic leadership in any size org can lead to rapid turnover, low morale, and mistrust. Emphasizing these consequences helps leadership understand the urgency and scope of the problem.
Offer insight, not just criticism: If you have ideas about what a healthier HR function could look like, share them.
Support the process: Express appreciation that leadership is taking the initiative to investigate. Reinforce that you're willing to contribute honestly to help create a better workplace culture.
By keeping your input constructive you'll help leadership better understand what's going on and how to move forward effectively without coming across defensive, negative, etc.
📣 Rosetta Williams, Sr. Director, People Talent & Culture @ Immigrant Justice Corps
Below is a guide on prepping for an investigation meeting:
1. Set Your Mindset
- Be professional, not personal – avoid venting or assigning blame.
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Stay fact-based – focus on what happened and the impact, not speculation.
- Frame as business impact – tie issues to turnover, morale, compliance, or lost productivity.
2. Gather Your Input
✔ Document examples – bring 2–3 specific incidents that demonstrate trends.
✔ Identify patterns – e.g., poor communication, lack of consistency, favoritism.
✔ Balance your view – note if anything is working well, to avoid appearing one-sided.
3. Share Themes (Not Just Stories)
Instead of “This one person did X,” frame as:
- Theme: “Decisions were made without clear communication.”
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Example: “In 2024, our ER cases were reassigned with no notice, which left managers without support.”
- Impact: “This led to delays and loss of trust in HR.”
4. Present Constructive Solutions
Executives want to hear a path forward. You might suggest:
- External HR audit or interim leadership.
- 360 feedback for HR leaders.
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Regular HR-business partner check-ins.
- Training in leadership, communication, and accountability.
5. Protect Yourself
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Use professional language – no personal attacks.
- Be concise – avoid oversharing beyond your examples.
- If retaliation is a concern, confirm confidential reporting channels.
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