Disciplinary Interviewing Skills training course programme

About the course

This course is aimed at managers who are expected to convene disciplinary interviews as part of their responsibility.

The course examines why problems occur and what could be done to avoid a disciplinary problem emerging, how to meet legal and procedural requirements, and how to structure and chair a disciplinary interview.

Participants often have no or little previous experience of these situations, although those who have been involved for some time will benefit from a chance to update or check their current levels of knowledge.

Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• See the importance of nipping problems in the bud before they escalate.

• Know the procedure and how to use it correctly

• Set up and holding a fair and effective disciplinary interview

• Ask appropriate questions

• Keep control during a disciplinary interview

• Make decisions based on the case presented and explanations given

• Know what follow up action to take

• Feel confident when holding a disciplinary interview

Course content

Introductions

• The purpose of discipline.

• What discipline is meant to do and what it is not meant to do.

• When discipline is appropriate and when it is not.

• Your responsibilities for discipline, what you need to do and ensure.

• The Human Resource Department’s responsibilities for discipline, what they should do and what you can expect.

The importance of an investigation.

• How to hold an investigation, what type of investigation and what records to keep.

• How to notify an employee of a disciplinary interview.

What and how to prepare for the interview.

• How to plan the structure of a disciplinary interview that is fair and effective.

• Preparing for a disciplinary interview

• Preparing your opening lines; how to start the interview and what to say.

Conducting the interview

• Questioning and listening skills; asking effective questions.

• Summarising and clarifying.

• Keeping notes and records.

The role of the ‘companion’

• What a companion is and is not, ways of involving and managing the companion to ensure a fair interview.

Closing the interview

• Adjourning and making decisions on what warning to give, if any.

• Deciding on follow- up actions.

Practical tasks

• Mock disciplinary interviews in typical conduct and poor performance situations.

• Quiz time & course review

• Test your colleagues on your procedure!