The complainant interview shapes the entire investigation and should be conducted before any decision about scope.
Open the interview properly. Explain the process, the confidentiality that can and cannot be promised, the prohibition on retaliation, and how to raise concerns during the investigation.
Let them narrate first. An uninterrupted account before questions, recorded in their own words. Interrupting to structure the account loses detail that matters later.
Then structure. Each incident: what happened, when, where, who was present, what was said, what the complainant did, whether anyone was told, and what documents exist.
Ask for corroboration. Witnesses, messages, notes, calendar entries, and anyone they told at the time.
Ask what they want. Their objective informs interim measures and, often, the resolution. It does not determine the outcome, and they should be told that.
Interim measures. Discuss options without moving the complainant unless they prefer it.
Close properly. Ask whether there is anything else, whether any question was uncomfortable, and confirm the next steps and timing.
Document. A memorandum prepared promptly, with the complainant’s own phrasing preserved for the key allegations.