The Secret to Better HR Investigations? A Chatbot That Captures the Truth
June 3, 2025
What makes Spot different from any other incident reporting and case management system? Spot is the only platform built from the ground up using the cognitive interview—a best practice in investigative interviewing designed to capture accurate, detailed, and uncontaminated memories.
Dr. Julia Shaw, a memory scientist and co-creator of Spot, explains:
“Spot isn’t optimized for emotions. It’s optimized for preserving facts. That means you don’t just tell your story—you document it in a way that ensures the details are as accurate as possible.”
We all do our best to stay neutral and on-track in sensitive conversations. But unlike a conversation with HR or a potentially uncomfortable call to a hotline, Spot’s cognitive interview process is explicitly structured to guide a reporter through their memory without leading them or distorting details.
Backed by science
When developing Spot, Julia and her team researched what worked best. Here’s what they found:
People gave more details using the chatbot than in open text forms or emails.
Reports contained fewer mistakes, meaning less risk of memory contamination.
Users actually liked the process (some even said “I love you” to the chatbot).
“We tested different formats: open text, structured forms, and a chatbot—and the chatbot consistently got the most details with the fewest errors. How you ask questions really matters.”
Spot helps you offload the mental burden
Emotions play a huge role in reporting workplace issues. But venting alone doesn’t always help—in fact, it can actually escalate negative emotions.
“With Spot, it’s like you get to take this weight off your chest and put it somewhere safe. You don’t have to hold onto it anymore.”
Because the Spot interview method itself is neutral, it helps de-escalate emotions while ensuring the facts are captured. So whether or not you decide to submit a report, you’ve already preserved the most accurate version of events.
Why this matters for HR
Many HR professionals aren’t trained in how memory works. This leads to inconsistent, sometimes flawed approaches to investigating complaints.
“There’s no standardized training for HR on memory science, and yet they deal with it all the time. Spot takes the guesswork out of interviewing by using a system that’s already evidence-based. You, the HR team, don’t need to do that work.”
Rather than relying on instinct, HR teams can use Spot’s built-in cognitive interview to ensure that intake is clear and complete—“preserving as much factual evidence as possible,” according to Julia—and that cases are managed with neutral, consistent communication. All of this reduces the chances that a case will increase an organization’s legal liability.
It also reduces risk of social contagion and reputational damage that occurs when issues escalate, creating a toxic work environment.
The bottom line
Spot isn’t just about making reporting easier, it’s about making it more actionable. The cognitive interview ensures that employees’ concerns are documented without memory contamination and that HR gets the most useful, accurate information possible.
This means you can address issues before they spiral into high turnover, costly lawsuits, or a toxic work environment. Spot replaces reactive crisis management with proactive solutions.
And as Julia puts it:
“The key to a thriving organization is making sure every employee has a safe and trusted channel to share even their smallest frustrations. Without that, unhappiness and lost productivity are inevitable. With Spot, you empower your team from day one. You build trust, prevent a toxic culture, and truly show your employees that you’ve got their back.”
Read more Spot research
More from Spot’s research on the psychology of incident reporting:
Elphick, C., Minhas, R., & Shaw, J. (2023, under review). Everybody knows: Barriers and incentives to reporting witnessed workplace harassment. Work and Occupations. (pre-print)
Minhas, R., Elphick, C. & Shaw, J. (2021). Protecting Victim and Witness Statement: Examining the Effectiveness of a Chatbot that Uses Artificial Intelligence and a Cognitive Interview. AI & Society. 37(1), 265-281.
Shaw, J., Elphick, C., & Minhas, R. (2019). Witnessing workplace harassment and discrimination. Overcoming the ‘social contagion’ of toxic work culture [White Paper].
