Building Confidence. Raising the Bar. With Clearly Drinks
Client
Clearly Drinks
Skills
Recruit. Develop. Retain.
How Zenith HR helped a growing management team tackle workplace investigations with confidence and consistency.
Setting the Scene
Every organisation goes through periods of change, new faces joining, experienced managers taking on fresh responsibilities, and internal processes evolving to keep pace. For this business, that moment of transition created a timely opportunity to step back and ask an important question: are our managers truly equipped to handle workplace investigations with the confidence and consistency they deserve?
With a mix of new managers coming on board and others who hadn’t led a formal investigation in some time, the HR team knew it was the right moment to invest in upskilling. But they didn’t just want a box-ticking exercise, they wanted something that would make a real difference.
So they called in Mark, HR Specialist from We Are Zenith.
With a number of new managers joining the business, alongside others who had not conducted investigations for some time, and wider internal changes taking place, it became important for us to prioritise confidence, consistency, and capability across the management team.”
What the Training Looked Like
Mark delivered an independent investigation training session designed specifically around the needs of the team. Rather than sitting through slides, managers were guided through the entire investigation process from start to finish — in a way that felt relevant, real, and refreshingly practical.
The session covered how to manage cases with confidence, conduct investigations fairly and efficiently, and chair hearings where further action was required all grounded in ACAS gold standard principles. What made it stand out was the space it created: for open discussion, real-life scenarios, and the questions managers had always wondered about but rarely had the chance to raise.
“The training was extremely valuable in helping managers understand the investigation process from start to finish, including how to confidently manage cases, conduct investigations fairly and efficiently, and chair hearings where further action is required.” — Heidi, HR Lead
The result? Managers left the room feeling reassured, better prepared, and clear on exactly where to turn if they needed further guidance down the line.
Heidi also said, “Managers left the session feeling reassured and much more confident in their ability to handle these situations, whilst also knowing where to seek guidance if needed.”
More Than Just Training
One of the unexpected highlights of the session was what happened when fresh eyes were turned on existing processes. As managers worked through the material and discussed real scenarios with Mark, it became clear that some of the organisation’s existing investigation forms and documentation while perfectly functional could be updated to better reflect current best practice.
That kind of honest, in-the-room insight is hard to replicate in a pre-packaged course. Having Mark’s expertise on hand meant the team walked away not just with new skills, but with a clear and practical improvement plan for their own processes too.
The team also said “One of the biggest benefits of the session was the opportunity to review some of our existing processes and documentation with fresh eyes. Through the discussions and feedback from both Mark and our managers, it became clear that some of our investigation forms and processes, whilst functional, would benefit from updating to better reflect best practice.”
The Ripple Effect
Good training doesn’t end when the session does. In the days that followed, the training sparked genuine internal conversations about consistency, about how managers are supported when dealing with employee relations matters, and about what ‘good’ really looks like in this area of people management.
It also reinforced something important: that engaging, discussion-led learning lands differently to a webinar. People remember it. They talk about it. They act on it.
“What stood out most about the training was how practical and engaging it felt compared to more traditional workshops or webinars. The content was highly relevant to real-life scenarios, encouraging discussion and participation throughout, which made it far more impactful for managers. The session also sparked useful internal conversations afterwards around consistency, confidence, and how we continue to support managers handling employee relations matters.” — Heidi, HR Lead
From the Trainer
We asked Mark to share his own reflections on working with the team:
It was a real pleasure to work with the team at Clearly. What stood out for me was their openness, engagement, and genuine willingness to take part in the discussion in a thoughtful and reflective way. There was a real sense of curiosity in the room, with everyone contributing openly, challenging ideas constructively, and embracing the practical learning throughout. What was especially encouraging were the lightbulb moments that came through the session, the points where discussion sparked fresh thinking, prompted reflection on existing approaches, and opened the door to positive change. That level of participation and honesty is what makes sessions like these truly meaningful, and it was clear the team were committed not just to learning, but to continuously improving how they work in practice.”
The Verdict
The training was extremely well received across the board. For an HR team navigating a period of change, it delivered something genuinely valuable: not just knowledge, but confidence. Not just compliance, but capability. And not just a session to attend — but a conversation that continued long after the room cleared.
“Overall, the training was extremely well received and provided both reassurance and practical value to the team. We would absolutely recommend these sessions to other organisations looking to strengthen manager capability and confidence in handling workplace investigations professionally and effectively.” — Heidi, HR Lead
