A manufacturing company has signed a large contract with a prominent retailer. The contract lists steps that are to be included in the manufacturing process that the company has agreed to follow. A group of employees from the manufacturing department have learned that by skipping some of the steps outlined, they can improve productivity without actually causing a material change to the final product, so they begin to skip steps in the process. Their practices soon spread to other manufacturing teams, but leadership dismisses the issue as unfounded rumors. The HR manager learns of the practice after conducting an exit interview with a member of the manufacturing team. In a subsequent discussion, the HR manager learns that only one supervisor and the supervisor’s team are actively utilizing the incorrect manufacturing process. The employee further states the reason other employees have not come forward is because the division manager has an ownership interest in the retailer. After ruling out any conflict of interest by the division manager, what is the next step the HR manager should take to respond to the information received in the exit interview? Answers Talk first only with the manufacturing supervisor before deciding on interviewing other employees to determine if sufficient information exists. Review productivity logs and quality control reports to determine if the allegations have merit before conducting interviews. Inform the division manager of the shortcut so the division manager can determine the next course of action. Immediately interview each employee and the supervisor of the manufacturing team.