Steve Zwerin

I lead an EEO investigations and training program for the City of Seattle. I advise on best practices in employment law and investigations. I also conduct investigations training for HR and management.

I‘m a huge fan of conflict resolution in resolving employee concerns. Why go through the trauma of an investigation if we can get the parties the solution they want via mediation?

I'm legally deaf, yet I talk on the phone, speak with a slight accent, and frequently speak to audiences. I'm always seeking new challenges and opportunities to break barriers and deliver amazing value to employers.

For most of my life, though, I wanted so badly to fit in and be seen as just as smart and capable. I wouldn't speak up when I didn't hear something, lest I give ammunition to the doubters’ negative biases. This also meant that I sometimes didn't contribute ideas that could have benefited the team.

I've overcome a lot in the past few years. I now have two very visible cochlear implants. I also admit when I don't hear things. In fact, I bring it up when meeting new people, explaining my hearing and that I might need to have people look in my direction or repeat something.

Over the past three years, I've led two different workplace investigations programs from ideas to full-fledged enterprises. A major part of that was advocating constantly in all sorts of situations in order to get what the programs needed. I have turned my “liability” into an asset.

Skills and expertise:

• Best practices in employment law and employee relations
• Workplace investigations (including supervising others' investigations)
• Disability accommodations
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Alternative dispute resolution
• Training

Key words: complaint, investigation, EEO, best practices, training, coaching, conflict resolution, mediation, employee relations, termination, policies, management, diversity, inclusion, disability, disabled, civil rights.