Raw hotline metrics rarely tell a nuanced story and can be easily misinterpreted — a decline in reports might suggest reduced misconduct but could also indicate weakening speak-up culture. Gartner’s Nicholas Sworek outlines how compliance leaders can use data visualization and storytelling to help boards grasp the significance of trends.

The recent dismissal of Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe following an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate has put a spotlight on the critical role whistleblower hotlines play in surfacing misconduct, even at the highest levels of leadership. The case, which began with anonymous reports submitted through Nestlé’s Speak Up hotline, underscores the importance of robust reporting mechanisms and the need for compliance leaders to communicate hotline metrics to the board in ways that drive purposeful oversight and action.

Inventory and analyze existing hotline data

The first step is to create a comprehensive inventory of all hotline data sources, whether managed by a vendor or internally. Most organizations rely on vendors for hotline services, which means compliance leaders should work closely with these partners to understand standard metrics and explore opportunities for deeper analysis. For organizations managing their own hotlines, tracking data like the number of reports, timing, risk category, escalation rate and substantiation rates is crucial.

Beyond aggregate metrics, compliance leaders should analyze...

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