Hire the Right Internal Auditor for Your Team

Hire the Right Internal Auditor for Your TeamHire the Right Internal Auditor for Your TeamEver-changing regulation and compliance laws have placed candidates for internal auditor jobs in high demand in all industries. Also, Robert Halfs latest Benchmarking the Accounting and Finance Function report shows that over the next three years, more than half of U.S. companies expect their compliance burden will increase.Finding the ideal 21st century internal auditor with the balance of technical acumen and communication skills is fundamental to your kollektivs success.You want to hire the right fiscal watchdog, but how do you go about building your dream team? Its a tough decision that will require you to step back and look at the broad picture How is this new internal auditor hire going to fit in your team to help advance the broader company mission? What skills should the applicant possess to perform these auditor jobs? And how will you go about the screening and interview process?First, what skills should you look for?First, gain a firm grasp on the specific skills youll need from your auditing team. Are there holes that need patching? How might this next hire help you achieve some of your strategic mid- and long-term goals? This will depend largely on your organizations programs and systems, but the fundamental requirements for the job are immutable a proven track record in accounting, data mining and analytics, knowledge of information technology, and Computer Assisted Audit Techniques using Excel.Its important to look for candidates who can go beyond identifying patterns and trends in data and make that data tangible by offering solutions and suggestions to help the company stay compliant and increase efficiency.The role of the internal auditor is evolving in many organizations. Its important to look for candidates who can go beyond identifying patterns and trends in data and make that data tangible by offering solutions and suggestions to help the company stay compliant and increase efficiency.Soft skills are increasingly important for finance and accounting professionals, including internal auditors. Look for candidates who have demonstrated abilities in public speaking, business communication, listening and observing, persuasion, negotiation, critical thinking, team building and time management.Second, what interview questions should you ask?Most candidates will claim standard auditing skills on their resume. Verifying these bedrock skills can trip up some managers, but its leise critical. Some abilities that a candidate may tout, such as identifying risk factors and solutions on deadline, require managers to ask follow-up questions and perhaps call one or two of the applicants references.Put together a set of behavioral interview questions that require the candidates to think on their feet and prompt them to cite specific examples of projects on which they worked that show an effect of hard and soft skills. One method might be to prepa re sample work assignments and ask the candidate to write a constructive review, to offer suggestions for improvements and how the department might implement those suggestions.To assess a candidates time-management skills, you might present a scenario such as this You return from lunch to find a new project requiring a one-day turnaround on top of your current workload. How do you handle it? For insight into the candidates interpersonal skills, you could ask Describe how you would deal with an employee in another department who is being deliberately unhelpful with regard to file access and documentation.Last, hiring the top talent for your teamWith the demand for qualified internal auditors outpacing the supply of talent, candidates can afford to be picky. Getting the top talent for your team means youll have to put together the most desirable offer. Check out the 2018 Robert Half Salary Guide to see internal auditor salary levels throughout the industry, and dont forget to consider employee perks to attract the best candidates to your organization. Hiring the right internal auditors is an art form. By recruiting candidates with the skills you need and by making a competitive offer, youll create an auditing team that helps your company perform head and shoulders above the competition.Find out more about this evolving roleThe Benchmarking report has answers to the following questionsWhat function, department or positions are responsible for internal controls?How does this responsibility vary by company size, country and type of key control (e.g. SOX)?What are the benchmarks for the number of key controls by company size and country?Which regulatory or compliance rules tend to be most challenging today?How are compliance burdens impacting accounting and finance processes and activities?GET THE BENCHMARKING REPORT

Lori Tripoli - The Balance

Lori Tripoli - The BalanceLori Tripoli - The Balance

4 ways leaders can self-evaluate their own performance

4 ways leaders can self-evaluate their own performance4 ways leaders can self-evaluate their own performanceGood managers should take the time to evaluate their own performance at the end of each workday. After all, theres always room for improvement, and even leaders should never stop learning.But youre not always able to carve out the time, so whenyou find yourself living on autopilot again, take a hard look at how youre doing in the grand scheme of things to stay on track.Think about how much you listened to your direct reports todayPart of being a good manager is hearing out your employees- you cant expect workers to truly be engaged or take your advice if youre literally acting like one of theirthe know-it-all coworkers.So think about it Would you want to work for someone who never took the time to meet with you, ornever even gave your ideas the chance to get the green light?If your answer is no, definitely evaluate how youre doing in this leadership area and come up with a str ategy to get better at listening actively.Identify the big stuff on your plate for tomorrowJulian Hayes II, an author, health and wellness consultant, nutrition coach, and sleep science coach, writes in Inc. about what leaders should ask themselves before heading to sleep each night.One of the featured questions is, What are my three biggest rocks to complete tomorrow?Without creating a plan of what to focus on for the next day, you run the risk of doing busy work instead of meaningful work. Identifying your three big rocks for the next day allows you to have direction, clarity, and diffuse any potential feelings of overwhelm. To identify your biggest rocks for tomorrow, ask yourself If I dont get anything else done tomorrow, what are three actions that could move me closer to my vision and goals? he writes.Be brutally honest How well do you manage conflict?When you manage projects and people, expect to have toput out metaphorical fires from time to time.Victor Lipman, author of The Type B Manager Leading Successfully in a Type A World, writes in Forbes about questions managers should pose to themselves.Do I deal with difficult situations directly? Or do I have the - entirely human - tendency to duck the hard stuff and focus on projects that are less problematic more enjoyable and less nettlesome to work on, but in the long run less important? Lipman writes.Figure out how you can berater talent in the near futureInstead of hogging your insights, share the wealth by giving back.Give your reports chances to learn from your industry knowledge by hosting one-on-one meetings and periodic workshops. Also think about the people that have helped you in your career, ask if theres anyone in their circles who could benefit from what you know.