Overview
1. Auditing
(400 per DB post) (APA format)
(No use of Artificial Intelligence) (No Plagiarism)
Video Link: https://youtu.be/Xac3tZeZp5Y?si=PCqvDq-LzoVQlN6f
Auditors use interviews to gather pertinent information about the company to prepare for an audit. This week’s discussion will involve your reflections on the video, “Getting Started With: InterviewingLinks to an external site.” from the Institute of Internal Auditors.
Share your thoughts on the following:
- What key points from the video would you use to prepare for a successful interview?
- Assume that you are an auditor preparing for a client interview. Create an interview question that would help you learn more about your client.
2. Auditing
(300 per DB reply ) (APA format)
(No use of Artificial Intelligence) (No Plagiarism)
Hina Shahid
Nov 25 7:26pm
Reply from Hina Shahid
Hello everyone,
Some of the key points from the video “Getting Started with: Interviewing” focus on preparing, communication skills, and effective questioning.
Auditors should be clear about what they want to get out of the interview and come up with an organized way to do it. This means planning the questions in a way that makes sense and telling the client what the interview is for and how long it will last when you schedule it. Open-ended questions, like “Tell me about yourself” or “Can you describe” help people give more information and get a better sense of how things work and what risks might be involved. Try to keep an open mind and concentrate on gathering facts instead of views. Being prepared, on time, and focused on the audit goals are all important parts of being professional especially when working with different levels of management.
Assuming I’m an auditor getting ready for a conversation with a client about their procurement process, here’s an open-ended question that will help learn more about the client’s business and find possible risk areas, “Can you walk me through the whole purchase to pay process from figuring out that you need a product or service to making final payment to vendor? Please include the tools you use and the people who work on each step.” Asking this question from the client can have the client explain their process in their own words. This helps the auditor understand how things really work and then figure out where controls might be weak or missing without leading the candidate.
References:
The Institute of Internal Auditors. (2023, April 25). Getting Started With: Interviewing. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xac3tZeZp5YLinks to an external site.
3. Auditing
(300 per DB reply ) (APA format)
(No use of Artificial Intelligence) (No Plagiarism)
Dakota Rognlie
Nov 25 12:09pm| Last reply Nov 25 7:43pm
Reply from Dakota Rognlie
Hello, Professor Bowen & fellow classmates!
I really appreciated the perspective the IIA (The Institute of Internal Auditors) video offered on audit interviewing, as it highlights that these conversations are foundational to the client-auditor relationship and about much more than just checking things off a list. To ensure a successful and collaborative interview process, I would prioritize two main areas. First, meticulous pre-interview preparation is absolutely necessary. This means thoroughly reviewing pre-planning workpapers, organizational charts, and previous reports before the interview begins. This preparation is key because it demonstrates immediate respect for the client's time and expertise; when we ask targeted questions based on already-analyzed data, we build instant credibility. We show that we understand their business complexities and aren't just there to waste their time with basics, which allows us to better serve their specific needs. Second, I would focus on utilizing open-ended and unbiased questioning techniques. This approach, which focuses on process flow and starts broad before funneling down to specifics, shifts the interview from a feared "interrogation" to a supportive discussion. By using unbiased prompts like "Can you walk me through this process?" instead of leading questions, we encourage the client to explain things in their own words. This active listening ensures we gather valid, relevant answers, strengthens our collaborative relationship, and ultimately leads to a higher quality audit conclusion because we fully understand the client's actual operational environment.
Probing Interview Question:
Assuming I am preparing for a client interview with the Director of Sales or Accounting, I want to understand their revenue process for complex contracts. Since a significant portion of their revenue comes from long-term contracts bundling software licensing and implementation services, here is a process-based probing question I would use: "When a new client signs a bundled contract that includes both the initial software and the required 12 months of consulting/implementation services, could you please walk me through the steps your team takes to identify and track the separate performance obligations, and how is that reflected in the timing of revenue recognition?"
Resource:
Louwers, T.J., Bagley, P.J., Blay, A. D., Strawser, J. R., & Thibodeau, J. C. (2024). Auditing & assurance services (9th ed.). McGraw Hill.
The Institute of Internal Auditors. (2023, April 25). Getting Started With: Interviewing. YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xac3tZeZp5YLinks to an external site.