3 Things You May Not Know About Auditors

Why do people go into the internal audit profession? And for some of us, why have we stayed so long in a career that some may see as routine and unexciting? The reality is that the Internal Audit profession offers some of the most diverse, challenging work as it evolves with the dynamic world of technology, regulations, and business strategies. Internal Auditors most enjoy serving our organizations by helping them to achieve their goals and avoid potential landmines.

A few things you may not know….

Despite what you might think, we’re not out to get you.

The general stereotype of auditors is that we “police” an organization; however, Internal Audit’s mission is to enhance and protect organizational value. And even though you might not believe us, we do trust you…but our job is to verify. Have you ever paid someone in cash, and then watched them count the money you just gave them? You don’t assume they think you are a liar, you just know it’s an important transaction and it helps to check. The same applies to Internal Audit – we trust that you are doing your job and doing the right thing, but the reason we are verifying your work is because it’s how we protect you and the organization. It’s how we show that we care!

We’ve got a great view!

No, we aren't’t talking about our office in Main Hall. The position and function of Internal Audit gives us a vantage point of an organization that few have. We work with people across the University of Montana affiliation at all levels; from research to student success, from academic affairs to campus operations, we understand vast perspectives and challenges. This view allows us to appreciate inter-dependencies and what is truly important to the University, which enables us to develop recommendations and solutions that are uniquely tailored for UM – its people, systems, and culture.

Yes, we do more than audit.

You might think our audit plan is chock full of audits, inspections, and look-back analyses. But our audit plans sometimes consist of more than 25% of non-audit, forward-thinking consulting work. Because we have such a comprehensive view of how the University works together, we are in a prime position to consult on how to implement change that will last. From partnering with management on implementing new systems, to streamlining processes, our profession encourages us to collaborate with leadership to solve complicated issues. 

So don’t avoid our office in the hopes of dodging an impromptu audit – rather, knock on our door and pick our brains - we’d love to help!

Adapted from: K. Britt (2019), “3 Things you May Not Know About Internal Auditors”