Association of Local Government Auditors

Audit work requires great thinking, and I am not just saying that because I am a performance auditor. Auditors must sift through stacks of sometimes very technical and complicated data and information and make sense of it so that they can communicate the issues in a clear and concise manner to decisionmakers and other stakeholders. Auditors not only determine the key issues or problems, but must identify creative solutions to address these issues. These are not easy tasks given the tight budgets, competing demands, and need for increased oversight in today's economic and political environment.

Undoubtedly, employees are the most valuable resource for audit organizations. To successfully accomplish their missions, audit organizations must be able to recruit intelligent and creative people, train them for the specialized skills needed, and most importantly, keep the auditors satisfied so that they will stay with the organization. Recruitment, training, and retention are interconnected strategies that are critical to the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization. Despite limitations faced by local audit organizations in these tough economic times to provide monetary compensation and benefits to attract and retain auditors, great thinkers can be motivated by an environment that encourages and promotes autonomy, creative thinking, learning, and respect. 

Recruit the Right People in the First Place

Bringing highly qualified people into the organization is the first step. Audit organizations should clearly define their needs when advertising and recruiting for an open position and be sure they are recruiting the right people in the first place. This applies not just for talent and technical skills but personality and behavior, as well. Looking for the right fit for both the organization and the new employee is important, because employees will not stay if the organization does not meet their expectations. For example, employees with higher education are more likely to want to participate in decision making and be empowered to use creativity with their audits and will likely leave if the organization does not provide these opportunities.

Compensation and benefits are important in recruiting employees, but are not the key drivers, especially for new auditors or the Millennial-generally, the generation between 15 and 35 years old. Key factors that attract them to an organization include:

• The meaningfulness and impact of the work
• An open, trusting, and collaborative work environment
• Opportunities to participate in decision making and use creativity
• Opportunities for personal and professional development
• A supportive organizational culture

Provide the Needed Training for Both Supervisors and Employees

Training for supervisors and managers should be a top priority for organizations, because the quality of the supervision an employee receives will affect retention. Employees leave managers more often than they leave organizations or jobs. Managers are often promoted to supervisory positions due to their proficient technical skills or seniority, while they lack the needed leadership and coaching abilities to be an effective supervisor. Supervisors can increase their ability to retain employees by developing and improving management skills, such as effectively communicating employee expectations and giving regular feedback about performance. More importantly and much more challenging is to teach managers how to value employees and their contributions.

Training is also important for employees. Great thinkers will frequently seek opportunities to learn and grow in their careers, knowledge, and skills. Auditors are attracted to organizations that will invest in their professional development, including employer-sponsored training, reimbursement for continuing education, and mentoring programs. In addition, organizations can provide opportunities for employees to develop a variety of key competencies and skills through varied and challenging assignments. 

Keep Employees Satisfied So They Will Stay

The bottom line is that if an organization cannot retain its best auditors, its recruiting and training efforts have been wasted. High turnover rates significantly impact audit organizations through:

• Lost investment in recruitment and training
• Lost experience and institutional knowledge
• Inefficiencies while filling the vacancy
• Inability to meet organizational performance goals
• Cost of repeating the recruiting and training cycle
• Loss of morale impacting productivity and operations

In some cases, audit organizations experience the revolving door of hiring and training new employees who then leave the organization.

An organization's culture-the way it treats, values, and respects employees-and the environment and tone set by managers are key factors in an employee's decision to stay with the organization. Great thinkers will thrive in an environment that rewards independent thinking, allows them to be part of the decision making process, and makes them feel valued for their creative solutions. Providing opportunities for auditors to focus more on identifying solutions for the issues rather than just the audit process can be very empowering. Key factors for establishing an environment of trust and respect to retain auditors include:

• Clearly communicating expectations,
• Providing opportunities to be creative and participate in decision making,
• Establishing an environment where employees are comfortable providing feedback,
• Tapping into employees' skills, talents, and experience,
• Ensuring employees feel rewarded, recognized, and appreciated,
• Providing opportunities to learn and grow, and
• Providing the appropriate level of supervision.