An auditor’s personal behavior is characterized by high ethical standards, including integrity, objectivity, and discretion, as outlined in ISO 19011. They must remain open-minded, diplomatic in communication, and observant, while maintaining a tenacious yet methodical approach to analyzing, independent, and evidence-based work. These behaviors are crucial for establishing trust and accuracy in financial and management systems.
Ethical - Fair, truthful, sincere, honest and discreet.
As auditors, we need to be open, transparent and clear in our communications at all times (even when we're not being watched).
Successful practitioners share these core attributes.
By continuously working to be trustworthy, ethical, passionate about learning, curious, and a good communicator, auditors can always work to be the best they can be in the profession.
Goal-oriented & Unbiased
Additionally, auditors must not have a bias toward a certain outcome from their findings. One of the most valuable aspects for a business is being able to rely on neutral and factual information and reporting from an audit.
The auditor promotes this by adopting and applying the ethical requirements of the concepts embodied in the key principles - Integrity, Independence and Objectivity, Confidentiality and Competence. The conduct of auditors should be beyond reproach at all times and in all circumstances.
It is divided into three sections, and is underpinned by the five fundamental principles of Integrity, Objectivity, Professional competence and due care, Confidentiality, and Professional behaviour.
The document outlines the 7 E's—Effectiveness, Efficiency, Economy, Excellence, Ethics, Equity, and Ecology—as essential themes for auditors to enhance organizational success. It emphasizes the importance of incorporating these principles into audit processes to evaluate and improve organizational performance.
Introverted sensors, ISTJs are known as the best personality type for accounting jobs, CFO positions, or careers as auditors. This type is loyal, hardworking, and understands the importance of their roles; but the real predictor of success here is their analytical nature that enables them to work quickly and precisely.
The 5 Cs of audit (Criteria, Condition, Cause, Consequence, Corrective Action) are a framework for structuring clear, actionable audit findings, explaining what should be (Criteria), what is found (Condition), why it happened (Cause), what the impact is (Consequence/Effect), and how to fix it (Corrective Action/Recommendation) to drive organizational improvement and compliance.
Especially in the era of agile auditing. Just some of the traits today's CAEs are placing growing value on include analytical skills, business and risk acumen, communication, critical thinking and adaptability.
The average audit partner in our sample has, on a scale from 1 to 9, an IQ score of 6.82, which is higher than the average IQ of the rest of the population, which is 5.0.
12 Valuable Financial Auditor Skills
Auditors tend to be predominantly conventional individuals, meaning that they are usually detail-oriented and organized, and like working in a structured environment.
In the business accounting world, an audit can conjure up feelings of anxiety because someone might check your work, or you may have to do extra work for the auditor. At Vesta, we understand the fear that comes with auditing. We know that audits can often feel like a punishment, much like a fine, a reprimand, or worse.
How to Wow Your Auditors
Fundamental Principles Governing an Audit:
The four positive attributes required for an internal auditor—analytical skills, attention to detail, ethical integrity, and effective communication—form the foundation of successful auditing practices.
Inquisitive and curious people can make for great auditors. Professional skepticism (having a questioning mind), objectivity (open-minded), and good judgment are important traits to have when reviewing a company's financial statements.
Hippocrates named the four personality types after specific body fluids: Choleric, Melancholic, Phlegmatic and Sanguine. These four temperaments are rooted in the humoral theory of medicine and have persisted through history under different interpretations and adaptations.
Objectivity is the cornerstone of the internal audit golden rule. Auditors must approach their work without bias, ensuring their evaluations are fair, impartial, and based solely on evidence.
The Big 4 are the largest accounting and auditing firms in the world: Deloitte LLP (Deloitte), PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY) and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG). They're so big that their joint revenue in 2024 was—you guessed it—$212 billion.
International Standard on Auditing (ISA) 700 (Revised), Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements, should be read in conjunction with ISA 200, Overall Objectives of the Independent Auditor and the Conduct of an Audit in Accordance with International Standards on Auditing.