Senior Auditor interview questions and answers

Senior Auditor Interview Questions

Senior Auditors plan and oversee the auditing process to ensure financial stability and compliance with the law. They perform control assessments and recommend ways to avert or predict risk.

This is a senior-level role, so opt for candidates with an academic background in Accounting or Finance, along with proven experience in risk management. Professional certification (e.g. CPA or CMA) is a nice-to-have when screening candidates. Beyond theoretical knowledge of accounting procedures and regulations, your ideal candidates should have hands-on experience with accounting software, like Zoho, QuickBooks or any other system that you use.

Your ideal candidates should also have team management skills, as they will supervise Internal Auditors. Use situational questions to understand how candidates give feedback and if they’re able to delegate tasks to their team members. Also, look for candidates who are passionate about their performance and are eager to learn about developments in their industry.

Operational and Situational questions

• What would you do if a client/manager asked you to cover up fraud?
• If a high-performer on your team started delivering reports with errors, how would you handle it?
• If hired, how would you convince your team members to adjust to your way of working?
• If you discovered that a process in our company is not as cost-effective as it could be, how would you present your findings to senior executives?

Role-specific questions

• Have you used any audit software or Computer Assisted Audit Techniques (CAATs?) If so, which ones and how have they helped you?
• How do you check other people’s work for accuracy (e.g. reports or flowcharts?)
• How do periodical internal audits add value to a company?
• What control management processes do you apply to minimize risks?
• What’s your experience with accounting software like Zoho or QuickBooks?
• Walk me through your fraud detection process.

Behavioral questions

• Have you ever suggested an improvement in the audit process? If so, what was it and why was or wasn’t it finally implemented?
• Describe a time when your attention to detail helped you detect a potential law violation.
• How do you keep up with changes in accounting regulations?
• Have you ever made a mistake at work? If so, what was it and what did you do to resolve the problem? If not, how do you check your work for accuracy?