What do you do if you have the feeling that your auditee could be lying?

What to do If there is a perception that an auditee is lying?

  • Keep requesting information until the evidence talks by itself

    Votes: 18 72.0%
  • I really don't care if they are not honest, at the end it is their company

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I confront the auditee until he or she admits that is lying to me

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Express my discomfort to upper management until the closing meeting

    Votes: 1 4.0%
  • I try to find a different auditee

    Votes: 4 16.0%
  • I will reduce the amount verbal questioning and focus on actual review of records

    Votes: 14 56.0%

  • Total voters
    25
  • Poll closed .
A

arios

#1
This could be another difficult situation that auditors face from time to time.
I would believe that it is not a common or predominant problem, but we can't deny that it does exist the possibility of getting false answers from auditees trying to "go by" w/o getting a non-conformance for an evident gap.

Please share your opinion as to how you would handle a situation like this, and still manage carefully an interview without creating further conflict.
 
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Sidney Vianna

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Staff member
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#3
Please share your opinion as to how you would handle a situation like this, and still manage carefully an interview without creating further conflict.
I've found myself in this situation a couple of times. Let's remember that factual (as tangible as possible) OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE needs to be collected before we reach conclusions, as management system auditors.

Nevertheless, if I had reasons to believe that an auditee was deliberately lying, I would immediately halt the audit, and had a very serious conversation with the management rep and ensure s/he understood the seriousness of the situation. I would let them talk to the individual. In all cases, the (blatant) lies immediately stopped.
 

Jim Wynne

Staff member
Admin
#4
This could be another difficult situation that auditors face from time to time.
I would believe that it is not a common or predominant problem, but we can't deny that it does exist the possibility of getting false answers from auditees trying to "go by" w/o getting a non-conformance for an evident gap.

Please share your opinion as to how you would handle a situation like this, and still manage carefully an interview without creating further conflict.
If you think that an auditee might be prevaricating over something important, there should be some form of evidence to support the auditee's contentions. If there is no evidence and you're relying only on an auditee's say-so, there's probably something lacking in the auditee's process or in your audit expectations.
 
K

Ka Pilo

#5
This could be another difficult situation that auditors face from time to time.
I would believe that it is not a common or predominant problem, but we can't deny that it does exist the possibility of getting false answers from auditees trying to "go by" w/o getting a non-conformance for an evident gap.

Please share your opinion as to how you would handle a situation like this, and still manage carefully an interview without creating further conflict.
Ask the auditee with a highly detailed question.
 
A

arios

#6
I've found myself in this situation a couple of times. Let's remember that factual (as tangible as possible) OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE needs to be collected before we reach conclusions, as management system auditors.
I agree with you that reviewing tangible evidence is the best way to go, but some folks could even try to alter the evidence to support their lies. It is a really tricky and difficult situation.
 
K

Ka Pilo

#7
I agree with you that reviewing tangible evidence is the best way to go, but some folks could even try to alter the evidence to support their lies. It is a really tricky and difficult situation.
The reality is always significantly denser in detail than fabricated one.
 
K

Ka Pilo

#8
I've found myself in this situation a couple of times. Let's remember that factual (as tangible as possible) OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE needs to be collected before we reach conclusions, as management system auditors.

Nevertheless, if I had reasons to believe that an auditee was deliberately lying, I would immediately halt the audit, and had a very serious conversation with the management rep and ensure s/he understood the seriousness of the situation. I would let them talk to the individual. In all cases, the (blatant) lies immediately stopped.
Haven’t you experienced a situation wherein the lie became true? :lol:
 
J
#9
In trying to decide how to vote in the poll I discovered that there were elements in several of the options that were things I would do. In fact it reminded me of a question on my QCA exam many years ago where the multiple choice options were less a "decision" per-se, than a progression of steps.

Having said that, I opted for the first choice which is asking for more information. This seems to take in the other things, like talking to more people, looking at nore records, talking to upper management etc....

However, as others have said, while our suspicions might point us in a certain direction, any finding would need objective evidence.

Peace
James
 

bobdoering

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Trusted Information Resource
#10
Auditing is really a matter of "how do you know?' and "show me". If they can support the answers to both of those things with objective evidence that is not true, and you have the objective evidence to support that, then mark the finding and go to the next chunk of misery. Be sure the evidence supports lying over confusion and lack of training - which should be further supported by "how do you know?' and "show me" evidence.
 
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