Starting a new job can be overwhelming. In fact, studies show nearly one-quarter of employees admit they have cried within their first week on the job. And while internal audit is a field for people who are resilient and open to learning, a strong onboarding process can make the difference between early burnout and long-term success.

During onboarding, new hires acquire the knowledge and behaviors necessary to integrate successfully into a team and the company’s culture. But all too often, organizations underinvest in onboarding internal auditors, relying on “trial by fire” as a sufficient teacher.

What is an Internal Auditor?

An internal auditor is a professional responsible for evaluating your company’s internal controls, management systems, and control environment for effectiveness, accuracy and compliance with laws and internal policies. They collect audit evidence and assess risk management to ensure operations run smoothly and ethically.

Area	What the internal auditor evaluates
Financial	Reviews financial controls, reporting and record-keeping for accuracy and efficiency.
Operational	Assesses business processes and resource usage.
IT	Evaluates the company’s technology and cybersecurity.
Compliance	Checks that the company complies with relevant regulations and internal policies.

The auditor’s job is to identify and correct gaps in internal processes and risk management before they escalate into compliance issues. Unlike external auditors, who assess processes periodically, internal auditors play a proactive role in guiding teams toward better compliance and operational practices. External auditors would more likely identify deficiencies in processes that already exist.

Organizations like the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and Audit, Cybersecurity and Information Technology (ACI) offer valuable resources for those pursuing Certified Internal Auditor credentials. But if someone is completely new, how do you help them get up to speed and contribute effectively from the start?

How to Onboard a New Internal Auditor

A career as an auditor can be both exciting and demanding. New auditors often face a steep learning curve as they start to work through the internal auditing process and adjust to high expectations. To help them build confidence and stay engaged, consider the four essentials for onboarding: the 4 E’s.

Step 1: Education

Auditors are meant to help companies thrive, not play “gotcha” when mistakes happen. But often, new hires are pushed into fault-finding projects without understanding the bigger mission. This approach can make auditors cautious instead of curious, stifling the analytical thinking and professional skepticism that effective auditing depends on.

To set the right foundation, begin by grounding new auditors in the key objectives of their job. Define and communicate the purpose of internal audit, the nature of client interactions and how they can deliver value beyond compliance.

Introduce your new hire to:

• Your organization’s strategic goals
• Key risks and how to manage them
• The audit plan and selection of risk factors
• Audit procedures and workflow
• Reporting standards and expectations
• The tools and systems they’ll use for internal audit reports

With such clarity, you’ll help new auditors see themselves as contributors, not enforcers. 

Step 2: Experience

Every new hire brings a different background to your organization. Even seasoned auditors need time to learn your audit methodology, control environment, and culture.

Start with hands-on training that applies theory to real-world work. Let new auditors shadow senior staff during walkthroughs or interviews to see how judgment and communication work beyond standard checklists. With targeted training and a gradual increase in responsibility, they can grow into their roles without unnecessary frustration.

Once the auditor is comfortable with your processes, let them lead a small internal audit activity or manage parts of a larger engagement. Offer specific feedback at each stage to guide improvement.

Step 3: Expectations

In a 2025 Enboarder survey, business leaders reported that providing clear role expectations is the most critical aspect of onboarding for a new employee’s success. Misalignment in expectations caused 30.3% of new hires to leave within the first 90 days, the survey also found.

Clear expectations reduce stress and build trust, helping new auditors understand what success looks like from day one. 

Set milestones for three months, six months and one year on the job, and include mid-project check-ins to maintain open communication. Use these checkpoints to discuss what’s going well and where your internal auditors can improve before formal evaluations. 

Here’s an example of how you can set expectations:

Timeframe	Focus area	Example of goals
First 3 months	Learning and engagement	Understand the organization’s processesMaster audit toolsContribute to smaller audit tasks
6 months	Independence and ownership	Take on sections of audits independentlyDemonstrate sound judgment Proactively identify risks or process improvements
1 year	Proficiency and impact	Show technical excellenceBuild strong working relationshipsCommunicate clearly with stakeholdersProvide actionable insights in audit reports

Document your expectations to help deliver consistent feedback and give new auditors a roadmap to build confidence and competence within your audit function.

Step 4: Exposure

Simple projects like time and expense reviews are useful, but they shouldn’t become the default. Give new auditors exposure to increasingly complex audits and value-add services. Progression keeps them challenged and motivated while broadening their understanding of the organization. 

For example, rotate new auditors through areas such as:

• Operational audits
• Compliance audits
• IT audits
• Financial reporting
• Financial statement reviews

Introducing your hires to higher-risk or cross-functional engagements, where they can see how results drive business improvement, can help you enhance their internal audit experience.

With education, experience, expectations and exposure, you can provide a supportive system to help new auditors withstand the whirlwind that comes with starting a new job.

Key Competencies New Internal Auditors Must Learn

Early onboarding should orient auditors to essential skills that will shape their success, including:

• How to evaluate the control environment across business units
• How to assess financial controls for accuracy and impact
• Processes for gathering and documenting audit evidence
• How to structure and draft internal audit reports and draft reports for leadership
• Understanding key regulatory frameworks and government auditing standards
• When to escalate issues to the audit committee or leadership

These fundamentals ensure your auditor contributes value while maintaining compliance and independence.

What Does an Internal Auditor Do?

An internal auditor’s role can vary depending on the company, the scope of the audit and the area of specialization. But generally, you can expect them to:

Evaluate Processes

An internal auditor’s first responsibility is to assess how well the organization’s internal controls and procedures function. They examine:

• Workflows
• Authorizations
• Reporting chains
• Separation of duties

These assessments help your company determine if its existing processes are accurate, efficient and support compliance. After evaluations, auditors recommend improvements to operations and risk management.

Identify Risks

Internal auditors help your organization understand potential risks before they turn into issues. They evaluate the company and identify areas of exposure to help prioritize mitigation strategies and strengthen overall resilience.

Provide Assurance

Auditors also offer independent assurance that your organization’s governance, risk and compliance (GRC) systems work as intended. The assurance gives all stakeholders confidence that the organization’s resources are protected and that the company follows regulations while staying on track with strategic objectives.

Offer Consulting Services

Many audit departments offer advisory support. Internal auditors may help the company design new control frameworks or advise on system implementations. Their consulting engagements help the organization build new processes with compliance and efficiency in mind from the start.

Ensure Compliance

Internal auditors confirm that your organization complies with regulations and internal policies. They:

• Review documentation for accuracy and completeness.
• Verify that operational and financial reports reflect actual performance.
• Test processes for compliance with standards like SOX or ISO.
• Assess whether departments consistently follow internal policies.
• Recommend corrective actions to address any gaps or violations.

When internal auditors detect compliance gaps, they provide timely insights and practical recommendations. This is critical for the company to avoid penalties and maintain its reputation.

Who Does an Internal Auditor Report to?

Internal auditors typically report to the board of directors, often through an audit committee and administratively to the Chief Audit Executive (CAE). The direct reporting to the board of directors ensures effective oversight and allows auditors to provide unbiased advice without management interference. 

Reporting to the CAE or CEO gives internal auditors the operational support they need to do their work. Through this line, management can help with budgeting and scheduling audits so that auditors have the resources they need. 

Empower New Auditors with Onspring

Empowering new auditors starts with giving them clarity, confidence, and the right tools. Onspring’s internal audit solution supports every step of their journey giving them full visibility into project staffing, fieldwork and reporting.

With Onspring, your new auditor can:

• Build audit trails, streamline audit procedures and gather insight.
• Automate internal audit report workflows from first findings to draft report issuance.
• Centralize every audit — connecting risk, compliance and control environment updates.
• Provide leadership with real-time dashboards and dynamic reporting.
• Tailor audit workflows without code or IT delays.

Request a demo today to see how Onspring can help new auditors contribute faster and stay engaged from day one.