ISO 19011:2018 - Guidelines for auditing management systems

Annex A

(informative)

Additional guidance for auditors planning and conducting audits

A.17 Conducting interviews

Interviews are an important means of collecting information and should be carried out in a manner adapted to the situation and the individual interviewed, either face to face or via other means of communication. However, the auditor should consider the following:

a) interviews should be held with individuals from appropriate levels and functions performing activities or tasks within the audit scope;

b) interviews should normally be conducted during normal working hours and, where practical, at the normal workplace of the individual being interviewed;

c) attempts should be made to put the individual being interviewed at ease prior to and during the interview;

d) the reason for the interview and any note taking should be explained;

e) interviews may be initiated by asking individuals to describe their work;

f) the type of question used should be carefully selected (e.g. open, closed, leading questions, appreciative inquiry);

g) awareness of limited non-verbal communication in virtual settings; instead focus should be on the type of questions to use in finding objective evidence;

h) the results from the interview should be summarized and reviewed with the interviewed individual;

i) the interviewed individuals should be thanked for their participation and cooperation.