Canadian Government Executive - Volume 23 - Issue 03

22 / Canadian Government Executive // March/April 2017 Julie Betts Professional Branding Towards Better Branding of Internal Auditors A t a recent meeting, a colleague asked me how I became an in- ternal auditor. I laughed and said that I fell into it! During an interview, while in my last year of univer- sity, a recruiter from the Treasury Board Secretariat asked me if I was interested in either the Finance or Internal Audit Re- cruitment Development Program. I had re- cently completed a financial management course which did not suit my interests so I quickly responded that I was interested in the internal audit stream. At the time, I had no idea what ‘internal audit’ was nor did I realize that this answer would prove to be a great career decision. The conversation with my colleague got me thinking about how other federal government internal auditors chose their career. Results from a random poll showed cases similar to my own where many fed- eral government internal auditors ended up in internal audit not through any con- scious career choice but through a variety of circumstances such as looking for au- tonomy, increased organizational aware- ness, promotional opportunities or based upon a recommendation from a colleague. I believe that these results demonstrate that there is a definite need for branding within the community. The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) has been working hard in branding the function and is promoting the month of May as International Internal Audit Awareness Month. This is an opportunity for the internal audit community, in col- laboration with the local IIA chapter, to promote the profession and demonstrate that we are proud to be federal govern- ment internal auditors. A branding strat- egy would promote the internal audit profession within the federal government while increasing awareness and per- ceived value to management. This could be achieved through the following four step approach borrowed from Andrew L. Cheskis: Step 1: Assess current brand awareness and positioning What is the current awareness within the community and amongst stakeholders? Development programs such as the Inter- nal Audit Recruitment and Development have been successful in recruiting entry internal auditors. There are no communi- ty recruitment programs for other work- ing levels. The results of the upcoming Government Internal Auditors Council of Canada research study on How to Better Position Internal Audit Now and into the Future may provide information on the current brand awareness, especially in terms of senior management perceptions. Step 2: Determine desired brand awareness and positioning What characteristics does the community want to convey in terms of its brand? ‘Be- ing an on-trend, relevant, inspiring, pur- poseful, innovative and community-cen- tric brand – these are the things that will make people pause, listen and pay atten- tion,’ writes Glenn Llopis. Characteristics such as those noted within the IIA mission statement ‘enhance and protect organiza- tional value by providing risk-based and objective assurance, advice, and insight,’ the professional values and promoting the role of trusted strategic advisor are critical for a successful brand. Step 3: Develop and implement a plan to close the branding gap What is the difference between the de- sired brand and the current awareness? The plan should include key messages to support the main characteristics identi- fied in the previous step. A promotional campaign with these messages should increase awareness not only within the community but also with stakeholders. Step 4: Ensure a continuous improvement through brand metrics How will the branding strategy be con- sidered a success? The development and monitoring of brand metrics will deter- mine if the strategy is successful. Continu- ous improvements should be implemented to address any deviations from the strategy noted as part of the monitoring of metrics. A successful branding strategy will en- able the federal government internal audit community to better promote the internal audit profession and the value of our ser- vices while increasing awareness amongst its stakeholders. It will then not be left to happenstances that future federal govern- ment employees choose a wonderful and enriching career in internal audit. J ulie B etts is Chief Audit Executive, Public Prosecution Service of Canada. She is a graduate of the 2015-2016 Internal Audit Leadership Development Program offered by the Office of the Comptroller General of Canada. The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) has been working hard in branding the function and is promoting the month of May as International Internal Audit Awareness Month.