Meet Vernetta Guischard, Aegis’ Audit and Assurance Services Manager
Our Aegis Leadership series continues this week with our interview with Vernetta Guischard, Aegis & Co., external Audit and Assurance Services Manager. She shared her thoughts on how businesses can build trust, her hope for businesses and her unique leadership style.
Word-of-mouth is key
Vernetta admitted that Covid-19 has forced a few adjustments to her teams’ ability to perform audits given the new work-from-home or staff rotation arrangements their clients adopted. Through ‘word-of-mouth’ and recommendations of our service, Aegis Audit services has managed well during this challenging time. Despite the numerous pivots, the business community endured, the power of ‘word-of-mouth’ marketing remained. To this point, businesses should place special emphasis on the quality of services delivered to its clients.
Helping businesses build trust
One key area Vernetta shared is the importance for businesses to build trust with all their stakeholders. Businesses that get their financial statements audited by an independent source, allows stakeholders to trust the work produced by the business. The auditing process undergoes checks and balances that verifies that the information presented is reasonable.
These auditing efforts improve the decision-making process of business executives, as they are more confident in the statements presented. Additionally, audited financial statements help grow a trustworthy reputation in the marketplace. This extends to lending institutions. Audited financial statements allow a bank to know that your business can meet its financial obligations.
Tailoring your management approach
When it comes to management advice for a team of auditors, Vernetta shared that she recognized that although her team is a group, they are also individuals and need tailored guidance. She shared this is how you build employee appreciation: acknowledging the individuality everyone brings to a team.
For managers dealing with a lack of employee motivation, she recalled an experience she had with an unmotivated employee. Despite her best efforts of talking to the person and encouraging others to do the same, the employee still felt unmotivated. It was only until that person decided to change themselves, that their work changed. Since then there has been a significant improvement in their work.
Change is an internal process, as managers, you can only extend your support but it is up to that person to grasp it.
Here are Vernetta’s top 3 tips:
- Have dedicated times to check your emails so you remain focused
- Exercise, especially in green spaces and parks
- Have team meet-up outside of work. Once a month is great.
