How do you select an auditor?

I'm an auditor, so I'm coming at this from a different perspective. Here are some of the things I think you should consider:

1. Industry expertise - this is often overlooked. How much experience does the auditor have in your industry makes a big difference in how they will audit your company.

2. Who is going to actually perform the audit? With larger firms, you might initially be sold by marketing people who you never see again. You will probably also meet the partner - find out how hands on the partner is going to be on the audit. With larger firms, most of the work is going to be handled by someone with much less experience. With smaller firms, the partner is much more likely to be heavily involved.

3. What's the price. Most auditors will say "I don't know." Or they will say "It depends on who we staff it with and how many hours it takes." I think it is ridiculous that company's buying audit services put up with this. You shouldn't care how long it takes them. If you've given the auditor an accurate picture of your company, its risks and the condition of your financial statements, the auditor should give you a firm price. You don't care how long it takes General Motors to build a car, and you shouldn't care how long it takes the auditor to get the job done (but it should still be done on time).