This is a how a typical inspection of a new factory works: One week before I start a round of inspections, I send the factories I intend to visit a packet containing Reebok's Standards and tell management to expect my visit. Factory management are required to be present on my first visit because it is the best time to communicate why human rights are important to Reebok, to explain what we expect from them as a supplier and to answer any questions.

I meet with management before the inspection begins to describe how the audit will work, to ensure I have access to documents and staff, and confirm I can reach all areas in and around the factory. I've conducted over 400 inspections and I'm happy to say that these meetings are nearly always very positive.

As I’m walking around the floor, I have Reebok’s Standards in mind. I check for indications of forced labor such as guards on the production floor. I try to ascertain whether workers are free to move around the factory floor, use the toilet or have a drink of water whenever they want. I look for workers that seem too young to be there and check that any childcare facilities are clearly separated from production areas. Supervisors that yell or use demeaning language are an obvious pointer to harassment—as well as stressed or irritated workers who give me clues.

You get a feeling for a place that’s not going to show up on a checklist. Of course with a new factory, the management knows I’m coming and probably try to keep the worst problems hidden. It’s not easy to find problems that have been covered up, such as blacklisting of union members.

To try and get the real picture of factory conditions, I also spend time talking to workers, usually during their lunch breaks when I can approach them informally. Sometimes workers are not comfortable talking in the canteen. In that case we move to a quiet, secure place or off-site.

Earning the trust of the employees can be a real challenge, especially in regions where there are far more workers than jobs and they have everything to lose. There are times when, despite every reassurance that both the interview and their identity are confidential, I am faced with either closed mouths or false praise for management. I do my best to create a relaxed atmosphere, such as to ask initial questions that have nothing to do with the audit. I start by talking to the guys about football and to the women about guys. Working in Latin America, you really need to know all the local teams and local heartthrobs.

I always begin by emphasizing that I work for Reebok, not the factory. I want workers to realize that Reebok is concerned about the treatment of workers and my job is to ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect. I am honest with them, saying that I am there to help but cannot promise that all their problems will be solved. I ask workers about all aspects of workplace conditions.

My questions range from the general, “What do you like least about this factory?” to the specific, “If you get sick during working hours, what do you do?” I then encourage the workers to read the Reebok Standards and remind them where they are displayed. I finish the interview by advising workers to take up any grievances using the factory’s normal communication channels. I also provide my number and encourage them to get in touch with me by email, phone or text message if the issues are not resolved.

While I am inspecting the factory and interviewing staff, management collects all the documentation that I need to review so that it is ready when I get back to the office. I also pull some documents myself, so that they are not handpicked for us. I crosscheck documents and, if I suspect records have been falsified, I interview production workers and other factory personnel. People outside the factory such as vendors and shopkeepers who may see workers coming and going or the factory lights being on late can also confirm my suspicions. Sometimes, I even conduct night surveillance to check for overtime work.

At the end of the day, I talk to the management about the results of the audit, without revealing my sources for the information. For each issue I raise we set deadlines for remediation. An individual is given the responsibility for recording improvements. I’ll contact the factory every month to find out how the remediation efforts are progressing and I will return to the factory again to carry out a follow-up audit.

I make our requirements as clear as possible, but some managers just don’t get it. They play along with me while I am at the factory and when I am gone all the potential changes are gone with me. This is not just their failure; it is a failure for our program too.

Auditing is not just about ticking boxes. Audits do help ensure compliance with our standards, but I can’t be everywhere, every day. To bring lasting improvements to working conditions in our factories we need to give managers the skills and knowledge to guarantee compliance themselves. I conclude an audit day with a challenge to the management to educate workers on their rights, to assign responsibility for monitoring human rights issues internally and to create written procedures that mean our Standards become part of the way the factory works.