Collecting objective evidence means asking questions of the auditee but also wherever possible following up a question with a drive to see what evidence there is to confirm the auditees response. For e.g.,

Auditee - "Yes it is recorded in the minutes of the HSE monthly meeting"
Auditor - "Could I please see the last minutes of the HSE"

This involves asking open questions, the sort of question that can start and keep a conversation going. These questions tend to begin with the words - how, who, when, where, what and why. Once the question has been asked, it is important the auditor listens to the answers given, so that he/she can record a yes or no against the relevant question on the checklist. Sometims, it can be that what people don't say that answers a question rather what they do say.

If a non-compliance is found, the auditor should discuss it with the auditee at the time. The auditor should explain why it is a non-compliance, and be sure that the auditee understands their conclusion.