IRS workforce initiative.

• Author: Schreiber, Gerard H., Jr.
• Position: Retirement planning

Many have heard about the crisis in the number of government employees who are near or past retirement age and that there are not sufficient new hires to replace those retiring. This situation includes the IRS. More than half of the IRS workforce is age 50 or older, and 12% are already eligible for retirement. To keep up with attrition, the IRS needs to hire at least 5,000 employees in each of the next five years. In addition, the IRS fiscal year 2009 budget included a $300 million increase allocated specifically to enforcement activities.

The number of retirements and the increase in enforcement activities have created the need for the IRS to devote a significant amount of resources and effort to hire thousands of new employees in this fiscal year as well as in each of the next few years. The largest category for hiring is revenue agents, but other occupations include revenue officers, economists, computer audit specialists, special agents, and tax compliance officers.

To prepare for the future, the IRS has established a Workforce of Tomorrow task force that it launched in September 2008, with six areas of focus:

* Valuing and retaining people: Ensuring meaningful employee recognition, development, and strategies to retain the best talent;

* Enhancing the role of managers: Developing strategies to assist managers in mentoring, leading, and developing colleagues while addressing administrative burdens;

* Growing future leaders: Improving leadership planning and succession processes and focusing on development opportunities;

* Streamlining the hiring process: Improving process, automation, and policies to reduce the time it takes to fill positions;

* Attracting the best: Developing improved recruiting and career progression strategies; and

* Planning a dynamic hiring strategy: Building a flexible workforce plan that considers business...