Few agencies have been in the news more than the Internal Revenue Service. In this episode, Nina sits down with Ken Corbin – the first Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer at the IRS. In this role, Ken focuses on overseeing the agency's efforts to radically improve taxpayer services. Together, they take a deep dive into customer experiences, building mission-ready teams, and the unexpected benefits of sharing bad news early.

Timestamps:

1:53 Ken tackles Nina's famous "Crystal Ball" question by highlighting two critical words for the Future of Work in Government: Choice and Access

3:50 The enormous task of pivoting 15,000 mostly on-site customer service representatives to full telework at the start of the pandemic

5:27 Getting ahead of the curve: How can you get a huge agency to try new things?

7:58 The secret to winning the retention battle: understanding what truly motivates and engages your workforce (hint: it isn't just salary)

9:34 Starting out as a GS-01, how the government became a calling and a career

12:40 More than W2s: how IRS employees serve the country

18:30 "Hear Me Sessions" the IRS revolutionizes the customer experience and even protects citizens from tax scams by listening to front-line employees

23:10 The surprising benefit of owning experiences and sharing bad news early

25:00 Why it's impossible to over-communicate

30:52 Ken waves the magic wand, what does he wish for?

Links:

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-creates-new-chief-taxpayer-experience-officer-position-ken-corbin-to-lead-new-focus-to-improve-service-to-taxpayers

Connect with Nina and Chris:

Nina Bianchi:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bianchininafuture/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NinaFuture

Christopher Crist: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-crist-a1544a135/

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