ATARC Federal IT Newscast Solving for X, Episode 4: Not Your Grandparent's IRS: The Future of the Taxpayer Experience?
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:
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/