Keith Walker, Director of Human Capital at LMSB, says the unit has been actively recruiting senior-level agents from outside the government, a relatively new tactic for an organization that has traditionally promoted from within. Of the 321 agents hired in 2005, Walker says 200 came from the private sector. Most began at the government�s GS-13 level, with starting salaries ranging from $75,000 to $83,000.
Despite what some might see as relatively paltry pay, Walker says LMSB has been meeting its recruitment goals. �The attraction is the work hours and benefits,� he says. At a time when many auditors routinely work 60 or 70 hours a week, the IRS expects 40 or 45 hours. In addition, the government�s benefits package, which includes a legendary retirement program, �isn�t going to disappear,� says Walker.
During the current fiscal year, LMSB hopes to add 412 more revenue agents. In 2006, LMSB will introduce an internship/training program intended to attract business school graduates with advanced degrees in tax, accounting and related fields. Participants will join the agency as a GS-9, with salaries beginning in the $45,000 to $50,000 range. They�ll get promoted each subsequent year until they reach the GS-13 level.
External recruiters wonder whether top accounting talent will buy into Walker�s arguments about work-life balance and retirement benefits, however. �The Big Four and the IRS are in two different hemispheres,� says one. �A driven person isn�t going to work in a government finance function. There�s so much demand right now, the IRS may be in for a rude awakening.�
Still, there are those who think you can�t beat a government job, accountants and auditors included. And it doesn�t get much more government than the IRS.
Reader Comments
A number of readers have e-mailed us for details on IRS jobs. The agency suggests accessing the federal government�s USAJOBS Web site and entering the search terms �Revenue Agent� for specific application information.
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