The IRS workplace is really based on instilling fear in their employees. I work in a call center as a CSR and your calls are monitored. If you left someone on hold last for over 5 minutes they could give you an "error" for being unprofessional if you left them their for 5 minutes and one second. They gave a little on that.
But you are constantly being reviewed and watched. They have IRMs that are instructions on how to do things. They are really hard to understand sometimes and when I called the "lead line" I had one lead tell me on 2 separated occasions "I don't know"! They should know!
The "training" is a joke. You sit a room, sometimes for several weeks, reading to each other. And the training materials aren't YOURS to keep! You have to keep them pristine for the NEXT group! The links inside the publications and in some limited computer instruction are out of date a number of times to numerous to mention. So you have to DISCOVER those on YOUR OWN TIME.
They expect by reading this to you that you will absorb this. I don't know about you but someone reading me a story and I start falling asleep!
Rather than spend time SHOWING how to do stuff like adjustments so you can do this on your own the instructor are forced to TEACH by the IRS directed way. (that's reading to you)
When on the phones you have a lead line. Your way to call out for help. Some of the leads are great and some you see their names come and magically you see their name and then with the same leads you are put back into the QUEUE. Remember you only have 5-10 minute holds and these leads won't take your call.
To be fair these same leads I have hung up when I see their names. You know you'll get the third degree, "Where have you looked", "What IRMs are you in", and sometimes they will tell you that they aren't helping you!
I had one lead on my FIRST day doing accounts tell me she couldn't support IAT tools. I was stuck on ONE SCREEN. Later I found it was really simple. But there is no manual for that tool! You learn by doing it!
We had a supervisor line one year. And I had an angry taxpayer demanding to speak with a supervisor. So I called and the supervisor asks "Where have you looked...BLA BLA BLA" I was hot at this point myself and I told her flat out, this isn't the lead line I EXPECT the third degree from them! After that she took the call.
They have National Quality Review people who listen to calls and that's all they do. At least they do this all the time. But they also have LOCAL teams of LEADS who take turns reviewing calls. You never know WHO did the review.
But they pick apart every call. Mentioning a potential problem to one taxpayer that could eventually cause his installment agreement to default if left unchecked was given an error because it wasn't necessary? Really let the guy's IA default and let him incur a $50 reinstatement fee is ok?
But if you do something that is going to have him need to call back or take action that's a dreaded 715 error?
I started with a group of about 60 people. After about 3 years we were down to under 15 people. Turnover is high.
If you want to stay you need to just take the review and ignore it. If you try and take too much out of it this will just kill you mentally.
The IRS is a great cure for OVERCONFIDENCE. If you work here for a number of years your blood pressure will SKYROCKET!
Avoid working here!
There are more enjoyable ways to give yourself an ulcer!
The workplace is a very hostile place. You feel you're not part of a team; but rather prey for those trying to tell you bad a job you do!
My first day there they told us "you can always go back to your jobs at Walmart" !
One manager asked "Do you feel valued by the IRS" We laughed..truthfully we thought he was joking!
In all fairness there are plenty of nice people there.
