The IRS does not consistently maintain documentation to verify that it completed all pre-screening steps before new hires reported for duty, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has said in calling for improvements.
The checks are intended to ensure applicants meet standards of honesty, integrity and security. TIGTA carried out reviews at four of the IRS’s nine employment operations branch offices. It found that 77 percent of hiring actions were missing documentation needed to readily determine that all of the pre-screening steps had been completed and it called on the agency to develop policies to ensure that pre-screening actions are consistently completed and documented.
The IRS said it implemented interim procedures in December and that it expects to complete additional corrective actions soon – including the implementation of interim steps to verify that all pre-screening activities are completed before an applicant reports for duty, as well as enhancements to the computer application it will use to document the completion of each pre-screening step.
