Building a Skills-Based Talent System in the Public Sector

Key Takeaways:

• Over the past 10+ years, Louisiana built a statewide competency model and competency-based hiring framework as a foundation for hiring and advancement.
• In 2024, the state removed its pre-employment exams and eliminated degree requirements for most civil service jobs.
• The State Civil Service piloted the new hiring framework internally before scaling it across agencies.
• Practical tools, including behavior-based rubrics, support hiring managers in assessing and developing talent through a skills lens.
• The new framework is now being extended across the employee lifecycle to support performance management and career mobility.

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Case Summary:

Louisiana is proving that even deeply established civil service systems can evolve. What began more than a decade ago as a statewide competency model has now become the backbone of a comprehensive, skills-based approach to hiring and workforce development.

Through the leadership of Louisiana State Civil Service (SCS), the state removed barriers like outdated pre-employment exams and degree requirements—replacing them with a framework grounded in the real competencies needed to succeed in state government. After first piloting the approach internally, SCS built tools, rubrics, and training to help hiring managers statewide implement skills-based hiring with clarity and consistency.

Early results are promising: a 58% increase in job applications and a 93% adoption rate for the new hiring framework. Now entering its second year of implementation, the state is embedding this approach into its full talent lifecycle—from recruitment and retention to employee development and promotion.