Spotlight State Civil Service March 2025
#4 Issue
The Spotlight's Mission is to foster meaningful communication with all stakeholders of the State Civil Service System.
Every Day For Every Citizen
Byron P. Decoteau, Jr., Director
Director's Message
SHIFTing: Growing your Competencies and Leadership As we enter a new year of opportunity and service, I am excited to share a renewed focus on developing the skills and strengths that drive success in state government. Through the Louisiana State Civil Service SHIFT initiative, Louisiana Competency Model, and our CPTP Leadership Suite, we are equipping every employee with the tools to grow, lead, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of the people we serve.
• Excellent Compliance Audits • State Civil Service Recent Awards • State Civil Service SHIFT initiative • Opportunity@Work Feature In this Issue:
SHIFT sets a forward-looking direction for our workforce. It modernizes how we recruit talent, build capability, and support employee success from day one and beyond. Coupled with the Louisiana Competency Model and the CPTP Leadership Suite, we now have a stronger shared language for performance and development that aligns with our mission and the values of public service. In the coming year, you will see expanded opportunities for leadership development, competency-based learning, and performance practices that help you reach your full potential. These tools are designed to strengthen not only individual performance, but our collective ability to deliver high-quality services to the public. As you prepare for the upcoming 2026 Continuous Performance Management Planning sessions, visit the links below to learn more about the resources available to you! Thank you for your commitment to excellence. Together, we will continue shaping a workforce that is skilled, engaged, and ready to lead with purpose.
Here’s to a year of growth, service, and success. Byron P. Decoteau, Jr., State Civil Service Director
Louisiana Competency Model
CPTP Leadership Suite
SHIFT
civilservice.louisiana.gov | jobs.la.gov | scsinfo@civilservice.la.gov
SCS Chief Operating Officer Recognized by the Greater Baton Rouge Society for Human Resource Management
We are proud to announce that Louisiana State Civil Service Chief Operating Officer Nicole Tucker is the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Human Resources Professional of the Year. This award, given by the Greater Baton Rouge Society for Human Resource Management (GBR SHRM), recognizes an HR professional who has demonstrated exceptional achievement, innovation, and leadership in the field of human resources within the past calendar year. The award also honors an HR professional’s impactful contributions that advance the HR profession and positively influence their organization or community. Pictured left: SCS Chief Operating Officer Nicole Tucker receives the HR Professional of the Year award from Karen Breaux, Louisiana SHRM Immediate Past State Director.
"Receiving the GBR SHRM HR Professional of the Year award was an unexpected but true honor,” said Tucker. “I have seen so many other inspiring professionals receive this award before me, and it is a privilege to now be included among such talented and impactful leaders. Through my career with Louisiana State Civil Service, I’ve been grateful for opportunities to represent our state and the public sector across several panels, conferences, and initiatives. I’m simply proud and grateful to be part of such a
strong and inspiring HR community. " One of the many highlights contributing to Tucker’s selection includes her work in the groundbreaking transformation in public sector human resources by advancing a skills-first initiative for the state of Louisiana through Opportunity@Work’s inaugural Transformers in the Public Sector Cohort. Nicole Tucker was honored on Thursday, December 4, during the GBR SHRM Holiday Social.
Read the full Media Release
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State Civil Service Spotlight | December 2025
Excellent Compliance Audits
State Civil Service would like to commend Louisiana Board of Pharmacy for achieving a perfect Compliance Audit. This agency achieved 100% compliance in all categories audited. State Civil Service would also like to commend several agencies for an excellent Compliance Audit. These agencies achieved 90% compliance or higher in all categories audited, had no areas of concern, and no major rule violations.
Congratulations to Department of Transportation and Development, Louisiana State Racing Commission, and Capital Area Human Services District. The results received by these agencies show the value and importance of excellence they place on Civil Service rule compliance. They are to be commended for a job well done!
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Louisiana State Civil Service and the Recruiting & Outreach Center will be closed for the following upcoming holidays:
24-26 Dec.
Christmas Holiday
31 Dec.
New Year's Holiday
1-2 Jan.
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State Civil Service Spotlight | December 2025
Every day, State Civil Service employees deliver essential services that make a difference for the people of Louisiana. Expectations for public service continue to grow, and the systems that support our work must grow with them. In recent years, we have taken important steps forward: updating processes, strengthening policies, expanding leadership development opportunities, reviewing compensation practices, and providing clearer resources for managers and employees. SHIFT (Shaping How We Invest in Future Talent) brings these efforts together under one clear direction. SHIFT is our unified strategy for modernization. It connects progress already underway across our divisions and focuses it on a single purpose: building a workforce that is skilled, supported, and prepared to serve. We've already SHIFTed with projects like the redesigned Louisiana Jobs website, Continuous Performance Management (CPM) system, Minimum Qualification Modernization, Leadership Academy, and more. SHIFT matters to everyone connected to public service. For employees, it means clearer tools, better resources, stronger teamwork, and more opportunities to grow. For job seekers, including those skilled through alternative routes, it means simpler, more transparent hiring processes and greater access to opportunities. For human resources professionals and agency leaders, it means having the resources to guide change, support their people, and strengthen their agencies’ ability to adapt to the future. For our partners and the public, it means a government that remains accountable, efficient, and ready to deliver high-quality services every day to every citizen. Learn more about what's SHIFTing next and how you can be a part!
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State Civil Service Spotlight | December 2025
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Louisiana State Civil Service has been nationally recognized for its leadership in advancing skills-based talent practices. The State of Louisiana is featured in Opportunity@Work’s Government as Employer Playbook, a national resource designed to help public sector leaders modernize hiring and workforce practices by focusing on skills rather than degrees. The playbook is a practical, action-oriented guide developed for government employers at all levels. It provides tools, templates, and real-world examples to support agencies as they work to expand access to public service careers, strengthen talent pipelines, and better align hiring practices with the skills needed to perform the work. Louisiana’s inclusion reflects ongoing efforts by State Civil Service to rethink traditional hiring models and create pathways for workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes, or STARs. STARs are individuals who have gained valuable skills through experience, military service, training programs, or partial college completion rather than a four-year degree. By focusing on what candidates can do, not just where they learned it, skills-based approaches help agencies reach a broader and more diverse talent pool while maintaining high standards for public service. Jennifer Schuelke, Assistant Division Administrator for Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development with Louisiana State Civil Service, contributed to the playbook and shared Louisiana’s perspective as part of Opportunity@Work’s inaugural Transformers in the Public Sector cohort. In the introduction, she emphasizes the importance of modernizing hiring while preserving excellence in public service: Louisiana State Civil Service Featured in National Government as Employer Playbook
“This isn’t about lowering the bar. It’s a call to rethink how we describe work, how we define excellence, and how we recognize the value of real- world experience .” She further notes that shifting to skills-based practices helps government better serve both applicants and the public by opening access to talent that has long been overlooked, while still aligning with mission-critical needs and merit principles Louisiana’s participation in the Government as Employer Playbook underscores State Civil Service’s commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, and equitable access to public employment. As workforce challenges continue to evolve, resources like this playbook help ensure that Louisiana remains positioned as a forward-thinking employer of choice in public service.
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State Civil Service Spotlight | December 2025
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CPM Reminder As a reminder, we are approaching our first Continuous Performance Management (CPM) Evaluation Period , January 1, 2026 – March 1, 2026 . Evaluation forms are available for pre-launch in SuccessFactors. For video tutorials and resources, visit the CPM Training Center page. If you have additional questions, please email us at SCSInfo@ civilservice.la.gov.
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Louisiana State Civil Service | P.O. Box 94111 | Baton Rouge, LA 70804 US
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