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Governor John Bel Edwards signed into law several employment-related bills that were passed by the 2021 Legislative Session. These laws are effective August 1, 2021, so business owners should review and update their policies and practices to be in compliance.

In the past “soft skills” were dismissed as fluff—nice but not necessary for getting the job done. But in today’s business world, managers are finding that soft skills like good communication, conflict management, time management and a penchant for problem-solving are critical factors that impact productivity. Unfortunately, traditional classroom education doesn’t teach these skills, considering them to be personal characteristics that students should have been taught at home. This has led to what is called a “soft skills gap” in today’s workplace that has far-reaching consequences for both the employer and the employee. 

Hiring employees is a lot like dating – you have to invest the time in finding the right person or you spend valuable time trying to “fix” the relationship before you eventually “break up” when it doesn’t work out. Without a good interview process, you may have to (metaphorically) kiss a lot of frogs before you find a Prince (or Princess) Charming!