Innovation Starts at the Hiring Process
Hiring for Innovation
Innovation begins at the hiring stage. Hire for empathy, creativity, and diversity, as research shows empathy is important for a culture conducive to innovation. Moreover, empathy should be made into a corporate value. In doing so, employees stretch beyond doing what the right thing to do is and move into what the needed thing to do is. Hire for a team player that fully fits your company’s values, beliefs, and mission. This will lead to a far more engaged and successful hire for the long haul. In fact, according to a recent survey, 27% of respondents reported successful transformations when their companies set cross-functional or enterprise-wide hiring goals based on specific skill needs, like those mentioned above—nearly twice as much as those whose organizations did not.
Once onboard, allow the new team member to be part of the team and to think outside the box. Allow employees a voice in the innovation strategies in your company. For example, allow them to voice their opinions on where tech innovation should occur, how it should be implemented and/or the timing and to what extent.
Nurturing Innovation
5 Truths about innovation that every employee in a supportive culture must be told, understand and embrace are:
Innovation exists in everyone.
Diversity is essential for innovation.
Innovation cannot be forced.
People need time and space to be innovative.
Teams are key to innovative achievements and accomplishments.
Developing talent and skills throughout the organization is one of the most important factors for successful innovation that sticks. Redefining and clarifying individual’s roles and responsibilities such that they align with the innovation goals creates an environment in which they are more likely to be successful. Integrators, or individuals who bridge the gap between their colleagues and new technological innovations through translation and processes development, increase the chances of successful technological innovation that sticks.
How to create a culture of innovation
While hiring and nurturing the right skill set is fundamental to building an innovative culture, such a culture should be conducive to innovation without forcing it. But creating and changing current culture is complex and difficult to navigate. An innovative culture is one that supports innovation while balancing creativity with purpose, people and need.
Tips for Creating a Culture of Innovation:
Begin with management, not so it is instituted from the top down, but so it is supported at all levels and employees recognize it as a priority for the leadership team as well as an opportunity for everyone.
Disengaged employees are not working at their full potential and oftentimes employees feel disengaged because they do not feel like they are valued or heard. Everyone needs to know their role in carrying the company mission forward. Be careful not to let one team feel more valued over the other: technology over administration or clinical over technology. And share all successes with the whole team.
Be sure to clearly communicate that innovation is everyone’s job and responsibility. Create a sense of ownership among your employees by communicating that innovation is akin to a team sport where everyone has a valued role to play.
Embrace diversity and the valuable, even occasionally volatile breakthroughs that come from opinions sprung from different genders, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, education levels, ages, and abilities. Diversity brings resilience, productivity and breaks down destructive silos.
Encourage curiosity and experimentation in an environment that is safe to take calculated risks. Encourage your employees to fail and learn from those failures.
Consider taking a page from Google and Apple’s playbook by designating a dedicated time each day to innovate, even if that is just 15 or 20 minutes.
Ultimately innovation is about people, their skills, and talents. Technology can assist and lead to new problem-solving processes, but without engaging people to lead, translate and create the need for technology, technological innovation is irrelevant. Carefully look at all innovation with an eye for human need and purpose. This will prevent innovation burnout and be more apt to become part of the company culture when employees see value and benefit from dedicating time and effort toward the strategy.