Tips for Hiring Creative Talent

What is innovation anyway?

Innovation begins with creativity, but it's much more than just generating ideas. "Innovation is also about successfully executing ideas," says Laura Harrison, organizational psychologist and principal of the consulting firm IceHrm. "At an individual level, innovation involves not just ideation but also assessing feasibility, planning implementation, and influencing others to drive change." Effective recruitment management is key to identifying candidates who possess these comprehensive innovation skills.

Innovation and creativity are vital for companies to solve complex business problems and keep up with the competition, but what does an innovative company or team look like?

"When we break innovation down to an individual level, we see more characteristics than just the ability to come up with a good idea."

Diversity for Success

A diverse workforce enhances company performance, especially with diverse leadership. A McKinsey report found that companies in the top quartile for gender-diverse leadership teams are 21% more likely to have above-average profitability. Additionally, companies with leaders from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds are 33% more likely to outperform competitors. Utilizing advanced hiring software can help identify and attract diverse talent, ensuring a more inclusive and profitable workplace.

"If you want to have an innovative and creative company, one of the things that our research shows is diversity in your teams, in leadership and in decision-making is a big contributor. Diversity in all forms is beneficial, whether it's people's background, age, gender and race, but also personalities, meaning people with different styles or behaviors," Harrison explains.

So how does diversity affect company performance? Different perspectives lead to creative solutions. A team with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives is more likely to find a unique and creative solution to a problem. Each team member brings a unique perspective, allowing the team to approach problems from multiple angles. A diverse team is also more adaptable to market changes and industry trends because they are exposed to a wider range of ideas and can better understand the needs and preferences of a diverse customer base.

"Diversity in any form is beneficial, whether it's in terms of people's background, age, gender and race, but also diversity in terms of personalities, i.e. people with different styles or behaviors."

How to identify creative talent?

Rethink your hiring practices

Creativity is a crucial soft skill for hiring and retaining innovative employees, but it may require a change in companies' hiring practices. "Traditionally, companies have tried to measure creativity through interviews with questions like 'Tell me about a time you came up with a new idea,'" Harrison explains.

"It's a fair question, but to build on that, you can also include a personality assessment, which will help you get a more complete picture of candidates by looking at their preferences, behaviors and work styles at a deeper level to bring to light the desired traits."

"Coming back to diversity, to attract and hire diverse talent, you need to make sure you have inclusive hiring practices in place. Inclusive hiring is not an easy thing to do and involves many different elements, from the employee value proposition and job design to promotional channels and the assessment process," says Harrison.

Assess candidates' learning agility

Learning agility refers to the ability and willingness to learn and adapt quickly to new and complex situations or challenges. This includes being open-minded, seeking feedback, and applying past experiences to new contexts. Individuals with high learning agility tend to be more resilient and adaptable, quickly navigating changes in their environment and effectively handling new challenges.

Cognitive ability tests are the most effective way to measure individuals' ability to learn and work with new concepts and ideas. Personality assessments can provide insight into traits and behaviors associated with learning agility, such as openness to new experiences, adaptability, and resilience.

Aim for team balance

Creativity in the workplace comes in many forms. Each team member brings their unique perspectives and skills, so when hiring a new team member, make sure there aren't too many identical creative types on the team. IceHrm's Team Strengths Report provides valuable insight into a person's strengths and their likelihood of taking on different roles. The report is a helpful tool for identifying strengths and gaps in the team.

Fostering a culture of innovation

Hiring the right talent is one thing, but you also need to consider whether you're creating a culture where innovation can thrive. Creating an inspiring and innovative atmosphere in the workplace takes more than beanbags and a pool table.

"Companies need to be clear about the reality of their business," says Harrison. "If a company decides to hire creative people who can bring new ideas because they feel they're lacking those very people, they first need to ask themselves why that is."

"If you have a culture that doesn't support new and innovative ideas, your employees aren't set up for success," explains Harrison. "It all comes down to leadership and management. Do you foster a culture where people are encouraged and comfortable to openly share their ideas?"

"If you have a culture that doesn't support new and innovative ideas, your employees aren't set up for success."

The same goes for competencies or behavioral styles that a company might be lacking. The approach to solving this problem is usually to hire new people with the appropriate competencies or styles. However, if your entire company lacks a particular style, it's more representative of the culture than of individuals," Harrison concludes.

To foster a culture of innovation, hiring creative talent is just the beginning. Tools like IceHrm can help identify team strengths and ensure balanced, diverse teams. Creating an environment that supports new ideas is essential for long-term success. Leadership plays a crucial role in encouraging a culture where innovation thrives.