How to Take Your Business to the Next Level by Hiring Innovators

When it comes to hiring, many companies continue to use the same methods they have always used. However, as technology moves on apace and the skills necessary to perform jobs change, you may find that this no longer brings you the innovative, creative candidates you need.

Innovation is what drives growth and elevates companies to new heights, and building a culture of innovation requires hiring the right people.

If you’re tired of asking the question “what’s your greatest weakness?”, and even more tired of hearing the answer “perfectionism”, it may be time to inject some innovation into your hiring process.

The key is to remember that specific, hard skills can always be taught. Soft skills like creativity, emotional intelligence, and adaptability cannot be taught, and as such should be your priority.

To bring innovation to life in your business, focus on identifying candidates with the following abilities:

Change management

Sample interview question “How do you react to the typical “this is how it’s always been done” response to a request for change?”

Collaboration

Sample interview question “Describe a situation where you had to work with someone you found difficult.  Tell me about the person and what you did to work successfully with them.”

Innovation

Sample interview question “Give me an example of a time you lacked the skills or knowledge to complete an assignment?”

To discover candidates with the right soft skills, rethink the interview questions you are asking; the examples above will get you started. Benchmarking the job and identifying the key accountabilities will help you zero in on the skills the job really needs.

Favoring specialization over intelligence is a mistake. The world is changing at a rapid pace across all industries, and the hard skills necessary to do a job today will change in the near future. Screening for intelligence should be the first innovative change you make to your hiring process. 

Those who ask good questions are more curious, intelligent, flexible, and interesting, and understand they don’t have all the answers - precisely the characteristics you want in an employee. In the interview, make sure you get the candidate talking and asking you challenging questions. 

In today’s ever-changing market, it’s important to hire employees that will be ready and willing to adapt quickly and think creatively about the inevitable challenges your company will face.