Q: If a company is seeking to hire innovative individuals, what should it look for in the candidate?
A: The innovative candidate should be assessed through a balance of creativity and contextual intelligence.
Creativity is the ability to combine or link ideas in new ways to generate novel and useful alternatives. It is exhibited in self-confidence; perseverance in the face of obstacles; willingness to take risks; openness to new experiences, and tolerance for ambiguity. It is tough to assess those traits in an interview, and they most likely cannot be assessed at all until the appropriate situation arises. Likewise, assessment-diagnostic tools might not be sufficient either. Storytelling might be the best pre-hiring assessment option.
A candidate can be asked to relate stories of personal and work experiences that can be reviewed considering a rubric focused on creative thinking.
Another dimension of individual innovation and creativity can be found in what experts call contextual intelligence. A person who possesses contextual intelligence has a deep understanding of the macro-level factors necessary for the creation, growth and transformation of a business. According to psychologist Shelley Carson, everyone has the capacity for innovation. However, it is an evolutionary trait that is cultivated with practice. Working through organizational transitions, from startups to mergers, cutbacks, etc., shows the interviewer how the candidate performed in situations that demand new perspectives.
Innovation can be developed in these situations where the ability to change approaches to long-standing problems is essential. For a person to be innovative, he/she needs to take time to understand the environment and its potential impact on the landscape of a business as it responds to market forces. The candidates should be able to seize opportunities that the context presents and adapt leadership approaches as the context changes.
When looking to hire creative individuals, focus on the spark of creativity that comes across in many people. Also important is the ability to analyze industry and business conditions and actively engage in change efforts that result in innovative developments.
Jack Militello is a professor of management at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.
