Creativity can be hard to define and pinpoint. It is a mixed bag of intelligence, imagination, and the ability to see things from a fresh perspective, to say the least.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow believed that innovative individuals are characterized by the ability to see both the concrete and abstract, to be spontaneous and expressive, and able to go with the flow. They can express original ideas without fear of ridicule from others – much like happy and secure children do.
In a workplace environment, having employees who have the ability to be creative, original, and resourceful is key to designing new products, problem-solving operational challenges, and maintaining a leadership position in the market. The question is, how does an organization identify innovative candidates who would be an asset to them?
The Birkman Method is an assessment tool that evaluates four main areas in individuals:
- Areas of interest
- Usual styles
- Needs
- Stress behaviours
It captures people’s interests in four colour quadrants: red, green, yellow and blue. Some of the activities typical for the blue quadrant are dealing with abstract ideas, thinking of new approaches, and innovating. All of these activities characterize creative people.
People who score high in the blue quadrant will likely exhibit artistic, literary and musical interests. In a work environment, such people will enjoy activities that offer the intellectual challenge of discovering, developing and presenting new ideas and methods. They will feel energized by projects and activities that allow creativity. They will also respond best to bosses who are insightful, persuasive, reflective and creative.
Behavioural Interviews
Behavioural-based interviewing techniques can also help uncover innovation, particularly when used as probing questions that help the interviewer dig deeper and uncover what makes the interviewee “tick”. To get the most out of a behavioural interview, these guidelines should be followed:
- Using open-ended questions to avoid leading questions. Rather than saying “You probably found that job very boring,” one could say “To what extent did you find that experience satisfying?” An open-ended question will not lead to one specific answer, but will let the candidate give a personalized reply.
- Using follow-up questions to draw out candidates to present their strengths and areas for development. “Why?” can gather information about the candidate’s creative ability. Why people do things tells an interviewer a lot about their motivation, interests, and needs.
- Asking double-edged questions to make it easier for candidates to admit weaknesses by allowing them to choose between two options. For example, one might ask: “What are some of the things about yourself that you would like to improve or change? Would you like to develop more self-confidence, improve your creativity, become more analytical?” The interviewer can then probe more deeply and ask: “What about creativity? Do you have as much creativity as you would like to have or would you like to improve it?”
Although no assessment methods can predict creativity in individuals with full accuracy, a combination of the techniques mentioned above will certainly help organizations identify and attract more resourceful individuals.
Further reading suggestions: Developing Creativity: Simple Ways to Inspire Employees to Do More
