Hiring The Right Employees

If you've developed a new invention and need help to launch it, you're probably worried about how to find the right people. After all, if you want to create an inventive environment that might lead to more new products, you have to find passionate people who have the right experience. You might be impressed with someone's executive experience with a big company but typically these candidates are used to doing what they are told. They may not have experience being creative and thinking about possibilities that aren't clearly in front of them. However, a big executive who is tired of that work environment might be a good candidate for a management role. Since the criteria for hiring employees has not typically included creativity and passion, it may be difficult to pinpoint.

When you interview for a job, pay attention to nonverbal signs. Does someone's eyes light up when they hear about your new invention? Do they ask you questions about it? As an inventor of new product ideas, you also need people who are willing to take risks. Ask for candidates to give you specific scenarios in which they have taken risks. But make sure those risks were appropriate for the given situation at the time. Is it the kind of behavior you want in your new work environment? Additionally, creative people don't always have the knack for deadlines so you also want to test for this in your interview process. Don't get lured into someone who is just a fast-talker. Ask for examples that can be proven. Here are some other criteria you should consider when creating a work environment that fosters new product ideas:

*Does the candidate seem highly competitive or more excited about working with interdisciplinary colleagues?

*Does he or she know how to handle grey areas? Ask for examples of how they've done so in the past.

*Are they mentally agile and do they seem to have lots of energy?

*Do they learn out of sheer passion for knowing more or only when told to?