Constant innovation is a key factor in evolving business, and it’s up to you as an HR professional to cultivate this. Innovation can be maintained and shaped through HR’s responsibilities. Hence you should understand innovation in HR.
An evolving and culturally innovative workplace means that team members are enabled to have more personal growth and benefits, including:
-higher job satisfaction
-personal upskilling
-better sleep and more energy for work
-more immersion and greater engagement with their work
-less apprehension in taking on challenges
-faster work rate
-scope for leadership opportunities
With innovation driving further employee engagement, a more engaged team results in greater profitability for your business.
It’s important to understand that there’s no solution for a perfect innovative culture, but there are several ways that HR can improve their workplace environment.
HR can implement a variety of workplace characteristics
These are key parts that can contribute to the cultivation of an innovative culture in your workplace, allowing your HR team to impact the growth of your business.
- Welcome risk-taking and creativity
Innovation can provide opportunities for employees to take risks. If employees are being assured that failures are accepted as a natural part of innovation, further opportunities for growth and learning can be explored. Recognizing these moments and acknowledging the attempts made is a great way to foster better creativity and effort from team members.
Rewarding team members who may have come up with a fantastic idea that ultimately didn’t work can be a key contributor to more confident and innovative work culture. Having a physical award, such as “Best Monthly Idea” can be a useful method of rewarding creativity. This shows team members that creativity and innovation are welcomed, not discouraged.
- Provide opportunities for growth
An innovative culture is one that’s constantly growing a team’s confidence and self-belief in their roles. Survey results from Mercer showed that 78 per cent of employees said they would remain longer with their employer if they saw a career path within their current organization. To aid employees who feel their day-to-day work has no impact, HR teams are able to promote a more detailed career map. This allows team members to grow and help their businesses to greater heights.
Being encouraged to attend industry events, take online courses and upskill is key in fostering a sense of continual development that’s career-based, rather than job-centric. Team members are then able to bring these new skills back to work, where they can help provide new insights and new solutions for your business.
- Provide open communication and support
Having positive interpersonal exchanges demonstrates an innovative work culture. According to SalesForce, employees who feel that they are heard and have a voice are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to succeed at their work.
An open line of communication between management, HR, and team members enables business goals and outcomes to be transparent.
By doing so, discussions are more natural, where team members can feel comfortable knowing they have a voice and they are listened to.