Idea 61: How to recruit and retain creative people

You need creative people for jobs where they are appropriate. The characteristics of a creative person tend to be:

• High general intelligence.
• Strongly motivated.
• Stimulated by challenge.
• Vocational in attitude to work.
• Able to hold contradictory ideas together in creative tension.
• Curious, with good listening and observing skills.
• Able to think for themselves, independent in thought.
• Neither an introvert nor an extrovert, but rather in the middle.
• Interested in many areas/things.

Creative individuals thrive if they are:

• Appreciated and receive recognition.
• Given freedom to work in their area(s) of greatest interest.
• Allowed contact with stimulating colleagues.
• Given stimulating projects to work on.
• Free to make mistakes.

If you are to retain creative people, you should ensure not only that their creativity continues to thrive in the right environment, but also that financially they are flexibly and well rewarded and given the freedom to operate and work without being stifled by excess bureaucracy.