We are all enjoying a great economy for our door and window products. As the run continues, the need for more innovation to help your competitive position grows. As this need grows, your need to hire innovators grows. So how do you hire the best innovators?

A recent blog entry on “Board of Innovation” lists 10 characteristics of good innovators and innovation leaders. The list is extensive and it will be a challenge to find all these qualities in any one person. I suggest you use these points as questions for your interviewees and score them on a scale. The 10 characteristics are:

1. Rebellion – a tendency to push a different agenda;
2. Empathy- to understand how change will effect each person;
3. Story teller- an ability to motivate everyone to change through a common vision;
4. Project orientation skills- to manage multiple innovation initiatives at one time;
5. Big picture understanding- to keep everyone’s eye on the goal;
6. Internal politician- to sell the team on new change and keep alignment;
7. Resilience- this allows us to continue after setbacks;
8. Design and learn experience- to allow real knowledge to help design;
9. Adaptive- to a adjust course as needed, but maintain momentum; and
10. Strategic- to set a course that may not be in the company comfort zone.

The ability to find, sort and hire successful leaders and innovators is a key skill we all must improve. Our industry is at the time when we need more input of outside ideas and innovations. Now is the time to up our game on hiring the leaders of the future!

Keep Innovating!