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When your company posts a job, the first thing you typically see are the standard white-paper resumes that explain their skills, experience and education. While some may prove more creative in their resume delivery, most often it is not the case. Trying to find innovative new hires takes more than just reading the white-paper resume; the interview will help you see behind the curtain. However, it takes a good balance of both innovation and grounded principals for a strong innovative candidate to shine. WorkSource has put together three great interview questions that will help you identify innovative new hires.

A deadline is a month away, how do you finish the project and when?

This is a great question because most candidates will have similar answers such as, “I do the research necessary and finish the project early, then hand it in or move on to something else until it’s due,” or “I look for other things to do until the deadline gets closer, then I work on the project.” While both are ok answers, if you are looking for someone innovative, then you want an answer more closely related to this: “First, I search the Internet for ideas. Then I’ll ponder the information until a solution makes itself known. I may go for a walk, keep the project up on a bulletin board or print out creative phrases that spark ideas. This may happen immediately or it may happen a few days before the deadline, but when the solution hits, I get working on the project and always get it in on time.” Now that’s an innovative thinker!

How do you go about making important life decisions?

This question is a strong one to use because it gives you a sense of who the person is outside of work, how they problem solve life crisis, and how they will calculate work into other life decisions.

How would you express your ideas in a meeting with managers where a confrontational issue has emerged?

This gives you a sense of whether or not the candidate will wait for prompting before speaking or jump in with a point of view. It also tells you how they might deliver that point of view, how they will interact with teammates during tense situations, and how assertive they may be. It also lends itself to opening the door for you to observe managers. Does your current team have outspoken leaders who would squash innovative thoughts your candidate proposes, or would his voice be heard? How integral do other managers see the need for innovative candidates? And, can the candidate rise above the confrontation to help problem solve?

If you want innovative ideas to flourish in your company, you need to cultivate an atmosphere where innovative thinking is the norm. Where creativity is valued. Where communication and problem solving work hand in hand.

WorkSource, a WRC-certified premier staffing agency, makes quality and service our mission. We can help you implement a more innovative atmosphere and hire the right candidates for the job. Contact our experienced team of recruiters today to find out how we can help you.

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