Alissa Wolf - The Balance

Alissa Wolf - The BalanceAlissa Wolf - The Balance

How To Hire One Of the Truly Innovative 6%

How To Hire One Of the Truly Innovative 6% How To Hire One Of the Truly Innovative 6% This is an interesting finding for me for two reasons the first is that with a data set of 4 million, this is a significant sample size which means that the results really deserved to be listened to the second reason is that we face a shortage of innovators in a climate when demand for such qualities is so high, as confirmed by a FutureStep survey,which found that creativity/innovation was currently the most valuable quality in staff.So in this time when there is such a need to find and retain great innovative talent, I thought it would useful to set out several tips to hire true innovators.1.) Establish how much creativity do you needBefore you go out and departure recruiting for creativity and innovation, its good to find out how much creativity you actually need in your organizations and within your teams. I think that a good template for this might be something like Belbins team roles. In this idea, the best teams consist of good balance of ansicht 8 roles Plant (Creativity/Innovator), Resource Investigator, Co-ordinator, Shaper, Monitor/Evaluator, Team Worker, Implementer, Completer, Finisher and Specialists.If you have too many Plants(Innovators) then your teams may generate too many ideas and not enough results, while to few Plants means your teams may generate good but never great solutions.So, a good starting point might be to do a team inventory to see how well balanced your teams are in terms of creativity/innovation.Also, think about the end products, do your teams generate effective innovative solutions relative to your competition or do they engage in innovative effective working practices relative to your industry counterparts.You may find you have to much innovation, just the right amount or you need mora. If you need more innovation, then its time to move to the next step.2.) Be clear on what kind of innovator that you need.In general, there are two types of creativity, these are Creativity and Focused Creativity. In blue sky thinking and think-tank based environments, there may be more of a need for the former free flowing, big picture creativity.But, in most of the corporate environments that we all relate to, we are looking for focused creativity or ingenuity, which is the ability to make creative enhancements and improvements in a focused area that can lead to incremental improvements in efficiency, sales, customer service, productivity etc3.) How To Attract Focused InnovatorsMake sure that you set the right tone with the job description, making sure to incorporate much more flair in your job postings, as this is more likely to attract more inspired candidates than a straight forward notice.You can then use the job advert to help you filter for the appropriate kind of creativity that you are looking for. For example, if you are looking for more focused creativity, then I suggest that you ask candidates to develop a creative solutio n to a specific job problem that they may face at work. You can either ask the candidate to come up with the original problem, or you can generate the problem yourself.Also, try hiring from non-traditional sources. You can start by asking your more innovative employees for referrals and ask them where you would find them now if you were looking for them again. They may be able to introduce you to communities and networks where more innovate specialists with the right skills convene.4.) Assessing For Focused Creativity at InterviewThere are a range of assessments for creativity in the market-place which you can incorporate into your recruitment process. My preference is to use either a role play scenario or an in-tray exercise where the candidate is faced with a real organizational problem and asked to come up with a practical solution which requires some thought.If it were a sales person, they could be presented with a product with a design flaw which was totenstill usable and asked to create an attractive sales proposition or a marketing candidate could be asked to create a marketing campaign for version 2 of a product where version one was known to have been poorly received.And finally, having attracted the creative/innovative talent, it is important to build a culture that is accepting of creative thought and innovative ideas so innovators get to use these qualities that they were hired for or they may leave.This could include simply creating a culture that is open to new ideas, accepting of failure, allows people time to focus on creative solutions and rewards people who come up with innovative ideas.

Ways to Become U.S. Navy Commissioned Officer

Ways to Become U.S. Navy Commissioned OfficerWays to Become U.S. Navy Commissioned OfficerIf youre thinking of joining the U.S. Navy or have already done so, you may want to become a commissioned officer. By providing many paths to a commission, the Navy can more effectively meet its personnel needs while taking into account a variety of individual circumstances. The right road for each individual is determined by balancing two basic factors What the Navy needs to man the fleet and what the person is qualified to do. Here are some options outlined in an article in the U.S. Navys All Hands Magazine. U.S. Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA) offers an opportunity for qualified young persons to embark on careers as naval officers. All Academy applicants must have a nomination from a member of the executive or legislative branches of government (e.g., a congressman, senator or the president) to be considered for appointment. There are many nomination sources applicant s should apply to all of them. Each year, the Secretary of the Navy may nominate for admission to the Naval Academy 85 active-duty Navy and Marine korporation enlisted personnel and 85 Navy and Marine korporation Reserve personnel either on active duty or assigned to a drill unit. Naval Academy Prep School The Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS), located in Newport, R.I., provides intensive instruction and preparation for the academic, military, and physical training curricula at the USNA. NAPS convenes each August with the course continuing through May of the following year for candidates seeking July admission to the Academy. NROTC Scholarship Program The Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) scholarship program leads to an appointment as an officer of the Navy or Marine Corps in the grade of ensign or second lieutenant respectively. The NROTC programs are maintained to educate and train well-qualified men and women for careers as commissioned officers. The NROT C program is designed to provide the Navy with unrestricted line officers. Only persons who are open to the possibility of making their career in the Navy or Marine Corps should apply. There are a limited number of NROTC scholarships available to college students who want to become Nurse Corps officers. They must meet all the eligibility requirements of the NROTC program and be competitive for admission to a University with a College of Nursing BOOST Program The Navy is engaged in a vigorous effort to ensure that opportunities for a career as a naval officer are open to persons who may have been educationally deprived, but who have demonstrated they possess the fundamental qualities and desire necessary to gain a commission. To help these individuals achieve their potential, the Navy developed the Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training (BOOST) program. BOOST prepares selected individuals for entrance into the NROTC Program or the USNA. Enlisted Commissioning Program (ECP) ECP provides enlisted personnel, who have previous college credit, a full-time opportunity to complete requirements for a baccalaureate degree and earn a commission. Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) program The CWO program (along with the Limited Duty Officer Program) is one of the primary enlisted-to-officer programs that does not require a college education. CWOs provide technical expertise at a relatively stable grade level in the officer structure. Limited Duty Officer (LDO) program The LDO program is another enlisted-to-officer program that does not require a college education. The LDO meets the Navys needs for officer technical managers. Officer Candidate School OCS provides 13 weeks of officer candidate indoctrination and training. Selected enlisted members are designated officer candidates upon reporting to OCS in Pensacola, Fla. The program is open to male and female personnel except for the submarine, surface nuclear power and Special Warfare (SEALS) programs, which are not open to women. Seaman to Admiral Program After completion of initial operational training and fleet tours, Seaman to Admiral program officers will have the opportunity to earn their baccalaureate degrees at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. Service obligation is four years from appointment as a commissioned officer. Commissioning Programs in Navy Medicine Navy medicine offers an alternative to the administrative burden and expense of private practice for physicians, dentists,and medical service corps officers. The Medical Service Corps in-service procurement program is a continuing program which provides a path of advancement to commissioned officer status for senior regular Navy hospital corpsmen (HM) and dental technicians (DT) E-5 through E-9 who possess the necessary potential, motivation, and outstanding qualifications. This program is extremely competitive. Enlisted personnel aspiring toward appointment in the medical service co rps should begin preparation early in their careers through a sound self-improvement program. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences This four year, extremely competitive program to an accredited medical school accepts applications from service members who have a baccalaureate degree and have taken all of the required pre-med courses. Students serve in pay grade 0-1 while in the program, regardless of previous rank, and are promoted to 0-3 upon graduation. Graduates incur a seven-year service obligation (following residency completion)and receive a doctor of medicine degree. Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program This is an extremely competitive program for applicants desiring to become a physician, dentist, or optometrist. Applicants can apply for 2-, 3- or 4-year scholarships. Persons accepted into this program receive a commission in the Naval Reserves on inactive duty until they graduate, when they are advanced to lieutenant and enter active se rvice. Graduates incur a year for year obligation (following residency obligation) based upon the scholarship received. Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program The Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program offers enlisted personnel of all ratings the chance to become ensigns in the Nurse Corps by allowing them to obtain their bachelor of science degree in nursing.