Have you ever wondered how you can use HR strategies to increase creativity and innovative thinking in the workplace? Or perhaps you might be asking how incorporating a creativity into your workplace can help your company advance. There are many reasons to have a creative workplace, such as supporting employee development and forming a unique approach to competitors.
Read on to learn more about HR fundamentals for a creative workplace.
Build an open and inspiring atmosphere
Many workplaces have opted to leave behind the old school office design (i.e. the cubicles and dull lights) and have started creating more open spaces with plenty of natural lighting to liven up the atmosphere. A creative and inspiring workplace will help boost employee morale and overall happiness at work. Millennials, in particular, prefer to work in modern, energizing workspaces that encourage positivity and increase productivity.
Be flexible with working hours
Depending on what industry you are in, there may be some room for flexibility with work hours. The standard 9-5 days are becoming less and less common, as rigid work hours are not optimal for productivity and employee satisfaction in the workplace.
Employees prefer flexible work hours, especially when they have to cope with the demands of other commitments such as family and friends. Some are willing to start their day earlier and so they can finish sooner, while others are happy to work on the weekends. Businesses should adopt flexible working hours that suit their employees so that they can create a productive and creative workplace.
Employee benefits
Keeping your employees happy and enthusiastic about their work will help boost creative thinking and productivity in the workplace. A great way to keep your employees happy is to offer company perks. There are many inexpensive perks companies can offer such as free coffee, snacks, gym and recreational areas or a weekly team lunch.
Many of these benefits are easy to implement and promote team socializing and happiness in the workplace. Fun perks are not the backbone of a successful workplace, but they definitely help attract and retain the best talent for your team.
Good communication
A creative organization needs to have an excellent flow of communication so that things are always running smoothly. Employees should be free of fear when entering their workplace, this means being able to speak their mind without fear of angry reactions, bad reviews, and a threat to their position. If you give your employees the freedom to speak their mind, you will see a dramatic change in the level of creativity and innovation in your workplace.
HR managers should be at the forefront for exemplifying good communication strategies to the rest of the team. Try to employ an open door policy so that employees are not intimidated to speak with you. Offer a range of ways to communicate with you (e.g. face-to-face, email, phone or instant message), so that everyone can choose a method of communication they feel comfortable with.
Progressive learning
Be open to new ways of doing things. With so many advances in today’s numerous career fields, it is important to constantly stay in the loop with new approaches to doing things. Make sure you are offering your team plenty of adult learning such as workshops, seminars and online tutorials on new advances that are relevant to their position.
For example, courses such a Diploma of HR constantly have new and creative HR ideas for their students to put into practice. By offering an HR course to your management team, you can make sure that your business is running using the most efficient and current practices.
Reward creativity and innovation
The best way to build a creative workplace, is to encourage creativity. Make sure you are rewarding and recognizing employees for coming up with innovative ideas. Many workplaces have award nights to recognize their top performing employees, however, you can encourage creativity from your employees by simply verbally commending them for their many suggestions.
To start getting your team involved in creative thinking, you can ask them to offer suggestions on how to make current work practices more efficient. Tell your employees to write down one suggestion every week and at the end of the week, you can decide which is the best one. This gets your employees involved in making a creative workplace and helps brainstorm ways to increase efficiency.
A creative workplace is important for a successful business. Follow the HR tips mentioned above and you will see your company flourish with creativity and innovation.
Latest posts by Helen Sabell (see all)
- HR Fundamentals For A Creative Workplace - March 3, 2020
- 5 Unique Challenges HR Professionals Face - January 24, 2017
- Effective Delegation for First Time HR Managers - July 17, 2014
