In either case, says Williams, who specializes in testing, it's crucial to evaluate the whole answer, including the thought process involved, not just the result. "We pay attention to how the person approaches and analyzes the situations, takes into consideration the different stakeholders, the tradeoffs they propose, and their implementation plan," says Bergeron.
In the 1990s, many technology and other self-described innovative companies borrowed a trick from Microsoft and began asking "puzzle questions" meant to probe faculties for logic and creativity. (One example: How would you weigh a jet without using scales?) However, in a provocative book, How Would You Move Mount Fuji?, author William Poundstone cast doubt on the value of such questions: "They are too often mixed in with tricks, traps, power games, and hazing stunts." Microsoft itself reportedly no longer uses them. (There is, by the way, no single correct answer to the airplane question.)
Samples and simulations. For explicitly creative work (such as writing, art, or design), you can ask a candidate to create sample work. Cirque du Soleil, for example, asks designers to create acrobatic accessories online using its 3-D software. For many positions, you can create a role-playing scenario -- dealing with an angry customer, say -- or turn it into a written exercise. A marketing candidate, for instance, might be given 30 minutes to outline a campaign.
Intelligence and personality tests. There is no consensus on which written tests best illuminate creative aptitude. Some experts correlate creativity with abstract intelligence, which is the ability to see patterns in a given environment and from those discern new trends and opportunities. Williams often favors abstract reasoning tests -- graphics-based exams that require the taker to detect patterns in numbers or shapes. Others turn to personality and preference assessments, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
Building a Creative Culture
Although companies are wise to loosen up a bit for people doing explicitly creative work such as design, creative doesn't necessarily mean casual -- you don't need beanbag chairs and foosball tables to nurture innovation. Still, you will have to find ways to inspire and motivate a creative team and then be ready to embrace the results. "If you put those people in an environment that squashes creativity, you'll go nowhere," says Scott Erker. "They'll be fired, or they'll put their resumé out and find somewhere else to be creative."
Inspire with work. For many creative people, the work itself is a powerful motivator -- they feel passionate about it and are energized when they do it. Keep them busy, and, within prudent bounds, let them do the work their way.
Compensate with care. In the creative environment, adding one-time financial incentives to the mix can be a distraction -- or worse, if the employee feels manipulated by the program. However, when creativity produces ongoing income for a company, the creator should share in the long-term profits, says Katherine A. Lawrence, a lecturer and scholar with the University of Michigan.
Create happiness. A study conducted by the Harvard Business School of people working on creative projects found that they were least productive on days when they felt anger, anxiety, or fear. They were more creative on days when they felt happy. And they were most likely to have a breakthrough the day after a happy day.
Plumbing for Creativity
In her book, High-Impact Interview Questions, management consultant Victoria Hoevemeyer provides sample questions that probe for the qualities hiring managers seek in job candidates. Here are several of her suggestions for probing creativity:
★A lot of times, we use tried-and-true solutions to solve problems, and it works. Tell me about a time when the tried-and-true solution did not work. Were you able to solve the problem? How?
★Tell me about a situation in which you have had to come up with several new ideas in a hurry. Were they accepted? Were they successful?
★Describe the most significant plan or program that you ever developed or implemented.
★Tell me about a time when you created a new process or program that was considered risky.
