British businesses at risk of ‘creativity crisis’ according to new Microsoft research
New research unveiled by Microsoft and YouGov has revealed British businesses are facing a creativity crisis. UK employees surveyed expressed concerns relating to how their workplace fails to spark creativity. This follows a recent forecast by the World Economic Forum that predicts by 2020, creativity will become one of the top three in-demand skills for employers.
Of those surveyed by YouGov, 41% claimed that their places of work failed to inspire creativity at all, while 34% of respondents described their work atmosphere as stressful. Twenty-eight percent blamed a lack of appropriate spaces to think alone and focus. Perhaps most concerning, 40% of respondents claimed that innovation and creativity weren’t rewarded or even encouraged in their workplaces. A total 75 percent claimed that they had not been provided training to hone their creative skills for at least two years.
Unleashing Creativity At Every Silo
Ryan Asdourian, Windows and Surface Lead for Microsoft UK believes that some organisations are guilty of seeing creativity as a board-only requirement and are “missing out on huge opportunities for growth.”
Creativity is everywhere if you know where to look but like all skills, it needs to be nurtured and given the right tools. Businesses must do more to provide employees with the right working environment to handle different kinds of tasks, and the flexibility to get out of the office to spark their creativity.
We spoke to Asdourian at the launch of the research. Watch in full above.
In stark contrast to the lack of support many employees felt in their jobs, 73% considered themselves creative people. Thirty percent of those asked named technology – including that which helps to capture thinking or allow better collaboration, and more up to date tech and devices generally – as something that would help them be more creative in their roles.
“Helping people and workers improve their creativity is critical to the future of the UK economy, and many businesses and workplaces are not yet set up in ways that reward or foster this skill.” adds Asdourian.
As UK businesses start to embrace digital transformation and ‘future of work’ technologies like AI and IoT against the backdrop of Britain’s exit from the European Union, these findings point to a need to put employee creativity at the heart of their strategy if they want to remain competitive.
