Businesses lean on creativity and innovation the most when problems need solving
It’s fair to say the Covid-19 pandemic has created a unique and varying set of challenges for companies to overcome, putting fresh emphasis on the value of workplace creativity.
The word ‘creator’ evokes a different type of role than it once did. Traditionally, the title evoked images of writers, poets, artists – but today, we’re rewriting the rules of how creativity comes to life at work, with new technology enabling a broader set of employees to be genuine creators.
Part of this is also due to the fact we have a new breed of employee. Millennials and Generation Z are expected to make up 59 per cent of the global workforce this year, with roughly half of millennials considering themselves as creators, regardless of their job title. With employers seeking creative skills now more than ever, businesses mustn’t ignore unearthing and nurturing the creative talent within their own walls, for the benefit of the wider business.
The New Creatives
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way many people think about enhancing their skill set. Increased working from home has given people more time to pursue new skills, such as those related to creativity. In other cases, those who found themselves furloughed, or without a job at all, have looked to upskill as a result. Fortunately, a number of platforms and resources exist to support those looking to learn or searching for new lines of work.
Online learning site Coursera has seen a 520 per cent increase in the number of enrolments versus last year. Meanwhile, creative freelance network Movidiam has seen a 37 per cent increase in site usage and a 26 per cent increase in new users against the same period a year ago, as budding creatives explore how to search out clients and teams to collaborate with.
Creativity Breeds Creativity
While company leadership must encourage creativity, people are also inspired by seeing it in action. That comes from being curious enough to seek it out, having the freedom to express ourselves in new ways, and having access to the materials and technology that enables creativity to thrive.
The current environment isn’t just an opportunity for those who are looking to enhance their own creativity, there’s also an opportunity for creatives to reach out to others and inspire them. It is brands and established creatives’ duty to help newer or potential creatives develop their skills. This is why HP has partnered with Movidiam to launch an initiative designed to upskill the next generation of digital artists – by providing access to six leading professional creatives online. These UK-based pros have curated a series of online courses to provide practical skills and tips on how to break into the industry, focussing in particular on filmmaking, graphic design, photography, animation, directing and motion graphics. In addition, HP is asking students to get creative themselves by submitting their best work for the opportunity to win the latest HP Z technology.
Future Technology Needs
The COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted a lot of changes on the way people work. In turn, one of the areas that companies are now investigating is the future technology needs of the business. With creativity more important than ever, firms need to ensure that the kit they are buying doesn’t restrict the abilities of their remote employees, while also upholding robust security standards. Many commercial PCs and laptops now provide this balance, coming equipped with the processing power and software to enable genuine creativity. Businesses should be factoring this new tech into their future IT purchasing decisions.
We’re currently at an inflection point where companies and people all over the country are reassessing the way they work. Maybe the discussions they’re having shouldn’t just centre on where they work and what hours they work. The conversations should be more transformative than that. Creativity should live everywhere – in and out of the workplace. By fostering a creative approach in everything they do, companies can develop more rounded workers, and employees themselves can find more enjoyment and fulfilment in what they do. Leaders who make an effort to prioritise this will be well-positioned to recruit and retain the best creative talent in the market and maximise the potential of their existing workforce.
About the Author
George Brasher is Managing Director at HP UK&I. HP engineers experiences that amaze. We create technology with a purpose: to make life better for everyone, everywhere. Keep Reinventing.
Featured image: ©Peshkova
