Benchmarks & Trends, Company Culture, Employee Engagement , Leadership & Management
Key Takeaways:
- Inclusive innovation: Organizations achieve stronger growth and productivity when employees across the workforce feel their ideas are sought and valued.
- Business growth: Companies with the most inclusive innovation experiences generated more than five times the revenue growth of those in the lowest quartile.
- Employee retention: Workers in highly inclusive organizations were 14% more likely to want to stay long term and 32% more willing to give extra effort.
- Dedicated innovation time: Setting aside focused work hours allows employees to develop new skills, explore ideas and contribute beyond their usual responsibilities.
- Cross-functional collaboration: Innovation teams combining frontline and head-office employees can test practical improvements before introducing them across the organization.
- Leadership access: Direct forums with senior leaders give employees a clear path to present ideas, receive feedback and move promising work forward.
Companies that welcome ideas from all employees have better growth prospects than those with a less-inclusive approach to innovation. Read a synopsis about our research on innovation at workplace published in Wall Street Journal.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why is innovation considered a team sport?
Strong innovation draws on ideas from employees across roles and levels rather than relying on a small group of leaders or specialists.
How does inclusive innovation support business performance?
When employees feel invited to contribute ideas, organizations can improve productivity, accelerate revenue growth and respond more effectively to opportunities.
How can employers give employees time to innovate?
Provide dedicated periods when employees can step away from routine tasks to explore new skills, develop ideas and work on promising projects.
How can leaders help employee ideas move forward?
Create accessible forums where employees can present proposals directly to senior leaders, receive useful feedback and gain support for further development.
