Two thirds of employers in the UK say that creative workers are key in generating strong business results, a new study has revealed.
A survey of 500 employers and bosses from multiple sectors, commissioned by print company, Solopress, finds that employees that display lateral thinking have a positive effect on business output.
The study shows that creative workers in a business environment are essential, with 81 per cent of Britain’s bosses believing fostering a creative environment is important for their employees.
Creativity is ranked highly among bosses who are recruiting new talent, with 64 per cent of respondents saying they are likely to hire a new employee based on their creative abilities.
The survey examined a range of sectors that are not typically associated with creativity, such as finance. Despite this, employers in financial service sectors advocate creativity in the workplace, with 87 per cent of people believing encouraging employees to think creatively in their role is important.
Placing creativity above key skills is evident across sectors, with nearly half (48.5 per cent) of bosses from not-for-profit organisations saying they will hire someone with creativity over analytical skills (36.4 per cent).
Shaun Slater, chief innovation officer at Solopress adds, ‘It’s a common perception that people in certain business sectors are more creative than others – of course art directors are creative, but what about financial executives?’
Slater wants to challenge the view that creative people only belong to certain sectors. He says the study shows that creativity is valued across all sectors and is considered as an important factor for business innovation and profitability.
As part of these results, Solopress has worked with author Pete Mosley, who advocates the importance of having a creative attitude towards business.
Mosley explains, ‘It’s been proven that companies who actively invest in creativity see beneficial results. Business owners who want to up their revenue and boost employee morale should be pro-actively engaging their employees to think creatively in their roles.
‘Instilling this level of enthusiasm will result in happier employees, and their creative energy will then filter into the results of the wider business.’
Further reading on creativity in business
