Softchoice recently released a study on innovation in the workplace that included surveys of more than 1,000 full-time employees and 250 IT decision-makers in the United States and Canada. According to the report, employers are coming up short when it comes to encouraging creativity among their employees.

Creativity In The Workplace

Softchoice found that only 25 percent of employees report they are encouraged to challenge the status quo when it comes to the day-to-day operations of their company. The study found that management often tends to view creative ideas as too much of a risk. Employees reported 82 percent of workplace leaders are very uncomfortable with the possibility that a creative idea may fail.

However, Erika Van Noort, senior director of Strategic Enablement at Softchoice, believes this fear of failure may be holding companies back.

Fear Leads To Missed Opportunities

“I think any business that is comfortable with their status quo risks missing out on new opportunities,” Van Noort told Benzinga.

She said employers who aren’t aiming to disrupt the status quo in their particular market should be prepared for other companies to do so.

“Nurturing a culture where employees feel not only encouraged, but empowered to think like entrepreneurs and challenge established practices will undoubtedly expose areas for improvement and bright ideas for how to improve them,” Van Noort explained.

Only 37 percent of employees surveyed believe their employers are very innovative to begin with.

Even companies open to innovation may have…

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