Google exec Eric Schmidt is famous for pioneering a very particular hiring process at the tech behemoth. In his book, How Google Works, Schmidt lays out his vision of the ideal Google employee. Called the “smart creative,” this employee represents the future of high performing knowledge workers.
Loads of organizations are trying to emulate Google, and in doing so are looking to hire smart creatives. Here’s what characterizes a smart creative according to Schmidt. While not every smart creative possesses 100 percent of these qualities, honing some or all will ensure your current and future marketability in the digital transformation arena.
Hands On
Smart creatives are technically and digitally savvy. They are doers, expert in manipulating the tools that will allow them to be most efficient. They don’t just design concepts, they build prototypes and applications. If they identify a problem, they don’t wait for IT to fix it. They come up with the answer themselves.
Data Realists
Smart creatives use analytics to their full potential. They are comfortable with data and can use it to make decisions. They also understand its fallacies and are wary of endless analysis. They allow data to inform, but they don’t let it take over.
Results Focused
Smart creatives see a direct line from technical expertise to product/service excellence to business success, and they understand the value of all three. They are competitive and willing to put in the extra time – inside and outside of “traditional” business hours. They take action not because they are prodded by a manager, but based on their own considerable initiative.
For more where this came from, head over to the full post at Intuit's Fast Track blog.
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