In the business of ideas

INNOVATION is a difficult-to-define and frequently illusive factor hotly pursued by most businesses.

One common misconception is that innovation is tied closely to new technology, and resides solely in high-tech sectors, such as robotics and space exploration. Yet, the companies that fared well in the Best Employer Awards included not-for-profits that have little use for space-age technology.

Insync Survey's WA state manager Tracie Dawson sums up an innovative employer as one with "an appetite in the leadership that is failure-tolerant".

Here is a short list of qualities innovative companies have, devised from the employee feedback in the survey.

All ideas are welcome

Workers at the winning companies in this category consistently noted that new ideas were welcome and there was an atmosphere to encourage creative thinking.

An employee at People Who Care, a not-for-profit group that helps the aged and disabled to live independently, wrote: "Everybody respects each other and you are made to feel welcome. Lots of fun. Our general manager inspires us to go for things."

Ideas are rewarded

In an extension of the first theme, innovative companies have processes to encourage, develop and reward new ideas.

Search engine Google is widely recognised as an innovative company, and its "20 per cent time" initiative is regarded as one of the key drivers of this innovation. The initiative grants employees 20 per cent of their work time to pursue pet projects, which has led to numerous successful product launches.

A worker at Perth-based internet service provider iiNet wrote: "iiNet does an exceptional job at recognising performance through its reward and recognition program. The work environment and social aspects to working at iiNet is great."

Companies take risks

This is not to say innovative companies take a whimsical approach to business. Rather, they seek out and pursue opportunities that may appear different, or risky, to normal operations.

Workpower Incorporated, a not-for-profit that finds work for the disabled and people with mental illness, regularly seeks new avenues to compete with the commercial sector for work, such as lawn-mowing services or car detailing.

One Workpower employee wrote: "Workpower is always looking for new ways to improve the company, eg opening up a new business in Mandurah, because there was a need for people with a disability to find work close to where they lived."

The company is interesting

Regardless of how potentially mundane the actual task is - and even parts of the most interesting job can be mind numbing - workers at innovative companies report that their work is interesting. Innovative companies tend to up-skill and cross-skill their staff, pursue new projects, and generally have fun in the workplace.

An employee at iiNet wrote: "There is never a dull moment, never time to get bored with what you're doing. iiNet is extremely proactive, always looking forward for ways to improve, with initiatives, new programs etc."