2.1. Ability
If an organization wants to become more innovation-
driven, the appropriate place to begin is with the
hiring process. The substantial investment required
to recruit, select, and train new employees–—
especially for financially burdened SMEs–—increases
the importance of finding the right people. ‘‘When
you are looking for key personnel, a miss can set you
back six months. The hiring process is critical to
continued growth,’’ says Wayne Alford, CEO of 24e
Fitness, a locally owned and operated health club
with locations throughout Alabama (‘‘2014 CEO
Awards,’’ 2014). The practice of selective hiring
ensures organizations have the ability to innovate.
2.1.1. Selective hiring
If SMEs’ ultimate goal is to maintain a focus on
innovation so the organization can sustain initial
periods of growth and success, they need to seek
and select applicants that will actively contribute to
the innovation process. This means selectively hiring
employees who have the knowledge, skills, and
abilities necessary to succeed in producing organi-
zationally consequential innovations for process efficiencies
and/or product development. SMEs should
find individuals with a combination of creativity and
analytical skills (or a mix of individuals whose skills
complement one another, if working in a team
environment) that can be leveraged for periods of
growth rather than expending resources to frequently
recruit and retrain new employees.