How to Use IT to Develop Great New Ideas

New ideas and innovations are the keys to success in today’s competitive environment, but many organizations struggle to develop those new ideas. What if we told you that your organization is sitting on a veritable goldmine of ideas that can help your company become more agile, more efficient, and develop innovative new products? You’d probably reply by asking just where you could find that goldmine? The answer: Your IT department.  Odds are high that you have at least a few intrapreneurs on your tech team, and tapping into their ideas can be a game changer for your organization.

“IT is filled with business partners that want real end user adoption!  They are thrilled to be able to take flat reporting and turn it into a dashboard for improved decision making.  That is only one example of how an intrapreneur can be a game changer.” Says Brendan Coghlan, Managing Director, CSS Tec of Contemporary Staffing Solutions.

What is An Intrapreneur?

Investopedia defines “intrapreneurship” as, “acting like an entrepreneur within a larger organization. Intrapreneurs are usually highly self-motivated, proactive and action-oriented people who are comfortable with taking the initiative, even within the boundaries of an organization, in pursuit of an innovative product or service.”

Intrapreneurs are easy to identify. They are typically the people who step up to tackle new projects, aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, are not stymied by failure, and can articulate the ways in which new ideas fit into to the mission, goals and vision of the company.  They tend to offer feedback to their team members freely, and can handle constructive feedback from their supervisors.  Finally, they tend to truly believe in the mission of the organization and possess a true desire to contribute to company success. This means that they are very loyal and want to stay and grow with the company.

Tapping Into The Intrapreneurial Mindset of Your IT Staff

Identifying intrapreneurs on your IT team can lead to major innovation. Intrapreneurs are always looking for better, faster ways to do things, and while they may push boundaries, they are able to justify their risks by outlining the potential rewards to both the tech team and the company.

Their risk-taking can lead to major advancements and improvements, but corporate structure can often leave them feeling stuck.  Too much red tape, a lack of support or resources can frustrate these valuable IT team members. While it is often impossible to give intrapreneurs every resource they need to develop an idea or for supervisors to indulge every idea, every company can create a space where intrapreneurs’ ideas are not only heard, but actively solicited and evaluated.

There are many ways to foster new ideas from IT intrapreneurs without disrupting the day-to-day work of the tech team. Some companies host internal weekend hackathons where teams are given the freedom to dive into their idea and develop them unimpeded. Other companies provide optional time once a week for tech teams to work on their ideas without interference.

Every company that fosters an intrapreneurial culture has open lines of communication within the IT department and across the organization. They encourage IT team members to spend time outside the department, to gain a better understanding of how their work directly impacts other groups within the organization.

If you are looking for intrapreneurial IT professionals for your team, the experts at CSS are here for you. Our recruiters can help you develop strategies that will ensure strong matches for your organization. Contact us today to learn how we can help you achieve your tech recruiting goals.