Developing and Leveraging Innovation Talent Within Firms: Strategies to Improve Innovation Performance

This report identifies and analyzes effective strategies, tools, and approaches that firms can use to develop and leverage their innovation talent. Innovation talent refers to the innovation skills of a firm’s employees, and the policies, processes, systems, and structures of an organization that shape the extent to which individuals utilize their innovation skills. Firms play a key role in developing, activating, and supporting the innovation skills of their employees through training and development opportunities, leadership and management practices, workplace culture, rewards and recognition programs, and policies and programs that attract innovative employees. Using real-world examples and case studies of innovative businesses from Canada and abroad, the report sets out the practical tools and techniques needed to develop and support innovation capacity at the individual, team, and organization levels.