How to hire an innovation manager

An innovation manager is responsible for leading a company's research into future business opportunities, blending HR, tech, and business mindsets. They allocate resources, manage ongoing initiatives, and build innovation capabilities within the corporate culture. Innovation managers go by various job titles such as head of innovation, innovation director, or chief innovation officer. The 10 top skills required for an innovation role include being business case oriented, project-oriented, failure and exception management, willing to change, curious, optimistic, fast and furious, cross-industry experience, able to manage internal politics and buy-in, and having strategic sightedness. The role doesn't require the manager to be the most creative person, but they should be a decent project manager with an interest in innovation.