In an ever-changing marketplace, innovating your way to career success means keeping your "innovation potential" at peak performance. You risk a career setback by accepting a position that doesn't excite you or working with a company incapable of keeping your innovation threshold humming at a higher level.

As a talented professional, much of your success depends upon the partners you select and how you collaborate and innovate with them, so why not approach a job interview from the perspective of selecting a new business partner?

Think before you act. Below are seven questions to ask the recruiter, staffing professional or hiring manager before you consider joining an organization.

Question 1: What innovative talent incentives has the company introduced in the past year?

Listen for...

* Breadth and depth of the company's offerings.
* Programs for real people versus corporate in nature, e.g., positioning for a "Top Employer" list.
* How does the selection process work? How frequent are the incentives awarded? Who determines final recipients?

Question 2: Can you provide me with two or three recent examples of how your company has managed employee setbacks, mistakes, and failed attempts?

Listen for...

* How the company defines and communicates the "innovation playing field" for its workforce.
* Two or three top reasons why employees fail at the company.
* Types of consequences associated with failed attempts.

Question 3: Is continuous learning a core value for the company?

Listen for...

* Do policies exist for employee training and ongoing career development?
* What types of training and formal education programs exist for employees?
* How much money does the company spend annually in workforce training and education?

Question 4: Does the company offer flexible benefits for their employees?

Listen for...

* Is there a company-wide policy that governs flexible options for employees?
* How creative and competitive are the company's flexible benefits?
* Are flexible benefits available to all employees or only a subset?

Question 5: How does the company leverage innovative technology?

Listen for...

* Does the company use a full range of social media tools?
* If, so, are employees encouraged to use social media and networking sites as part of their job?
* Is "social capital" recognized, valued and rewarded by the company?
* What technology tools are available to employees across-the-board?

Question 6: Does the company have an entrepreneurial culture beyond "innovation-speak"?

Listen for...

* How does personal and professional risktaking translate into everyday business (not just high-profile initiatives and projects).
* How do company executives and leaders model a culture of risktaking?
* What type of entrepreneurial training is available for employees?

Question 7: What does collaboration look like for the company?

Listen for...

* How do teams form within the company--formal, informal or both?
* Does the company provide technology tools to increase collaboration, i.e., video cams for remote work?
* How are teams and team members recognized for their successes?
* How does accountability factor in for project team setbacks?

© 2010 Dolores McCrorey, Risktaking for Success LLC. All Rights Reserved.