What is design thinking and how does it concern HR?

Design thinking is a method of problem solving. It’s a way of tackling problems while keeping any and all possible solutions in mind for consideration. When applied to business, design thinking is a human-centered approach used to develop solutions built for human issues: identify problems, gather information, concept ideas, build a message around the ideas, test, refine, and execute. Design thinking is a creative process which builds and develops ideas and solutions–a foreign concept in comparison to critical thinking which required the elimination of ideas.

Online creative school IDEOU on design thinking for business:

Thinking like a designer can transform the way organizations develop products, services, processes, and strategy. It also allows people who aren't trained as designers to use creative tools to address a vast range of challenges.

Design is more than picking color and style for a website, or creating a floor plan for an office. Design thinking applied to human resources is a concept which focuses on individual people rather than processes. It requires looking at the individual needs of employees and prospective employees and formulating an experience that caters to those needs. For example, the interview process and the application process should be designed to cohesively reflect the company culture and to provide a seamless digital experience.

In building an organization to adapt to changing technology, the employee experience, employee recognition, and what employees today want should be top of mind. This methodology is ideal to apply to aligning the customer and employee experience while building the organization of the future.

By putting employees first and applying creative thinking to build a memorable employee experience, organizations will be equipped to attract and retain top talent.

Interested in Employee Recognition? Check our our guide!