Curious Employees Make Better Problem-Solvers, Research States

Being able to solve a problem is often parts and parcel when it comes to being an employee, and employers depend on that ability to run a smooth business. New research suggests that curiosity can be a huge asset when it comes to finding creative ways to address particular issues. The study also suggests that if employers want these types of workers, a personality test specifically designed to weed out the curious is recommended.

The study was published by researchers at Oregon State University, which shows how appealing of a trait curiosity is for employers. It was led by Jay Hardy, who is an assistant professor at the university. The team looked into two sets of parameters with regards to curiosity ratings, one being diversive curiosity and the other being specific curiosity.

According to their findings, employees who exhibited high levels of diversive curiosity were the ones most likely to come with creative and effective solutions to the problems that are given. A lot of their success apparently stemmed from their willingness to search for information and build data during the early stages of the problem-solving process, which is a natural state for those who are simply curious.

The article about the findings posted on Oregon State University’s website notes how the implications of the study could affect employment factors when job hunting or when looking for potential workers. It also pointed out how evidence supporting the need to restructure job requirements and qualifications has been growing over the last few years, and this is just one of them.

“People who showed strong curiosity traits on personality tests performed better on creative tasks and those with a strong diversive curiosity trait, or curiosity associated with the interest in exploring unfamiliar topics and learning something new, were more likely to come up with creative solutions to a problem, the researchers found,” the article reads.