The best innovations rarely come from having all the answers. They emerge when employees feel free to ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and explore possibilities that others might dismiss.
Yet in many workplaces, the pressures of efficiency and productivity can inadvertently discourage the very trait that drives breakthrough thinking: curiosity.
There is a powerful connection between curiosity and results:
"When our curiosity is triggered, we think more deeply and rationally about decisions and come up with more creative solutions."
~Francesca Gino, Harvard Business Review
This deeper thinking translates into stronger, more collaborative relationships that high-performing teams need.
For HR leaders focused on retention, curiosity creates the sense of meaning that keeps employees invested. When people can explore new ideas and contribute insights that matter, they're far less likely to disengage.
Research from SHRM shows that cultures of curiosity unlock both innovation and inclusivity. Organizations that cultivate curiosity at all levels are better equipped to navigate uncertain market conditions and identify opportunities that competitors overlook.
The advantage goes beyond spotting trends. When people feel encouraged to question and explore, they challenge assumptions respectfully and persist through complex problems. They don't wait for issues to be fully defined before engaging. Instead, they ask probing questions and discover connections others miss.
What distinguishes truly innovative organizations isn't the occasional breakthrough idea. It's the daily practice of questioning, testing, and refining. Teams that approach disagreements as learning opportunities rather than conflicts create the conditions where breakthrough thinking can actually happen.
The result is organizations that can adapt, not just execute.
HR leaders hold the strategic lever for building curiosity into organizational DNA. While individual managers influence day-to-day team dynamics, HR designs the architecture that determines whether curiosity becomes embedded in how the organization operates or remains an aspirational value that never takes root.
This architecture includes:
The cultural signals HR sends matter enormously. When learning and development budgets get cut first during lean times, employees notice. When performance reviews focus exclusively on what got accomplished rather than what got learned, people adjust their behavior accordingly. When career advancement follows a single narrow path rather than rewarding diverse experiences, curiosity becomes a luxury rather than an expectation.
Strategic HR creates the conditions where curiosity isn't something employees squeeze in around the edges. It's woven into job descriptions, onboarding experiences, team norms, and leadership expectations. The question isn't whether individual employees are naturally curious. It's whether the organizational systems make curiosity sustainable.
When teams bring together people from different functions and backgrounds, curiosity multiplies. A question from operations might spark an insight in product development. An observation from a newer employee can challenge assumptions veterans have stopped examining.
This only happens when teams create space for genuine dialogue.
Curiosity requires cognitive bandwidth that stressed employees simply don't have. When the brain perceives threat or overwhelming pressure, it shifts into survival mode. This narrows attention and prioritizes quick, familiar responses over exploratory thinking.
Employee Assistance Programs restore employees' capacity for expansive thinking. Access to counseling helps people process challenges that would otherwise consume their mental energy. When personal stressors are managed, employees can redirect that cognitive energy toward creative problem-solving.
The impact on engagement is direct. Employees who feel supported bring not just their time but their genuine attention and creative energy to work. They have the psychological space to wonder, question, and explore.
Effective EAPs also cultivate the growth mindset that underlies sustained curiosity. Employees with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to develop new capabilities rather than threats that expose inadequacy.
EAP coaching services help employees reframe setbacks. Instead of "I failed," the frame becomes "I learned something valuable." These shifts create the psychological conditions where curiosity can persist even when answers don't come easily.
Counseling support builds the resilience employees need to stay curious over time. Not every question leads somewhere useful. Not every experiment succeeds.
When organizations invest in EAPs, they're building the psychological infrastructure that sustains curiosity across the workforce.
Fostering curiosity doesn't require elaborate programs or massive budgets. It requires consistent practices that signal curiosity is valued and safe. Here are actionable strategies managers and HR leaders can implement:
Leaders who openly ask questions, admit uncertainty, and explore ideas set the tone for their teams. When executives say, "I don't know, let's find out" or "That's interesting, tell me more," they give everyone permission to be curious without appearing uninformed.
Google's famous "20% time" isn't realistic for most organizations, but even small allocations matter. Monthly learning hours, quarterly innovation sprints, or weekly team discussions about industry trends all communicate that exploration is part of the job, not a distraction from it.
Replace "Does anyone have concerns?" with "What are we missing?" or "What assumptions should we test?" Specific prompts invite deeper thinking than yes/no questions that people can easily bypass.
When an experiment doesn't work but generates valuable learning, recognize it publicly. Share what the team discovered and how it will inform future decisions. This makes failure feel like contribution rather than career risk.
Don't just assemble teams and hope for cross-pollination. Actively invite people from different functions to weigh in on problems outside their usual domain. Ask "What would you try if this were your challenge?"
End meetings with "What questions are we taking away?" Start projects with "What don't we know yet?" These small prompts make questioning a habit rather than an afterthought.
If employees need approval for every course, conference, or book, they'll stop asking. Create reasonable budgets and trust people to invest in their own development.
Organizations that want curious employees need people who have the psychological capacity to engage fully with their work. When employees are managing stress or navigating personal challenges, their ability to think creatively diminishes.
Ulliance's Employee Assistance Program addresses these barriers directly.
Ulliance's comprehensive EAP services help organizations build the psychological foundation that curiosity requires. By providing employees with support for managing stress, developing resilience, and cultivating growth mindsets, Ulliance creates the conditions where people feel safe to question, explore, and bring innovative thinking to their work.
When you partner with Ulliance, our Life Advisor Consultants are always just a phone call away to teach ways to enhance your work/life balance and increase your happiness. The Ulliance Life Advisor Employee Assistance Program can help employees and employers come closer to a state of total well-being.
Investing in the right EAP or Wellness Program to support your employees will help them and help you. Visit https://ulliance.com/ or call 866-648-8326.
The Ulliance Employee Assistance Program can address the
following issues:
• Stress about work or job performance
• Crisis in the workplace
• Conflict resolution at work or in one’s personal life
• Marital or relationship problems
• Child or elder care concerns
• Financial worries
• Mental health problems
• Alcohol/substance abuse
• Grief
• Interpersonal conflicts
• AND MORE!
References:
Curiosity at Work: Sparking Innovation and Engagement; Best Companies Group https://bestcompaniesgroup.com/blog/curiosity-at-work-sparking-innovation-and-engagement/
Curiosity Is a Key to Well-Being; Psychology Today; Center for Healthy Minds https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/healthy-minds/202301/curiosity-is-a-key-to-well-being
How a Culture of Curiosity Can Unlock Innovation and Inclusivity; SHRM https://www.shrm.org/executive-network/insights/how-a-culture-of-curiosity-can-unlock-innovation-and-inclusivity
The Business Case for Curiosity; Harvard Business Review; Francesca Gino https://hbr.org/2018/09/the-business-case-for-curiosity