Hire talents with a hackathon

Hackathons to enhance the hiring process

Published on 8th February 2024. 3 min read.

How hackathons can help companies scout and hire talented professionals

Can a hackathon be used to find and hire talents? Yes, it can. Recruitment hackathons are the solution to hiring problems (or at least they were and they will be for many other organisations and institutions). These intense, collaborative, problem-solving events can be an effective tool for companies and institutions to identify, assess, and recruit highly skilled talent.

If hiring talented individuals with unique skills is your goal then go on and read this article. We will explore how hackathons can benefit organisations in talent scouting and hiring while addressing some common challenges and misconceptions.

Table of contents

1. Revealing talent through hackathons

2. Misconception: only coders can participate

3. Seeking and finding niche skills

4. Hiring fresh perspectives

5. Reducing hiring process costs

6. Speeding up the hiring process

7. Converting participants to full-time employees

8. Conclusion

9. Expert tip: large-scale hackathons require the right platforms and guidance ✦

Let’s start by showing how hackathons provide a stage for participants:

1. Revealing talent through hackathons

Hackathons, typically known as marathon coding events, have evolved to include a broader range of disciplines and skills. In terms of skills, profiles, and talent visibility, they provide a far-reaching stage for participants and students to showcase their abilities by solving real-world problems in front of a very relevant audience for them: ready-to-hire companies, institutions, startups, and entities. In fact, for organisations, this is a golden chance to spot potential hires who not only possess technical skills but also demonstrate creativity, teamwork, and resilience under pressure.

2. Misconception: only coders can participate

That’s not true! Hackathons are for everything and everyone. Successful hackathon projects often rely on a mix of skills, including project management, data analysis, graphic design, marketing, and more. Organisers can encourage participation from various fields to identify a diverse range of talents.

3. Seeking and finding niche skills

While traditional recruitment methods may help companies find candidates with standard skill sets, they might fall short when it comes to seeking and finding niche or emerging skills. Hackathons, on the other hand, provide a live platform for participants to demonstrate their unique abilities. For instance, a participant might excel in a specific programming language, or a new machine learning technique, or possess an outstanding knack for UI/UX design.

4. “Hire” fresh perspectives

Hackathons attract a diverse range of participants, from seasoned professionals to students, PhDs and passionate self-learners. This pool of profiles is capable not only of bringing new or niche skills to the company but also of providing fresh perspectives that internal employees might not have anymore.

5. Reducing hiring process costs

Another significant benefit of hackathons is the potential to reduce hiring process costs. Traditional recruitment methods involve multiple stages such as sourcing, screening, interviewing, and testing, all of which can incur substantial costs. Hackathons, however, condense these stages into a single event. Participants not only demonstrate their skills but also their ability to innovate and work in teams, providing valuable insights for recruiters. This real-time assessment can streamline the hiring process, thereby saving both time and money.

6. Speeding up the hiring process

By hosting a hackathon, companies can significantly expedite the hiring process. In a conventional scenario, the recruitment process can be time-consuming, often taking weeks or even months to find the right candidate. In contrast, hackathons provide a platform for potential hires to demonstrate their skills and problem-solving abilities in real time and under simulated real-life scenarios. The recruiters can ask questions, directly interact with the teams, and make quick and informed decisions, accelerating the hiring timeline without compromising on quality.

7. Converting participants to full-time employees

Attracting talented participants is one thing, but convincing them to join the company full-time can be another challenge, especially in the “work from home” glory and benefit outlook that has surged lately. The mere fact of hiring people through a hackathon can be a great incentive for prospective hires. They will see your company as innovative, dynamic, and fun. Tip: complementing it with offering attractive packages, career growth opportunities, and showcasing a welcoming company culture is an effective strategy to convert top-performing hackathon participants into dedicated employees.

8. Conclusion

In conclusion, hackathons offer a dynamic and hands-on approach to scouting and hiring highly skilled professionals. They allow companies and institutions to identify niche skills, hire fresh perspectives, and engage with potential hires in a collaborative and innovative environment. By addressing common misconceptions and challenges, companies can leverage hackathons as a powerful tool to drive their talent acquisition strategy and stay ahead in the competitive tech industry.

9. Expert tip: managing large-scale hackathons requires the right platforms and guidance ✦

Organising large-scale, impactful hiring hackathons can be logistically challenging. Partnering with experienced hackathon companies or leveraging platforms specifically designed to organise hackathons can help streamline the process, allowing you to focus on assessing and interacting with participants.

Let's talk today to plan and organise a hackathon and find new talents for your company.