Hackathons to retain talents
How hackathon helps keep the best employees.
Published on the 6th of March 2024. 2.5 min read.
Internal hackathons: a creative approach to employee retention
Internal hackathons are an effective and creative way to retain talents in your company.
These engaging company events are seen as cool, innovative, and empowering.
They provide a break from the daily routine to get closer to other colleagues and strengthen internal synergies.
The energy generated during an internal hackathon has multiple benefits for the company’s workforce. In this article, we list the main ones.
We begin with how they sustain collaboration and camaraderie.
1. Sustain collaboration and camaraderie
Internal hackathons create a unique platform for employees from different departments and backgrounds to collaborate.
By working together on new ideas and projects, employees develop stronger relationships, reinforce teamwork, and build a sense of camaraderie and belonging.
This collaborative environment promotes a positive work culture and helps retain top talents who value collaboration and the opportunity to work with colleagues outside their usual teams.
2. Showcase skills and increase job satisfaction
Hackathons provide employees with a chance to showcase their skills and expertise beyond their regular responsibilities.
This opportunity to shine and demonstrate their capabilities can significantly increase their job satisfaction and sense of fulfilment.
When employees feel valued and recognized for their skills, they are more likely to stay with the company long-term.
3. Valuing employees’ input and ideas
Implementing ideas that emerge from hackathons sends a powerful message to employees: their input matters.
When companies actively seek and implement employee ideas, it demonstrates that they value their workforce and are willing to listen to their suggestions.
This recognition and appreciation can significantly contribute to talent retention.
4. Lifting morale and employee engagement
Hackathons often incorporate mini-games, fun challenges, and a joyful atmosphere.
These events provide a break from the employees' daily routine and inject a sense of excitement and enthusiasm into the workplace.
Engaging in stimulating and enjoyable activities can boost employee morale, improve job satisfaction, and increase overall engagement within the company.
5. Breaking the daily routine
Repetitive tasks and routines can lead to employee burnout and disengagement.
Internal hackathons break this monotony by providing employees with a fresh and dynamic experience.
The chance to work on exciting projects, explore creative solutions, and think outside the box rejuvenates employees and reignites their passion for their work.
6. Don’t forget to throw a fantastic event closing ceremony!
The curtain closes and winners are announced: it’s time to celebrate. An amazing final party is almost mandatory.
Celebrating success has always been key for companies.
Nothing can lift the spirit and create new bonds like cocktails, music, and a dancefloor. Make sure everybody enjoys it!
7. Conclusion
We all know where the current labour market trend is going. What is valuable now for employees has deeply changed after 2020. People are leaving or changing their jobs with an unprecedented frequency.
Internal hackathons can be conducted whether your company is fully remote or not, no matter what your company's vision and strategy are. Hackathons are and will always be a great wait to retain talented employees.
Let’s talk if you want to pump up your team with a hackathon.
