Hackathon Benefits For a Company

The concept of internal hackathons is a great strategic tool to strengthen the communication between departments and through teamwork, therefore a hackathon benefits for a company is about to solve challenges collectively, innovate more efficiently, and building a stronger corporate culture.

Not sure What is a Hackathon? Click and discover its full benefits.

It’s All About The Business

Hackathons aren’t just for techies anymore. In the world of business, they’re becoming a secret weapon for sparking innovation, breaking down barriers between departments, and building a stronger, more collaborative culture. Imagine getting everyone from marketing, tech, finance, and customer service together, rolling up their sleeves to solve problems and innovate in real-time and that is the magic of a hackathon for companies.

Think of these events as a jam session for your company’s employees, and just as musicians bring their unique styles and instruments to create something new, your team brings their diverse skills and perspectives to tackle challenges, it’s about collaborating, thinking outside the box, and finding creative solutions together. This approach not only leads to fresh ideas and innovations but also strengthens the team’s bond and understanding of each other’s roles. 

Reap The Benefits

The benefits of a corporate hackathon last beyond the event itself, it catalyzes continuous improvement, innovation, and enhanced communication within the company. Participants often carry the collaborative spirit back to their departments, leading to more open, cross-functional dialogues and projects. Moreover, hackathons help identify hidden talents within the organisation, foster a sense of belonging and achievement among employees, and ultimately contribute to a more dynamic and adaptable corporate culture.

Studies show that team-building events improve internal communication by increasing employee satisfaction and, as a result, loyalty. It has a positive impact on the most difficult areas that a company or organisation can face. Especially at a time when recruitment and human resources are dealing with the fact that finding the right people for the right job is becoming increasingly difficult, therefore if you can satisfy your employees, you can easily reduce team rotation meanwhile you gain new ideas for your organisation’s improvement. 

Example

Let’s take a look at Google’s hackathons for a perfect example of this idea in action. Google’s pretty famous for its knack for innovation, and it’s been using hackathons for ages to get its people to think outside the box, solve problems together, and just generally get along better. These events have been a goldmine for cool new product ideas and better ways of doing things, but they’ve also helped everyone at Google Chat and work together more smoothly. One of the big wins from these hackathons was when they came up with some really handy features for Google’s ad platforms. This happened because engineers, the marketing team, and the product folks all got together, really listened to what advertisers were struggling with, and then worked their magic to make things a lot easier and more effective for them. It’s a bit like when a band gets into the groove and everything just clicks – that’s the kind of teamwork that not only sorts out immediate problems but also helps the whole company move forward.

The Kreativdistrikt Experience

“When we started working with Kreativdistrikt, it took us 2 months of intense preparation to organise this event, which includes so many countries, topics and technical complications. We are happy that we could rely on a company in so many processes and make the event much more carefree for us. We are very much used to doing everything by ourselves and it’s an amazing change that we can have huge support and be able to focus much more on the essence of the hackathon and enjoy the event.”
/Anastasiia Saliuk, Project Manager at the Council of Europe from our previous Digital Future of Justice Hackathon in Paris event/

Where To Start?

Putting together a great internal hackathon isn’t just about throwing a bunch of people in a room (or online) and hoping for the best. It’s about careful planning and making sure everything’s set up to hit the company’s goals while fitting into how things run day-to-day. Kicking things off means figuring out the best way to do it. Should it be online so people can join from anywhere, or face-to-face to build a stronger team vibe? Online hackathons are super flexible and great for teams spread out over different places, but, meeting in person has its perks too, like making it easier for everyone to bond and work together, of course, hackathon agencies are specialised in tailoring events for the customer’s needs, therefore you can have a guide throughout the event. 

After you’ve decided on how you’re going to run it, the real planning begins. Start with setting some clear goals. What do you want to get out of this hackathon? It should tie back to what the company’s trying to achieve and get everyone thinking creatively and coming up with fresh ideas. The challenges you set should get people to think outside the box and try new things.

Wrapping up

These corporate events serve as an indicator of improvement, innovation, and better communication within the company. Participants often carry the collaborative spirit back to their departments, leading to more open, cross-functional dialogues and projects. Moreover, hackathons help identify hidden talents within the organisation, foster a sense of belonging and achievement among employees, and ultimately contribute to a more dynamic and adaptable corporate culture.