Internal hackathons for creativity

Michele Erba

Hackathon Expert

What’s the impact of internal hackathons on employees’ creativity?

Internal hackathons are an effective way to trigger your employees’ creativity.

Why?

Because they create a free-from-judgement environment with a fast learning curve, encouraged by the company's internal cross-functional actors.

Add great external experts, hands-on experience, and a positive sense of urgency to that, and the game is done.

Table of contents

1. A positive sense of urgency
2. Cross-functional learning
3. Freedom to think outside the box
4. Hands-on learning experience
5. External mentoring
6. Conclusion

Let’s start with how time constraints can be a positive factor:

1. A positive sense of urgency

Time constraints are one of the key elements that make hackathons so effective in lifting creativity.

The pressure of a deadline provides a true sense of urgency that’s often just not there in the “business-as-usual” normal company environment.

In hackathons, this sense of urgency is synonymous with excitement, will, and enthusiasm, which can be very different from the feeling caused by a strict top-down management request.

2. Cross-functional learning

Hackathons bring together employees with diverse skill sets and backgrounds.

This cross-functional collaboration creates a fertile ground for new and creative ideas to emerge.

When individuals from different business units share their knowledge and skills, unique perspectives are gained, leading to innovative solutions that may not have been possible otherwise.

During an internal hackathon, empathy is generated between very different job roles.

For example, an internal hackathon could be the perfect occasion for sales representatives to understand IT guys’ point of view and vice versa.

The result is a cohesive team, ready to understand each other at any point of the company project.

3. Freedom to think outside the box

Hackathons provide a safe place for employees to think freely and explore unconventional ideas.

Without the supervision or hierarchy of traditional work environments, employees are encouraged to step outside their comfort zones and push boundaries.

This freedom to think outside the box often leads to breakthrough innovations and creative solutions to complex problems that would take much more time and effort to solve with conventional methods.

4. Hands-on learning experience

Hackathons offer employees a hands-on learning experience that goes beyond traditional training programs.

Through live sessions and workshops conducted during hackathons, employees have the opportunity to acquire new skills, experiment with emerging technologies, and gain practical experience.

This hands-on approach enhances their creative capabilities and empowers them to bring innovative ideas to life.

A good example of this is to train your employees on new AI skills through an AI Workshop.

5. External mentoring

Internal hackathons can benefit greatly from the guidance of external experts.

These mentors bring a fresh perspective and provide valuable insights to participants.

Their expertise and guidance not only enhance the quality of ideas generated during the hackathon but also nurture the creative thinking capabilities of employees.

External mentors are also advocates of the freedom to think outside the box: it’s easier for the participants to open themselves and ask questions to them since they’re not involved in the company itself.

6. Conclusion

In conclusion, hackathons are a powerful tool for lifting creativity among internal employees.

By creating an environment that encourages collaboration, cross-functional learning, freedom to think outside the box, hands-on learning, and mentoring, hackathons unlock the creative potential of employees and drive innovation within organisations.

Let’s talk if you want to lift your employees’ creativity with an internal hackathon and you’d like to get help from a qualified hackathon provider!