Disrupting Employee Recruitment with HR Hackathons

The recruitment world is undergoing tectonic shifts. Traditional methodologies for hiring and maintaining high quality human resources are no longer effective. This is happening in the context of a number of fundamental changes.

Gen Z is Coming

One aspect of the change has to do with yet another generational shift - the job market spent the past ten years adapting to and studying the millennial approach, style and standards; but that whole debate is now outdated. Welcome Gen Z: its oldest members are turning 22-23 and are making their first steps in  the workforce as interns and entry-level employees. We’re not yet sure what this generation will bring to the workplace and what it would take to lead them. More observation and dialogue would be necessary for corporations to strategize on this new generation.

From Single to Multi

Another issue is the nature of the workforce. Slowly but surely, traditional job descriptions, in which a narrow range of skills are demanded by any given position, are becoming a thing of the past. Teams are now put together to utilize the full skill-set of each employee. This has an enormous effect on performance valuation. Already about a third of employees position is considered somewhat of a gray area. Forward thinking HR professionals need to prepare for evaluating  a wider set of skills.

The Startup Rollercoaster  

The rapidly changing generation, together with the need for wider skill sets, presents a new type of competition for corporations - from startups. Every other day you hear about another startup that has raised an enormous sum of money. This marks bad news for traditional corporations, that might find it difficult to compete with the appeal of a lot of startups. Startups are fun, fast paced, impactful, and give their employees the opportunity to demonstrate their talents on different fields. Generating a similar vibe for large corporations is a challenge for recruiters.

The Recruiting Paradox

And here’s the biggest challenge: in the future, many firms might face the problem of a lack in recruitment talent. Yes, recruiting talent for recruiting talent is becoming an issue. It’s not easy to find someone who can write an effective job ad, that would appeal to job seekers and generate a feeling of passion and excitement. Keeping up with HR technology might make up for some of the gap, but  will not suffice to fill your vacancies with the best talent.

Hacking Recruitment

In light of these changes, one methodology corporations are adopting in increasing numbers is the  hackathon. Nowadays it is common to see corporate recruiters prowling around in hackathons, looking for promising talent. Often they would pull participants into a side room to give them an express job interview and make offers on the spot. The technical interview is not even necessary as recruiters have the chance to see the candidates at work.

A hackathon is essentially a 24-hour event in which teams of coders, designers and other talents collaborate to solve a problem. Participants in a hackathon are required to innovate, think fast and demonstrate teamwork and leadership in order to win prizes. And that makes a hackathon the perfect tool for recruiting as well as for employer branding. Job descriptions aren’t needed here; participants here don’t even need to know they’re being screened for a position. They’re invited to play an exciting real life game that takes programming, design, business and marketing skills - while all the while being watched by sharp eyed recruiters.

Hackathons are a way of starting a dialogue with potential employees; starting a community if you like. Some candidates might get offers on the spot; others will attend more of your events for a second and third chance, and bring their friends. The hackathon community you create will keep returning to your branded space, under your watchful eyes, until you learn not only who appeals the most to you, but also how to appeal to them.

Industry giants like Intel, LinkedIn, Merck, Facebook and others are running hackathons regularly as one of their strongest HR tools. Will you be joining them in 2018?

BLEE The Hackathon Professionals - is a company that organizes high-end hackathons for enterprises in the public and private sector. Learn more