An HR.Hackathon is a co-creative, time-bound event that uses design thinking methods to generate ideas around an HR challenge.
I initially designed the HR.Hackathon format in 2016 for the DisruptHR Chicago community and then scaled it as part of the HR.Hackathon Alliance.
Since, HR teams have asked me to adapt the format for use inside their organizations. HR.Hackathon as an intentionally designed experience is an effective method for engaging employees.
An integral part of the design thinking method is reflection. Reflecting on what was accomplished and what could be improved upon is critical to inhabiting a mindset of iteration and experimentation.
The end of a year is a good time to reflect.
A popular way to capture reflections in design thinking is the rose/thorn/bud method.
The research is in: HR is burned out. Not that we needed the media to tell us that. Eighteen months of serving as caretakers to ourselves, our families, and our organizations is starting to take a toll on our collective well-being.
We wanted to help with what we know best – using design thinking to ideate our way out of a complex problem like this. More than 50 community members registered for our #HRvsBurnout virtual hackathon in early September and left “energized” and “refreshed” after gaining empathy and ideating with peers.
These are the ideas community members shared during the hackathon, via social media using #HRvsBurnout, or through our anonymous survey.
Late last year, I had a wonderful chat with Denise Dorigo Jones, Vice President Human Resources - Millendo Therapeutics.
We met earlier in the year, when Millendo was the HR Hackathon Alliance Challenge Host in Detroit. When we met again a few months later, I was thrilled to hear how the ideas generated by the Hackathon had helped Denise’s team to nurture their origination culture, through remote work across continents. It is a journey, as she says. Here is her experience about being a Challenge Host:
An integral part of the design thinking method is reflection. Reflecting on what was accomplished and what could be improved upon is critical to inhabiting a mindset of iteration and experimentation.
The end of a year is a good time to reflect.
A popular way to capture reflections in design thinking is the rose/thorn/bud method.
If someone offers you a golden ticket to become a mentee for a diverse group of design thinking professionals, you just HAVE to take it.
That was my experience a couple of weeks ago -- when I was offered to be a part in the Career Hackathon pilot experience - a solution developed during #HRvsVirus.
I didn’t know what to expect.
How might we convene a diverse group of global thinkers in a virtual forum to design solutions for work-related challenges caused by COVID-19?
In a previous post I wrote about the “why” behind #HRvsVirus.
Today, I want to share how we approached the experience, who was involved, and what the outcomes were.
An integral part of the design thinking method is reflection. Reflecting on what was accomplished and what could be improved upon is critical to inhabiting a mindset of iteration and experimentation.
One year into launching the hr.hackathon alliance is a good time to reflect.
A popular way to capture reflections in design thinking is the rose/thorn/bud method. Here we go…
I was fortunate enough to help out on the first hr.hackathon in Detroit, an idea launched by Nicole Dessain of talent.imperative.
Christina Chateauvert and other volunteers believed in the idea enough to take it to Detroit with the first topic being, “How might we collaborate with employees to co-create an improved employee experience?”
What was the top idea from my breakout group in the hr.hackathon? Making it safe for employees, of course. Not “safe” as in body harm but “safe” as in psychological safety. Being able to give direct feedback. Being able to say what you think without fear or repercussions. Eliminating this fear and building trust.
I recently had the honor to sit down with HR leader Daniel Vallejos and discuss how design thinking can be applied to HR, the importance of community, and the story behind why I created the hr.hackathon alliance.
You can listen to the podcast here.
Here are a few key insights from the podcast and associated 1 minute exercises I created for you:
Kelli Koschmann, VP of Talent at Sittercity, shares in this brief video how attending hr.hackathon events and taking Nicole Dessain’s “Design Thinking 101 for Talent Leaders” Skillshare online course inspired her to experiment with design thinking inside her organization.
Check out which challenge she “hacked”.
Nicole Dessain is a colleague who, among other roles, is founder of DisruptHR Chicago. This past week the organization held its second hackathon event, where a group of 50 people sign up to spend 2.5 hours brainstorming potential ideas to address an organizational challenge. The most recent hackathon focused on how to increase diversity in recruiting for Chicago startups, a challenged offered up by Shayna Harris, COO of Farmer’s Fridge.
Allie Temkin was Chicago’s very first hr.hackathon challenge winner. The topic she submitted was “How might we better engage and retain employees at a small, national non-profit?”
The community rallied around this challenge and generated nine top ideas for Allie to consider.
A few months later, Allie shared some of her initial experiments around employee engagement in this inspiring DisruptHR Chicago talk.
How might YOU apply some of these ideas to your own employee engagement and retention programming?
We want to hear from you!
Have you attended a hr.hackathon event and then experimented with either the design thinking method or an idea generated during the event?
Send us your blog post, video, podcast, sketch, or any other creative way you want to share your story.
Please send your story files/links to hello@talentimperative.com.
We are excited to hear your story!
