Giving some visibility to performing junior engineers

Problem

"Some of our younger engineers were eager for visibility but didn't have the opportunity to work with more senior engineers and deciders. They were a bit insecure and needed some positive reinforcement."

Actions taken

At my company, we organize quarterly hackathons, which run over the course of two days, and which allow the whole company to participate. People have to form teams and are usually free to work on what they want. Several groups are formed, with people that usually don't work together. After two days, each team presents their project in front of the whole company.

"My junior engineers took advantage of the last hackathon to stand out from the rest. They had worked on a very exciting project and ended up winning first prize. This hackathon ended up being a great way for them to shine and gain visibility in our organization."

Lessons learned

A hackathon initiative is as effective as an off-site meeting in strengthening bonds between employees. It fosters social cohesion and also contributes to increasing employees' motivation, since it gives people the opportunity to try out new ideas and to show off their skills in front of the company.