Hackathon way of hiring: IT firms seek engineers with practical skills

Real-world problem-solving events are replacing conventional placements, giving IT firms a stage to recruit engineers for their practical skills

Harshini, who graduated in engineering from CMR Institute of Technology in Bengaluru, didn’t get her first job through conventional campus interviews. Instead, three hackathons helped her learn to “think quickly, collaborate, and build something workable under time pressure,” leading to an interview and an offer by her current employer HappyFox, a tech-enabled customer service company which organised the third such event. 

“Through these events, I understood what recruiters look for: Practical thinking, collaboration, clarity and the ability to build something workable under time pressure. Overall, hackathons directly strengthened my confidence and visibility during placements,” says Harshini,