The metrics that give the most insight into the success of innovation hackathons
The reality is that measuring the success of your hackathon is about more than the static numbers. Instead, it’s about measuring the overall long-term, actionable impact this event has on your company.
Janet Carmody, Head of Culture at Motorola Solutions, also shared how her organization maximizes the long-term impact of its hackathons:
"For the return on investment in our products, we have ongoing efforts for the rest of the year. We have a 'Hack-on' space in Devpost where teams can continue on with their projects, have oversight by some of our senior leadership teams, and get further resources," she said.
“And yes, some things go right into the patent process and some things need a little bit more work, but we've been touching on all of them," she added.
Tracking progress over time: Comparing results across multiple hackathons reveals trends, highlights areas for improvement, and demonstrates the growing impact of your indiatelegram screening innovation initiatives.
Measuring engagement and impact: Go beyond participation numbers by assessing the depth of employee engagement, the quality of collaboration, and the overall impact on team dynamics.
Recognizing long-term value of project submissions: Look beyond the winning projects—analyze the overall quality of submissions, the diversity of ideas, and the potential for future development and implementation.
Janet also highlighted the importance of recognizing the value of the experience that hackathons provide.
“Some of the value is intangible—the experience, the creative ideas that come out, and the connection,” she said.
“You can't lose in a hackathon—whether you have five people or 500 people, it always produces excitement, fun, and people getting together to geek out. So that intangible element cannot be understated,” said Janet Carmody, Motorola Solutions.
To truly showcase the value of your hackathons (and impress your boss), consider these enhanced metrics that tell the full story:
Alignment with business goals: Demonstrate how hackathon projects contribute to strategic objectives and drive business value.
Skill development and learning: Evaluate the learning outcomes and how the hackathon helps employees acquire new skills and experiment with new technologies.
Employee engagement and cross-functional teamwork: Measure how the hackathon fosters a collaborative and innovative work environment.