‘Traditionally, potential employees seek out companies and apply for the job with resumes and portfolios. There is a chance someone will earn the job and then be unable to handle tasks due to lack of skills. The candidate may reveal undesirable personality traits during real work environments as well, negative qualities he or she didn’t show during interviews.
The fast growing IT industries need skilled and competent programmers. There is a problem in the quality of hireable leads that end up on the recruiters table. Increasing the quality of leads is a big need in the tech industry. Perhaps the need for good programmers is higher than ever. This is being reflected in companies decreasing priorities on things like alma mater pedigree and increasing focus on programming skills.
Hackathons allow companies to attract programmers and survey their skills and attitudes using relevant projects.
The good performers at hackathons are the developers who get hired and the employers who walk away with new tech talent. These top-coders show employers they have the endurance to work well under a tight deadline, taking the opportunity to learn and show leadership skills rather than losing their cool.