Steven Cash Nickerson: Hackathons As Strategic Recruiting Tools
Steven Cash Nickerson has built a multifaceted career in law, business, and education, providing a broad perspective on how organizations identify and develop talent. Over several decades he has held leadership roles in human resources, finance, and corporate strategy, including serving as President and Chief Financial Officer of PDS Tech and later guiding North American operations for AKKA. His experience also includes practicing law, founding a human resources advisory firm, and teaching negotiation and business lawyering at Washington University in St. Louis. These roles have given him extensive insight into evolving hiring practices and the ways companies evaluate technical capability. In the context of modern recruiting, he has observed how innovation challenges and hackathons allow employers to see real problem solving in action, offering a clearer view of talent than traditional methods.
The Role of Hackathons and Innovation Challenges in Recruiting
The engineering landscape continues to change as skills evolve rapidly, and the talent pool has gone global and mobile. Therefore, traditional resume-based hiring systems do not help recruiters distinguish effective engineers from good communicicators, so they turn to innovation challenges and hackathons as complementary options.
Hackathons and innovation challenges enable recruiters to observe engineering talent in real time as they collaborate under pressure, solve problems, and demonstrate technical depth. Inviting engineering talent to a time-bound event ensures that recruiters and employers can transcend paper credentials and rely on real-time talent demonstration.
Real-time skill demonstration is one of the most important advantages of hackathons. During these events, recruiters actually see the talent engage in real work, rather than just hearing them speak about it. At these events, recruiters can observe problem-solving in real time and evaluate technical capabilities that regular interviews cannot. In hackathons, talent cannot rely solely on a well-crafted CV. They must build, design, implement, and iterate within a fixed timeline.
Moreover, hackathons and innovation challenges often attract engineering talent that does not fit traditional corporate molds. Many participants in hackathons come from non-traditional backgrounds or are self-taught. Hackathons enable businesses to recruit and source talent who may not have degrees or resumes, as recruiters increasingly focus on performance rather than pedigree.
Next, hackathons can help engineering recruiters expedite time spent hiring while reducing recruitment costs. With innovation challenges, companies have access to a pool of skilled and motivated engineers in a single space. Hackathons usually reduce the time and resources recruiters spend sourcing talent.
Beyond recruiting, hackathons serve as a powerful tool to strengthen employer branding and community engagement. Hosting or sponsoring an innovation challenge shows that a company values creativity, experimentation, and collaboration. It signals to engineers that the workplace encourages learning and building, not just routine tasks. Participants leave with an authentic impression of the company’s culture, and recruiters gain valuable insight into how candidates interact in dynamic, real-world scenarios.
Additionally, hackathons allow recruiters to evaluate soft skills and team dynamics in ways that traditional interviews cannot. Teams form quickly, roles shift, unexpected challenges arise, and teams deliver solutions under pressure. This environment reveals leadership, adaptability, problem-solving, and collaboration skills. Recruiters can see how candidates communicate, make decisions, and respond to stress, providing a clearer picture of how they will perform in actual work settings.
Lastly, hackathons help assess candidate motivation and cultural fit. Participants invest significant time and energy into challenges, demonstrating curiosity, drive, and a willingness to learn. Observing how candidates engage with mentors, peers, and judges also provides insight into their compatibility with a fast-moving, collaborative workplace. Companies gain a more holistic understanding of candidates, identifying those who not only possess technical skills but also thrive in their unique organizational culture.
To make hackathons effective for recruiting, companies need to create clear pathways that guide participants from the event to interviews, internships, or project work. By identifying top performers during the challenge and reaching out promptly, employers can maintain candidate engagement and momentum. Offering paid trial projects or short-term opportunities allows both the company and the participant to assess fit in a real work environment. When combined with structured follow-up, hackathons become a powerful tool for discovering, engaging, and converting talented individuals into long-term employees while providing valuable training and experience.
About Steven Cash Nickerson
Steven Cash Nickerson has spent nearly four decades building a career across law, business, human resources, and real estate. He has served as President and Chief Financial Officer of PDS Tech and later led North American operations for AKKA. Earlier, he practiced law at major firms and founded a human resources outsourcing company. He is also a Distinguished Teaching Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, where he teaches negotiation and business lawyering. His publications and community work further reflect his broad professional focus.
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