frequently asked questions

What is a hackathon?

A hackathon is a collaborative competition-like event. It aims to develop useful, creative and innovative solutions for a specific topic in cross-functional teams. The word hackathon is composed of the words ‘hack’ and ‘marathon’, where ‘hack’ stands for experimental, creative and playful problem-solving and ‘marathon’ for the duration of the event.

What is the goal of the hackathon?

The goal of the hackathon is to create novel solutions to a given business challenge in a short period of time, fostering collaboration and motivation; increasing engagement; and promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, solution design and a lean start-up mind-set.

Why are we hosting hackathons?

Hackathons are a global initiative offered in collaboration with our Innovation Hub in line with our Group Strategy to promote innovation throughout the organisation by bringing to life two of our key values:  ‘team oriented’ and ‘performance driven’.

Who is responsible for the hackathon?

Designed in collaboration with our Innovation Hub, hackathons are offered divisionally and are sponsored by each division’s CEO.

How will the hackathons work?

Mediclinic hackathons are envisioned as annual events occurring every May during which teams are asked to hack solutions to a particular challenge the business is facing.

The hackathon journey starts in March with a registration period.

Each division will host a two-day hackathon, limited to 60 participants (10 teams consisting of six people each). This means that once registration closes, 60 participants are selected based on merit, motivation, order of enrolment, skills and diversity criteria.

Selected participants are then organised into teams of six and onboarded to the topic, methods, processes and overall timeline of the hackathon journey during pre-hackathon online workshops.

During the hackathons, solutions will be developed in teams and will include a final pitch to a panel of judges who will evaluate and assess teams on their out-of-the-box thinking. A winning team will be selected per division to proceed to the next phase of the hackathon journey.

The divisional winning teams enter a post-hackathon journey from June to November 2023, during which they will develop a proof of concept of their solution. They will present their final solutions to a panel of judges consisting of the Group Executive Committee and external advisors for possible implementation across the Group. The panel of judges also selects an overall Group winner.

Which topic will be explored at the hackathon?

The topic of the Group-wide 2023 hackathons is ‘Building the workplace of the future’. Hackers will need to find solutions to the question: ‘How might we incorporate flexibility into the workplace to better cater to our employees' needs, and strengthen our Employer of choice status now and in the future?’.

Who defined the topic of the hackathon?

The Group Executive Committee defined the 2023 Group-wide challenge.

How will my team’s solution be assessed?

A panel of judges will evaluate your solution based on:

• impact on the organisation and our clients;
• feasibility;
• effort to implement;
• alignment with scope and the continuum of care; and
• creativity.

Will the hackathon be repeated next year?

Yes, it is an annual event.

Why is my divisional hackathon taking place at the weekend?

If your division has decided to host their hackathon at the weekend, it is because they wanted to offer the opportunity to participate in the hackathon to as many employees as possible.

For hackathons taking place at the weekend, you will be given equivalent days off (in agreement with your line manager and divisional HR).

Where can I find more information?  

You can view videos and testimonials from our 2022 hackathon.

Who can participate?

The aim of the hackathons is to form teams that are as diverse as possible. Employees and employed doctors from all functions and organisational levels can register to participate.

In Southern Africa, this includes employees working for our subsidiary companies – ER24, MHR, Medical Innovations, Mediclinic Renal Services and Mediclinic Mental Health Services.

Can partner doctors register for the hackathon?

Partner doctors cannot participate to the hackathon.

Are only clinical people involved in these events?

No, we want diverse ideas, solutions and approaches to overcome the challenges we face. Anyone interested in innovation, out-of-the-box thinking and making a difference is encouraged to register.

Do I need to be an ICT expert?

No, the term ‘hackathon’ simply means that we are working together to find new ways of solving our current challenges, and the tools we are using require input from various areas of expertise across clinical, HR, administration, finance, ICT, marketing and more. We want different perspectives to bring rich ideas forward.

Why should I take part in the hackathon?

The Hackathon offers the opportunity to have an exciting and fun experience with colleagues across the organisation, to put their heads together and to develop themselves further. All participants can learn about entrepreneurship, design thinking, fast prototyping, and topics outside their own field of expertise. On top of this, they will also get to know other cultures and network with colleagues and external speakers.

Do we apply in teams, or can I apply as an individual?

Employees must apply individually. Upon selection, the organisers will arrange the chosen participants into diverse divisional teams. To ensure optimal innovation, teams ideally should be composed of individuals from different sectors of the business to make sure as many perspectives and aspects are taken into consideration. For example, your team could comprise people from clinical, business, ITC, procurement, HR and finance, to name a few. The more diverse, the better.

How can I register?

Please complete the online registration form [insert link], which contains the following questions:

(1) Motivate the reasons why you should be chosen to participate in this year’s hackathon journey.

(2) Give two hackable ideas that respond to the Group-wide chosen topic of workplace and workforce flexibility.

(3) Give an example of a time when you were innovative at work.

How do I know if I have been selected?

You will receive a direct email confirming your participation, including information on who to liaise with for travel and accommodation arrangements.

Will my travel, accommodation and meal costs be covered by Mediclinic?

All travel, accommodation and meals for both the hackathon events and the innovation safari will be provided by Mediclinic. We will also cover the costs.

Expenses (public transportation to/from the hackathon) should be claimed using divisional expense claims.

Until when can I register?

Entries close on 14 April 2023, with teams finalised soon after

Where can I find more information on the topic and process?
We will offer mandatory online onboarding workshops introducing the topic of flexibility and on what to expect during the hackathons

Who else is involved in the hackathons?

Depending on topic, we select experts and external partners with expertise in technology, methodologies, business, industrialisation, processes, design thinking, prototyping, healthcare etc., to contribute to the event.

What is the role of the topic or SME?

During the hackathons, SMEs provide insight and share experiences in the form of lectures and speeches designed to challenge, inspire and support our participants. These experts will be chosen by the divisions, our Innovation Hub and its external partners.

Who evaluates the hackathon results?

A hackathon panel of judges will evaluate at 360 degrees the proposed solutions, based on predefined criteria.

Members of the panel may include the divisional CEO and management, members of our Innovation Hub, as well as expert and/or external advisors.

What is the role of a mentor?

Mentors are either Innovation Hub team members, divisionally assigned members or local external partners who will coach and provide feedback to the teams throughout the hackathon journey.

What is the result of a hackathon?

The result of the divisional hackathons are proofs of concepts or prototypes related to the chosen challenge. The winning teams will enter an experiment phase during which they develop their ideas further in the form of proof of concepts in a real setting using a B-M-L (Build-Measure-Learn) approach (experiments) with the support of the divisions, our Innovation Hub and its external partners.

How are the winning teams rewarded?

Every participant receives a goodie bag (innovation bag).

An award ceremony is held at the end of each divisional hackathon.

The winning teams have the unique opportunity to be part of a post-hackathon journey during which they are able to further develop and implement their team’s idea. During this time (June – October 2023), they will also have the opportunity to participate in an innovation safari at an inspiring location where they will experience the different facets of innovation and what it means to transform an idea into an innovation.

As a final reward, they get to pitch their ideas to Mediclinic management and compete against the winning teams from the other divisions for the title of 2023 Mediclinic hackathon winner.

If I am successful, who will cover the 20% of work time missed in my respective department?

The winning team should have the time to implement the winning idea. The covering of the missing work will need to be determined with the support of the divisions.