The Kiel KräfteHack: solutions for the skills shortage

The Kieler KräfteHack, a successful cooperation between the Kieler Nachrichten and the knk Group, took place for the second time on July 6 and 7, 2023 on the grounds of the Kiel Waterkant Festival. The event was a complete success and was fully booked with a total of 13 teams made up of company representatives, pupils, students and specialists. The participants worked together with optimism and commitment on this year's challenges, which revolved around the central question: "How can companies in Kiel attract skilled workers on a permanent and continuous basis?"

1. How can we create a working environment for employees of different generations in which they can develop individually, grow together and achieve organizational goals?
2. How can employers and employees work together to innovatively and efficiently improve the attractiveness of physically demanding professions?
3. How can we support companies in recognizing and developing additional potential (e.g. people returning to work, career changers, migrants, students and training dropouts, etc.)?

The Bay Areas on the power hack

The Kieler KräfteHack is a pioneering project by Kieler Nachrichten and the knk Group with the aim of establishing a cross-industry community that works together to tackle the regional skills shortage. Under the central question "How can we support Kiel companies in attracting skilled workers permanently and continuously?", the hackathon started with a stimulating panel discussion, inspiring keynote speeches and an initial meeting of the participating teams.

Our CEO Frank Bösenkötter spoke about the three biggest challenges of the skills shortage in Silicon Valley and shared valuable insights. Together with Prof. Dr. Carsten Schultz, he presented the successful Digital Challenge format in the panel talk, which promotes cooperation between universities and industry. The participants then worked intensively on their solutions and developed innovative concepts and prototypes to illustrate their ideas.

The winners of the power hack

In the challenge "How can we create a working environment for employees of different generations in which they can develop individually, grow together and achieve organizational goals?", the "Get inside the Box" project came out on top and secured first place. The idea behind it was ingenious and promising: "Get inside the Box" offers employees the opportunity to meet in a "meeting box" and have personalized conversations based on their interests and skills. Structured by a guideline with questions about identity, strengths, tasks and solutions, these interviews are recorded and the ideas are collected in an "idea box". Employees with particularly outstanding ideas are additionally rewarded with incentives such as an extra day of vacation.

The best results of the KräfteHack were not only awarded prizes, but also passed on to politicians. The event showed that the shortage of skilled workers can be effectively countered with creative ideas and committed teams. The participants not only developed innovative solutions, but also created valuable impulses for the regional economy and society. The Kieler KräfteHack thus remains an important platform for counteracting the shortage of skilled workers and strengthening cooperation between companies, educational institutions and skilled workers. Together, we can successfully meet the challenges of the labor market and develop sustainable solutions for the future.