Collaborative practices are the new business imperative: driven by new technologies, they are synonymous with performance. HR departments are key stakeholders when it comes to integrating these practices within organisations. The HR function itself is beginning to implement them; examples of this are hackathons organised around HR processes and management, to encourage collaborative innovation.

Initially the domain of developers, hackathons began attracting the attention of HR departments a few years ago. They take the form of "collaborative sprints" and are organised in schools, between companies or even within a company.

Recently, France’s National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM) organised a hackathon on HR processes. With a focus on operations, the event provided a response to HR issues in several companies – including AXA, Engie and Orange – with innovative proposals made by diverse teams set up for the occasion.

The Banque de France brought together 150 managers for its first management hackathon. The initiative resulted in new tools and new practices being proposed.

Other Initiatives are underway in the State and territorial civil services. These include:

• In March, the Civilian Human Resources Department (SRHC) of the Ministry for the Armed Forces, with support from the HR innovation fund of the Directorate General for Administration and the Civil Service (DGAFP) and with expertise provided by the Government Intangible Assets Agency (APIE), organised a hackathon to overhaul the recruitment of civilian staff (particularly those under long-term contracts). The solutions that were identified may be used by the department's partners.

• Fabrique RH, the innovation lab of the Ile-de-France prefecture, is accustomed to organising brainstorming workshops. In April, it sponsored a three-day hackathon in which prizes were awarded in three categories: increasing the appeal of devolved departments, an employee-friendly workplace and gender equality). The three winners received one year's funding and support for carrying out their project.

Major initiatives undertaken by other countries include:

• #PSHACK100 in Finland (September 2017), a public sector-wide initiative that included two HR-related objectives

• Future of Work in Canada (October 2017), which was entirely devoted to new forms of work.