orig.: en munich, 06.06.2019 subject: epo staff engagement

CA/49/19

Orig.: en

Munich, 06.06.2019

SUBJECT: EPO Staff Engagement Survey 2019

SUBMITTED BY: President of the European Patent Office

ADDRESSEES: Administrative Council (for information)

SUMMARY

As the EPO's last staff survey dates back to 2016, it was decided to commission an external independent consultant to perform a new survey focusing on the dimension of staff engagement. Staff engagement measures how engaged, empowered and enabled EPO employees feel at work. The EPO believes that a high level of staff engagement is key to its future success and has committed to surveying it regularly (next survey in 2021). The consultant Willis Towers Watson (WTW), selected to perform the "Your voice, our future" staff engagement survey, supported the EPO in developing and carrying out the survey and in its subsequent follow-up action planning. WTW shared the Office-wide findings with all stakeholders in April. Feedback from the survey is reflected in the EPO's Strategic Plan (SP2023). Furthermore, DG and unit findings are now being shared with all employees with a view to developing local actions plans in a participative approach (e.g. on items such as development, communication, leadership and quality). Along with feedback from focus groups, the project team will collate these local action plans in order to draw up an Office-wide action plan ensuring that all priority areas identified in the survey are addressed.

CA/49/19 e 2019-6591

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The Administrative Council is invited to take note of the survey results that are presented in the attached report.

The staff engagement survey will be distributed in English only.

Recommendation for publication: Yes

The document has been issued in electronic form only.

CA/49/19 e 2019-6591

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Subject Page

I. STRATEGIC/OPERATIONAL 1

II. RECOMMENDATION 1

III. MAJORITY NEEDED 1

IV. CONTEXT 1

A. SURVEY BACKGROUND 1

B. SURVEY CONCEPT 2

V. ARGUMENTS 2

VI. ALTERNATIVES 3

VII. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 3

VIII. LEGAL BASIS 3

IX. DOCUMENTS CITED 3

X. RECOMMENDATION FOR PUBLICATION 3

CA/49/19 e 2019-6591

I. STRATEGIC/OPERATIONAL

1. Operational

II. RECOMMENDATION

2. The Administrative Council is invited to take note of the survey results that are presented in the attached report.

III. MAJORITY NEEDED

3. Not applicable

IV. CONTEXT

4. As the EPO's last staff survey dates back to 2016, it was decided to commission an external independent consultant to perform a new survey focusing on the dimension of staff engagement. Staff engagement measures how engaged, empowered and enabled EPO employees feel at work. The EPO believes that a high level of staff engagement is key to its future success and has committed to surveying it regularly (next survey in 2021).

A. SURVEY BACKGROUND

5. The "Your voice, our future" survey gave EPO staff the opportunity to provide important input for the EPO's Strategic Plan (2023). As the new EPO strategy will be rolled out from summer 2019 onwards, the survey will set a baseline for measuring future progress and allow for comparisons with relevant external benchmarks, such as WTW's Europe and Professional Services Norms.

6. Following WTW's methodology on sustainable staff engagement, the questionnaire entailed 55 questions across 13 categories. Three additional open comments questions allowed staff to express their opinion on any topic of their choice. Seven further questions were added specifically for the Boards of Appeal.

CA/49/19 e 1/36 2019-6591

7. All staff in service for more than three months (6 645) were invited to participate in the survey, which ran from 31 January to 28 February and saw 5 675 employees express their views. This participation rate of 85% was the highest in the EPO's history of office-wide staff surveys.

B. SURVEY CONCEPT

8. The survey is based on WTW's model of sustainable staff engagement. It measures how engaged, enabled and empowered employees feel in their day-to-day work.

9. The survey asked questions in 13 categories: Agile Culture, Communication, Empowerment, External Reputation, Inclusion and Diversity, Line Management, Management, Remuneration, Service Focus, Sustainable Engagement, Training & Talent Development, Well-Being and Working Effectiveness.

10. The questionnaire was developed by WTW using input received in stakeholder interviews and from the project's steering committee, which was composed of representatives from all parts of the Office including members of the Staff Representation as observers. The three language versions of the questionnaire were then checked by the Office's Language Service and 40 testers to ensure that all questions were clear and unambiguous.

11. All organisational units for which there were more than eight responses received a unit report compiling the unit's strengths, opportunities and priority areas. In line with data protection requirements, a report showing open comments was provided only if more than 20 answers had been given.

V. ARGUMENTS

12. WTW shared the Office-wide findings with all stakeholders in April. Feedback from the survey is reflected in the EPO's Strategic Plan (SP2023). Furthermore, DG and unit findings are being shared with all employees with a view to developing local action plans in a participative approach (e.g. in items such as development, communication, leadership and quality). Along with feedback from focus groups, the project team will collate these local actions plans in order to draw up an Office-wide action plan ensuring that all priority areas identified in the survey are addressed.

CA/49/19 e 2/36 2019-6591

VI. ALTERNATIVES

13. Not applicable

VII. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

14. Not applicable

VIII. LEGAL BASIS

15. Not applicable

IX. DOCUMENTS CITED

16. Not applicable

X. RECOMMENDATION FOR PUBLICATION

17. Yes

CA/49/19 e 3/36 2019-6591

willistowerswatson.com

European Patent Office Your voice, our future: The EPO Staff Engagement Survey

June 2019

Results Presentation

© 2019 Willis Towers Watson. All rights reserved. Proprietary and Confidential. For Willis Towers Watson and Willis Towers Watson client use only.


Agenda

1 2 3 4 5 6

Key facts and key results

Overall results and trends

Internal overviews

Key messages

Comments analysis

Next steps

© 2019 Willis Towers Watson. All rights reserved. Proprietary and Confidential. For Willis Towers Watson and Willis Towers Watson client use only. 2


Key facts and key results

3


Survey background


OBJECTIVES

• Establish a baseline to measure progress as the new EPO strategy is rolled out from summer 2019 onwards.

• Give EPO staff a chance to have their say at an important time for the Office.

• Compare results with relevant external benchmarks: WTW’s Europe Norm* and Professional Services Norm**

QUESTIONNAIRE

• 62 questions and 13 categories.

• 7 questions were added for BoA, plus 2 additional comments questions.

• Segmentation by DG, job family, part-time status, length of service and other variables to create a rich internal data source.

ADMINISTRATION PERIOD

• The staff survey was administered to all employees from the 31st January to 28th February.

• 6645 employees were invited to participate in the survey.

• Online administration in 3 languages (English, French and German)

RESPONSE RATES

• 85% of employees (5675) took the opportunity to express their opinion.

• This is a strong response rate providing reliable and representative data.

* WTW Europe Norm - Comprises 360 companies and 2.028.911 employees. ** WTW Professional Services Norm – Comprises 23 companies and 187,296 employees.


Key results

High Participation • 85% response rate shows that staff were keen to take the opportunity to express their views. Views on Remuneration and Well-being are positive compared to external benchmarks: • Staff recognise that their pay and benefits are competitive. Views are also positive about issues impacting staff well-being (e.g. work schedule flexibility,

workload/staffing, manager care for staff well-being). Results are below external benchmarks on all other categories: • Views are furthest below benchmarks on aspects of management effectiveness, with low confidence in senior management decisions, lack of clarity about

direction, and insufficient contact between senior management and staff. • Concerns are high about the Office's commitment to quality, and about its reputation and service focus. • The majority of staff have autonomy to do their work, but far fewer think it is safe to speak up, or feel encouraged to contribute new ideas. There is little evidence of

a ‘continuous improvement culture’ in the Office. The EPO faces significant engagement challenges: • Only two thirds say that they are proud to work at the Office, and four in ten say they face substantial obstacles to doing their job well. • Opportunity for Personal Development is the strongest driver of Engagement in the EPO. There are variations by DG: • Results in DG1 are lower than in other DGs. • DG1 represents 77% of the total Office data and so has a major impact on the overall results. However results in all DGs are generally below external benchmark

levels, which indicates that there is clear room for improvement across the Office.



Overall Results and Trends

6


EPO overall results compared to external norms


Results trail the external norms by 11 to 40 percentage points for all categories except Remuneration and Well-Being, which are significantly more positive. Scores are furthest below norms for questions about Management.

Statistically Significant Difference (+)

Statistically Significant Difference (-)

Total Favourable Score Europe Norm

(147,345)

Professional Services Norm

(138,415)

Agile Culture 52 -20* -13* Communication 35 -28* -29* Empowerment 50 -24* -19* External Reputation 50 -30* n/a Inclusion and Diversity 51 -26* -37* Line Management 64 -12* -11* Management 23 -37* -40* Remuneration 57 10* 18* Service Focus 44 -27* -28* Sustainable Engagement 63 -15* -16* Training & Talent Development 55 -15* -20* Well-Being 70 7* 6* Working Effectiveness 42 -30* n/a

WTW Europe Norm - Comprises 360 companies and 2.028.911 employees. WTW Professional Services Norm – Comprises 23 companies and 187,296 employees


The positives: Five top scoring questions and five strongest vs. norm Ability to balance work and personal/family needs is most appreciated feature of working at the EPO. Compared to other organisations in Europe, EPO staff are more positive on pay, benefits and aspects of well-being.


Total Favourable

Well-Being: My work schedule allows sufficient flexibility to meet my personal/family needs. 77

Agile Culture: There is effective cooperation within my unit. 76

Communication: The information I need to do my job is readily available. 76

Sustainable Engagement: I am willing to go the extra mile to help the Office succeed. 75

Line Management: My immediate manager communicates effectively. 75

Total Favourable Vs. Europe Norm

(147,345)

Remuneration: Our pay is as good as or better than the pay in other similar organisations. 66 22*

Well-Being: There is usually sufficient staff in my unit to handle the workload. 61 10*

Remuneration: Our benefits are as good as or better than the benefits in other similar organisations. 60 6*

Well-Being: My immediate manager cares about my well-being. 69 5*

Well-Being: My work schedule allows sufficient flexibility to meet my personal/family needs. 77 5* Statistically Significant Difference (+)


Results have declined in the majority of categories since 2011. The largest declines relate to External Reputation and Management. An upward trend can be seen for Sustainable Engagement and Well-Being.

Chart shows category score trends 2011-2019, based on scores for questions used in both surveys

Overall trends since 2011


Total Favourable Score

EPO Overall 2011

(4,907)

Agile Culture 52 -7* Communication 35 -5* Empowerment 50 n/a External Reputation 50 -21* Inclusion and Diversity 51 n/a Line Management 64 -3* Management 23 -14* Remuneration 57 -6* Service Focus 44 n/a Sustainable Engagement 63 6* Training & Talent Development 55 -7* Well-Being 70 5* Working Effectiveness 42 n/a

Statistically Significant Difference (+)

Statistically Significant Difference (-)


Most/least improved results since 2011 Much clearer sense of identity with the mission of the Office, and efforts to encourage managers to pay closer attention to staff well-being have been successful. Major declines around quality, reputation, service focus, management/staff contact, and respect at work.


Total Favourable EPO Overall 2011

(4,907)

Sustainable Engagement: I believe strongly in the mission of the Office. 68 42*

Well-Being: My immediate manager cares about my well-being. 69 31*

Agile Culture: There is effective cooperation within my unit. 76 9*

Line Management: My immediate manager communicates effectively. 75 4*

Sustainable Engagement: I am willing to go the extra mile to help the Office succeed. 75 4*

Working Effectiveness: The Office's commitment to quality is apparent in what we do on a day-to-day basis. 30 -35*

External Reputation: The Office has established a good reputation for the quality of its services. 61 -26*

Service Focus: Our internal processes are geared towards providing the best possible service for our users (this includes applicants, parties, internal clients). 42 -25*

Management: There is sufficient contact between senior management (PD and above) of my DG /BoA Unit and staff. 19 -24*

Inclusion and Diversity: All staff are treated with respect here. 39 -23*


Sustainable Engagement levels are below norms on all three components (Engaged, Enabled and Energised). Fewer than two-thirds say they are proud to work at the Office, and four in ten say they face substantial obstacles to doing their job well.

Sustainable Engagement summary


63% Sustainable Engagement

I believe strongly in the mission of the Office. 68 18 14

I am proud to work at the Office. 65 16 20

I am willing to go the extra mile to help the Office succeed. 75 13 12

My unit is able to meet our work challenges effectively. 64 15 21

There are no substantial obstacles at work to doing my job well. 43 16 41

I am able to sustain the level of energy I need throughout the work day. 59 12 29

My work gives me a sense of personal accomplishment. 64 12 24

% Fav ? %

Unfav

-10* -7*

-18* -16*

-13* -13*

-16* -19*

-19* -22*

-19* -17*

-12* -16*

Europe norm

Prof Serv norm

Engaged

Enabled

Energised


Internal overviews

12


Overview by DG: results compared to EPO overall


Scores are lower in DG1 and generally higher in other DGs and in BoA (except for External Reputation). DG1 represents 77% of the total Office data and so has a major impact on the overall results. Engagement levels are highest in DG4, and Empowerment levels are much higher in all of the smaller DGs than in DG1.

EPO Overall 2019

(5,670) DG0 2019

(88) DG1 2019

(4370)

Boards of Appeal 2019 (179)

DG4 2019 (812)

DG5 2019 (216)

Agile Culture 61 ¹ 8 -3* 17* 8* 10* Communication 35 6 -1 2 5* 1 Empowerment 50 11* -4* 13* 14* 11* External Reputation 50 3 -1 -12* 5* 9* Inclusion and Diversity 51 1 -2* 9* 9* 1 Line Management 64 -7 -2* 8* 10* 8* Management 20 ¹ 11* -2* 7* 6* 3 Remuneration 57 -2 -3* 2 11* 10* Service Focus 44 14* -4* 4 14* 27* Sustainable Engagement 63 10 -3* 3 10* 9* Training & Talent Development 55 4 -2* 11* 9* 6 Well-Being 70 -5 0 -1 2 -3 Working Effectiveness 42 6 -1 3 4* 7*

¹ Category score recalculated to include only scores of questions that are common across all sub groups


DG overall trends since 2011


The last staff survey took place 8 years ago which means historical comparisons have to be treated with caution. However opinions on external reputation have clearly declined across all DG’s since 2011. Trends on Agile Culture, Line Management, Management, and Training & Talent Development are mixed, whereas Sustainable Engagement is up.

EPO Overall 2019 vs. 2011 5,670 vs. 4,907

DG0 2019 vs. 2011 88 vs. 129

DG1 2019 vs. 2011 4,430 vs. 3,083

Boards of Appeal 2019 vs. 2011 179 vs. 144

DG4 2019 vs. 2011 752 vs. 384

DG5 2019 vs. 2011 216 vs. 204

Agile Culture -7* 8 -19* 6 0 2 Communication -5* 0 -6* -4 -5 -3 Empowerment n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a External Reputation -21* -20* -24* -32* -13* -11* Inclusion and Diversity n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Line Management -3* -13 -7* 24* 7* 2 Management -14* 0 -18* 16* -9* -13* Remuneration -6* -9 -8* -3 0 -6 Service Focus n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Sustainable Engagement 6* 9 6* 2 9* 9* Training & Talent Development -7* 5 -7* 10 -4 1 Well-Being 5* -1 5* 4 4 7 Working Effectiveness n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a


Job Family: results compared to EPO overall (1 of 2)


Agile Culture

Communication

Empowerment

External Reputation

Inclusion and Diversity

Line Management

Management

Remuneration

Service Focus

Sustainable Engagement

Training & Talent Development

Well-Being

Working Effectiveness

EPO Overall 2019

(5,670)

35

50

50

51

20 ¹

57

63

55

70

42

Principal director (24)

17

35*

27*

41*

24*

18

59*

17

34*

23*

24*

1

33*

Director (151)

5

11*

6

25*

12*

2

25*

20*

27*

15*

8*

1

17*

Head of section (32)

13

9

22*

19*

9

5

14

9

31*

11

12

-3

6

Head of Department

(90)

16*

3

17*

6

6

10

5

15*

20*

7

5

-5

7

Lawyer (61)

19*

-1

5

2

-3

18*

9

6

27*

6

8

0

5

FO Team manager

(64)

28*

1

14*

14*

15*

15*

24*

10

21*

16*

18*

10

18*

68 ¹

64

44

Team manager (281)

15*

11*

12*

23*

22*

14*

23*

15*

21*

19*

24*

10*

19*

Senior expert (73)

0

-6

-8

-1

-9

-6

0

-4

4

-1

-1

-6

2

As in most organisations, more senior levels of the EPO are more positive. Team Manager perceptions of Management are notably more positive than in the EPO as a whole.

¹ Category score has been recalculated to include only scores of questions that are common across all sub groups


Job Family: results compared to EPO overall (2 of 2)


EPO Overall 2019

(5,670)

Agile Culture 68 ¹ Communication 35 Empowerment 50 External Reputation 50 Inclusion and Diversity 51 Line Management 64 Management 20 ¹ Remuneration 57 Service Focus 44 Sustainable Engagement 63 Training & Talent Development 55 Well-Being 70 Working Effectiveness 42

Expert (135)

6

5

16*

6

8

15*

1

4

16*

10*

14*

4

6

Formalities officer (406)

10*

2

12*

3

9*

5*

4*

1

15*

7*

11*

1

7*

Examiner (3291)

-7*

-3*

-9*

-5*

-6*

-6*

-7*

-6*

-12*

-7*

-8*

-1

-6*

Administrator (396)

-2

0

6*

6*

3

1

1

9*

8*

9*

5*

0

-1

Administrative employee

(528)

9*

7*

19*

3

9*

13*

9*

8*

22*

12*

10*

2

10*

Board of appeal chairman

(26)

11

-7

18

-15

10

-16

14

-5

5

1

12

-16

-4

Board of appeal member

(112)

18*

0

7

-16*

6

10*

-1

1

-3

0

6

2

0

As expected, the results pattern for Examiners is similar to that of DG1, and their views are significantly less positive than those of other job families.

¹ Category score has been recalculated to include only scores of questions that are common across all sub groups


Key Messages

17


Senior Management


There is a call for clear direction from senior management, and a need for closer contact between senior management and staff.

14 Senior management (PD and above) provides a clear sense of direction.

Total Favourable | ? | Total Unfavourable Difference

EPO Overall 2019 (5,670) 24 16 60 Europe Norm (147,345) 67* 16 17*

57 There is sufficient contact between senior management (PD and above) of my DG /BoA Unit and staff.


EPO Overall 2019 (5,670) 19 24 57 Europe Norm (147,345) 57* 14* 28*

-43*

-38*


Confidence in decisions


Building confidence in management decisions at all levels is crucial, but at senior management level most of all.

25 I have confidence in the decisions made by my director.



49 I have confidence in the decisions made by my immediate manager.



40 I have confidence in the decisions made by senior management (PD and above).



-17*

-29*

-50*


Focus on Communication


Staff do not feel well informed about issues that affect them or about the reasons for important decisions, and upward feedback is not seen to be the ‘norm’.

7 The Office does a good job of keeping staff informed about matters affecting us.



30 Sufficient effort is made to get the opinions of staff in the Office.



61 Senior management (PD and above) communicates the reasons for important decisions effectively.

Total Favourable | Neither | Total Unfavourable Difference


-37*

-43*

-33*


Focus on Communication (2)


Colleagues, immediate managers and office-wide internal communication are the most important sources of communication. Staff Representation was selected much less often than in 2011, whereas managers of immediate managers play a more important role.

Which of the following are currently your most important sources of information about the Office in general (select a maximum of 3 choices):

21d Colleagues 72

21a My immediate manager

% Selected

63

21c Office-wide internal communication (intranet, internal information events/presentations for all etc.)

51

21e Staff representation

28

21b The manager of my immediate manager

21

21f Unions 21

4 21g Other

Difference From 2011

1

-6*

-1

-27*

13*

1*

n/a


Does this Office have a development culture?


Staff look for opportunities to develop, but many feel that these opportunities are not available. Having opportunities for personal development is the #1 key driver of Sustainable Engagement in the EPO and should therefore be a top priority for follow-up.

15 I actively look for opportunities at work to develop new knowledge or skills. Total Favourable | Neither | Total Unfavourable Difference

EPO Overall 2019 (5,670) 74 18 8 Europe Norm (147,345) Not Available

27 I believe I have the opportunity for personal development and growth. Total Favourable | ? | Total Unfavourable Difference

EPO Overall 2019 (5,670) 42 14 44 Europe Norm (147,345) 62* 13 24* -20*


Empowerment and Openness


The majority have the autonomy to do their work, but far fewer feel it is safe to speak up or are encouraged to contribute ideas. There is little evidence of a ‘continuous improvement culture’ in the Office. Empowerment is also a key driver of Sustainable Engagement in the EPO and should also be a follow-up priority.

51 I have sufficient autonomy to do my job well. Total Favourable | ? | Total Unfavourable Difference


56 It is safe to speak up at work. Total Favourable | ? | Total Unfavourable Difference


3 People in my unit are encouraged to come up with innovative solutions to work-related problems. Total Favourable | ? | Total Unfavourable Difference


-8*

-39*

-24*


Quality, Service and External Reputation


Only 6 in 10 believe the Office has a good reputation for the quality of its services (it was nearly 9 in 10 in 2011). The strength of the EPO’s external reputation is another key driver of Sustainable Engagement in the Office and should be a follow-up priority.

16 The Office has established a good reputation for the quality of its services. Total Favourable | ? | Total Unfavourable Difference


5 Our internal processes are geared towards providing the best possible service for our users (this includes applicants, parties, internal clients).



2011: 87%

-21*

-23*


Well-Being and Respect


Aspects of the EPO culture support well-being, but nearly 50% do not think that all staff are treated with respect.

4 My work schedule allows sufficient flexibility to meet my personal/family needs.



54 My immediate manager cares about my well-being.



24 There is usually sufficient staff in my unit to handle the workload.



10 All staff are treated with respect here.



+5*

-37*

+5*

+10*


Is the Office preparing for the future?


More than half believe that technology is helping to make processes more efficient, but there is a high level of uncertainty about how well the Office is positioned for the future.

39 In my unit, we are making good use of technology to make our processes more efficient.



44 My immediate manager aligns my development plan to the future needs of the Office.


EPO Overall 2019 (5,670) 49 30 21 Europe Norm (147,345) Not Available

60 The Office is effective in identifying the changes that are necessary for our long-term success.

Total Favourable | Neither | Total Unfavourable Difference


-12*

-36*


Summary of Key Messages


• There is a call for clear direction from senior management, and a need for closer contact between senior management and staff. Building confidence in management decisions at all levels is crucial, but at senior management level most of all.

• Staff do not feel well informed about issues that affect them or about the reasons for important decisions, and upward feedback is not seen to be the ‘norm’.

• Staff look for opportunities to develop, but many feel that these opportunities are not available. Having opportunities for personal development is the #1 key driver of Sustainable Engagement in the EPO and should therefore be a top priority for follow-up.

• The majority have the autonomy to do their work, but far fewer feel it is safe to speak up or are encouraged to contribute ideas. There is little evidence of a ‘continuous improvement culture’ in the Office. Empowerment is also a key driver of Sustainable Engagement in the EPO and should also be a follow-up priority.

• Only 6 in 10 believe the Office has a good reputation for the quality of its services (it was nearly 9 in 10 in 2011). The strength of the EPO’s external reputation is another key driver of Sustainable Engagement in the Office and should be a follow-up priority.

• Aspects of the EPO culture support well-being, but nearly 50% do not think that all staff are treated with respect. Further investigation is advisable on what lies behind this result, as it is also the most frequently mentioned topic in the comments about what would make the biggest difference to the Office as a place to work.

• More than half believe that technology is helping to make processes more efficient, but there is a high level of uncertainty about how well the Office is positioned for the future.


Comments Analysis

28


Comments Themes


What one change would make the biggest difference to this Office as a place to work?

“Honesty and transparency from

higher management concerning planning, goals and rewards, including admitting errors..”

“Reform the new career system to

make the achievement of

a pensionable reward fair - transparent -

deterministic..” ‘Part-Time Home Working should be transformed into a

more dynamic Working in mobility, meaning that, on a part-time basis and given the mandatory presence during meetings or Oral Proceedings, the worker can work from anywhere (in the member states or even in

the world) with the right technological aids. The new pension scheme should be revised

to reward careers (so, without a hard cut) and because the expected standard of living worsens dramatically

after termination of service. .’’

“Reconnaître la fonction d'Examinateur comme véritable moteur de l'Office,

en arrêtant de nous imposer une pression / temps toujours plus grande, en ayant en même temps un discours de plus

grande qualité.”

“Echte Kommunikation zwischen dem Präsidenten und der

Personalvertretung, und dass die Anliegen des Personals

auch Ernst genommen werden. Keine Beteiligung an

Entscheidungen nach dem Motto : ihr hattet die Möglichkeit

euch zu äussern, aber ich mache dennoch was ich will.”

“Reduce targets pressure and clearly define minimum targets for getting a reward / step.”


Comments Themes


What one change would have the greatest positive impact on the long-term success of the Office?

“Redevenir un organisation stimulant en interne

l'innovation.”

“Get staff on office's side again. If staff feels valued

and fairly treated, production and quality will come”.

“Learn to listen to the people doing the job. - Maintain a meaningful dialogue with every

department, between workers and managers, between middle and high management. In

this office criticism is penalized, people have still today, their careers on hold

or destroyed for speaking up their concerns.”

“Take actions for the long-term benefit of the

patent system, not for short-term

gain.”

“Review the reorganization. Engage people in changes.

Open and clear communication with

management.”

“The EPO has the reputation for best products and services. The office should therefore ensure

that it can continue to attract and maintain people of the same

calibre as previously, to continue offering this level of quality.”

“Greater transparency in all aspects leading to a high

level of trust in the office and its products.”


Summary and next steps

31


Recommended focus areas in summary


• Build greater confidence in senior management by creating closer connections with staff, communicating

clear direction, and addressing concerns about reputation and service (externally), and respect (internally). The roll-out of a new strategy provides the ideal opportunity to build confidence in the future of the EPO.

• Create regular channels/forums for upward feedback so it is clear whether progress is being made ‘on the ground’ (in particular among the Examiner population).

• Addressing Engagement challenges means focusing on the key drivers: Personal Development, Empowerment and External Reputation.

• Create a culture of continuous improvement by creating opportunities for staff to speak up and to contribute to innovation.

orig.: en munich, 06.06.2019 subject: epo staff engagement

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