https://www.epo.org/en/about-us/transparency-portal/general/annual-review-2024/driver-1

Key achievements: Driver 1

People

In 2024, the EPO continued its commitment to fostering an engaged, diverse and high-performing workforce. Through a targeted recruitment approach, innovative talent development initiatives and strengthened mobility and flexibility measures, we have ensured that our people remain at the centre of our organisational development.

Foster staff engagement

Staff engagement continued to improve significantly in 2024, reflecting a positive cultural shift within the EPO. The results of the Staff Engagement Survey 2024 demonstrate strong progress in areas such as collaboration, respect and digital enablement.

The 2024 Staff Engagement Survey recorded an engagement score of 73%, an 11% increase compared to 2022, highlighting sustained improvements in workplace culture and collaboration. The largest positive shifts were seen in respect[1] (+32%), work distribution[2] (+25%), and speaking up[3] (+17%), showing a more inclusive and transparent work environment. Engagement was highest among staff who actively used flexible work arrangements, demonstrating the successful integration of New Ways of Working (NWoW). The results again highlighted the positive perception of line managers in the Office, with a 4% higher score than the European benchmark for such surveys, reinforcing their role in supporting teams effectively under NWoW.

The results also highlighted the importance of strengthening social connections for the sense of belonging: 82% of staff reported coming to the office to meet colleagues, and 59% to participate in informal exchanges, underlining the value of in-person interactions. In order to further foster engagement and a sense of belonging, the EPO organised the Campus Days in 2024. Campus Days are events organised at all EPO sites offering a wide range of activities focused on team interaction, learning, health and wellbeing and diversity and inclusion (D&I) topics. Over 4 400 staff participated in these events, 22% more than the 2023 edition, with a satisfaction rating of 4.1 out of 5.

The findings of the Staff Engagement Survey were translated into an Office-wide action plan, to ensure staff feedback was heard and taken seriously. The actions focused on improving communication across the Office, strengthening the sense of belonging and best management practices to enhance teamwork and knowledge-sharing. Expanded Campus Days, with two editions per year foreseen as of 2025, and new communication initiatives, such as internal events for staff on strategic topics and exchanges between senior management and staff members, have been introduced to enhance knowledge exchange and reinforce connections across the Office.

Additionally, in 2024 the EPO continued to prioritise staff health and well-being, reinforcing its commitment with successful ISO 45001 re-certification. As part of the NWoW, we introduced a range of health initiatives to support staff's physical and mental well-being. These comprehensive offerings reflect the EPO's ongoing dedication to fostering a healthy and supportive work environment.

Figure 1 – Health related initiatives offered in 2024


[1] Survey question: "We treat each other with dignity and respect at work."

[2] Survey question: "Our work is distributed in a way to make best use of the available resources (staff & skills)."

[3] Survey question: "It is safe to speak up at work."

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Attract talent

The EPO strengthened its ability to attract and retain top talent in 2024, focusing on the quality and diversity of candidates, investing in our employer branding and improving the efficiency of our recruitment process to provide business areas with the right skills at the right time.

Despite a very competitive job market for highly skilled professionals, in 2024 the EPO received a record number of applications for examiner positions – over 9 000 in total – with more than 6 200 applications in the autumn campaign alone. This reflects the impact of our renewed employer branding and targeted outreach efforts.

In terms of examiner recruitment, the Office hired 111 new examiners in 2024. Notably, the country diversity of our new hires has increased, with 21 nationalities represented (up from 17 in 2023) while we continue to put emphasis on gender balance and inclusion of underrepresented groups.

Figure 2 – New examiners recruited in 2024

 

  • Efforts to increase gender diversity of new hires: In line with the Office's ambitions under SP2028, we actively reach out to potential candidates on social media and are therefore able to proactively target specific populations to promote their participation. We also participate in specialised events such as "Women in Tech", and continue to attract female candidates in our Young Professional (YP) scheme, thus training diverse future generations of IP practitioners.
  • Efforts on accessibility and inclusivity at the workplace: In September 2024, the EPO welcomed eight talents with disabilities for a shadowing experience, offering them an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the EPO's operations, while receiving valuable career guidance. We have also improved the digital accessibility of our jobs website in Q3 2024, enhancing usability for visually impaired applicants.
  • Young Professionals (YP) Programme: 102 YPs joined the EPO in 2024, representing 21 nationalities, with 64% of them being women, demonstrating the programme's role in fostering the diversity of the EPO's workforce. The YP programme continued to serve as a valuable pathway for career progression, with two former YPs successfully recruited as examiners and four into other roles in 2024. A tailored development programme was launched to equip YPs with skills for long-term career progression.
  • Streamlined recruitment processes: Our agile recruitment strategy and the maintenance of a two-year candidate pipeline for examiners have ensured that we not only attract top talent but also integrate new staff quickly, which is crucial for meeting our evolving workload demands. For example, 53 job offers for new examiners to join in 2025 were already accepted by Q4 2024, putting us well on track toward our hiring targets for the following year. Additionally, 56% of job offers were made through our examiner recruitment pipeline, ensuring a structured and timely onboarding process for new hires and resulting in an end-to-end recruitment cycle time to hire of below four months.

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Develop talent

In 2024, the EPO continued to invest in the development of its people. The Office reinforced a culture of continuous learning, equipping employees with the necessary skills to excel in a rapidly evolving environment. The 70/20/10 learning model was continually expanded, integrating on-the-job learning, peer knowledge sharing, and formal training through targeted initiatives.

  • Embedding skills in our learning: In 2024, the skills framework was fully implemented, with 260 job profiles updated to include clearly defined skills, proficiency levels and expectations for all staff. The framework is fully digital, with 66% of staff having already completed a skills assessment and 70% having an Individual Development Plan (IDP) in place, which maps their target for professional development, ensuring their skills evolve in line with the needs of the organisation. These steps mark a major milestone in embedding skills-based development across the organisation, as the basis for keeping an up-to-date skills landscape in the Office, which will enable us to keep delivering high-quality products and services in the future.
  • Training programmes: In 2024, we continued to prioritise the development of our workforce by investing in formal training programmes to enhance their skills and capabilities. These initiatives aimed to ensure that our people remain at the forefront of industry advances and are well-equipped to meet the challenges of the future.
  • Strengthening people management skills: The EPO Management Community saw significant engagement, with over 500 different managers attending 17 learning sessions. Additionally, more than 300 experienced managers participated in nine specialised courses focused on enhancing EPO people management skills.
  • ANSERA search tool training: Starting in 2023 and continuing in 2024, over 3 000 examiners followed a targeted search training aimed at improving their knowledge on the advanced ANSERA search tool, which by the end of 2024 became the single tool for search at the EPO. As a result of the training programme, we have seen a proficiency improvement from 60% to 73% in the use of ANSERA, measured via a skills check-up carried out before and after the training, resulting in more efficient use of the tool which is a cornerstone of the quality of our PGP search.
  • Strengthened support for European Patent Administration Certification (EPAC) and European Qualifying Examination (EQE) candidates: Building on the success of the 2023 EPAC study group for EPO staff, support was expanded in 2024 with tutored exam preparation sessions. An internal EPAC network was established to enhance exam readiness, encourage knowledge sharing and foster a supportive learning environment, alongside the European Patent Academy's official training and extensive self-study. In 2024, twelve EPO colleagues passed the EPAC examination, eleven of whom were study group members.
  • YP development programme: The new tailored development programme for YPs is now a dynamic, three-year structured learning path, balancing technical, business and self-development skills. With reduced mandatory training and greater flexibility, YPs now tailor their learning through specialised courses, self-paced development and the possibility of being seconded to a national patent office or PATLIB in their third year, ensuring relevance to evolving business needs and long-term career growth, inside and outside the Office.
  • Enhanced learning journey for pipeline candidates: Launched in Q2 of 2024, this provides expanded IP-related courses and language training in the three official EPO languages to job applicants in our recruitment pipelines, to better prepare potential recruits for future roles at the Office.
  • Revised rewards system: Recognising achievements is integral to career development at the Office and to fostering sustainable engagement. In 2024, a revised rewards system was introduced to ensure more timely and clearly defined recognition. The updated scheme allows employees to be acknowledged for their contributions up to three times a year, with rewards granted promptly following performance discussions, without increasing the overall reward budget.

Figure 3 – Learning facts and figures

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Supporting mobility and flexibility

Supporting mobility and flexibility remained a focus in 2024, with continued efforts to offer staff opportunities for professional growth while matching our skills and capacity with our needs as an organisation. As technology continues to change the way we work, we need to be able to adapt to best benefit from its potential. Flexible working arrangements under our NWoW policy helped maintain a committed, adaptable workforce.

Our continuous efforts to support professional mobility ensure that staff have ample opportunities to grow within the organisation. Initiatives aimed at reviewing and upskilling roles – especially for formalities officers – have been central to balancing resources and meeting future demands. The Office intends to continue focusing on the internal workforce to meet its needs before going to the external market, with positive effects on staff engagement and financial sustainability.

  • Internal mobility: As a result of upskilling and re-skilling efforts, 28 staff members were able to grow into a higher function in 2024, while 33 successfully moved laterally to new positions of the same level and 6 YPs were recruited as new contractual staff members. In addition, a total of 171 full or partial internal moves took place in 2024, allowing us to balance workload and capacity dynamically.[1]
  • Women in management: The Office is committed to engaging more women for managerial roles. In 2024, 32% of internal applicants for managerial roles were women, and 33% of internal hirings for managerial positions were women. At the end of 2024, 28% of all managers at the EPO were women. Among top managers[2], 40% were women by January 2025.
  • Flexible working arrangements: The updated regulations on the NWoW received a favourable opinion from the Administrative Council (AC) in June 2024 and were subsequently implemented. The revised arrangements maintain the core structure of the teleworking policy established during the pilot that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic. Adjustments addressed on-site attendance in cases of absence or during duty travel and introduced a regular review mechanism. The scheme is well-used, with 98% of our staff making use of the flexible work arrangements in 2024, and has received positive feedback from staff. For instance, the latest staff survey shows that engagement has increased by 11% since the introduction of NWoW and engagement is higher for staff who use the flexibility offered.

Figure 4 – SP2028 People pipeline


[1] Some staff members changed roles more than once in the course of 2024.

[2] Principal Directors

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Strengthen social dialogue

In 2024, the EPO continued to strengthen social dialogue on a variety of topics set out in the Social Agenda 2024. Seven meetings of the General Consultative Committee (GCC) and four meetings of the Central Occupational Health and Safety Committee (COHSEC) took place. Additionally, 32 technical and working group meetings were convened with staff representatives to ensure thorough consultation before topics were presented to the GCC. This approach underlines the EPO's commitment to maintaining a constructive atmosphere and ensuring proper consultation. This contributed to progress on more than 29 topics, including: enhancing D&I by implementing gender-neutral language in our Service Regulations; the evaluation of the NWoW pilot; and the introduction of the skills framework.

The EPO also continued to actively pursue the resolution of disputes. This saw positive results in 2024, with a 36% decrease in management review cases registered in comparison to 2023, and a 44% decrease in internal appeal cases (representing an 80% decrease in individual appellants). Although the number of complaints filed before the ILOAT increased in 2024, this reflects a peak in the processing of internal appeals from the backlog the year before by the Appeals Committee. In parallel, de-escalation efforts brought positive results: settlement attempts were made in relation to 34 cases, with settlement being achieved in 19 of those (i.e. 56%). In addition, 20 cases covering all stages of dispute resolution were withdrawn.

Figure 5 – Conflict resolution

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Manage our homes

Our continuous commitment to deliver high-quality products and services to our users, to maintain high standards of health and safety to safeguard our staff and stakeholders and to protect data and information with which we have been entrusted was further confirmed by the positive outcome of the external ISO audit, which validated our certifications in 2024. In addition, our transparent corporate reporting, prepared with reference to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) universal standards, was complemented by a more complete GRI content index.

In 2024, the Data Protection Office (DPO) undertook several initiatives to further embed data protection principles into the Office's operations. The DPO supported the Office's business units in identifying data protection-related risks at an earlier stage, with the aim of mitigating them and safeguarding the rights and freedoms of the data subjects. Concrete measures included improving the methodology for assessing personal data breaches, revising the data protection risk assessment instruments and contributing to an independent oversight mechanism for the EPO Boards of Appeal, which was adopted by the AC in December. Additionally, the DPO supported the integration of AI in EPO operations by, for example, developing criteria for identifying high-risk operations when using AI systems and organising training on data protection and AI.

The DPO also worked with the European Commission on the formal recognition of the EPO's data protection framework, working towards an adequacy decision in 2025 that will facilitate cooperation and data flow with EU member states, especially in the context of IT co-operation projects. Moreover, the DPO engaged with various international organisations to share knowledge and best practices in data protection.

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Create an engaging physical home

In SP2028, the EPO aims for its buildings to serve as a physical home for our people and support an engaged professional community. Thanks to the efficient and responsible management of our buildings, their energy consumption decreased by 14% compared to 2023. Our carbon footprint was reduced to 3 032 tCO2e (‑29% compared to 2023) taking us closer to our top-level KPI to be a carbon neutral organisation by 2030. Several milestones were achieved during 2024, with the completion of the renovation of the EPO's Vienna building, the rental of new office spaces for staff in Berlin, and the endorsement of Building Investment Programme (BIP) for 2024 to 2028 covering Munich and The Hague.

  • Vienna: In Vienna, the fully renovated building was completed on schedule and within budget, with approximately EUR 1.5 million remaining unspent from the original budget of EUR 51.7 million. This timely completion allowed EPO staff to move back into the building in November 2024, ahead of the target date of December 2024. The renovated building offers a modern, sustainable work environment, with more daylight and a flexible internal layout that supports both collaborative and focused work. It has achieved an "Outstanding" rating under the BREEAM certification standard for sustainable buildings and will be carbon-neutral over its lifetime, offsetting the CO₂ emissions generated during construction by producing more green energy than it consumes.
  • Berlin: In 2024, the EPO sought to secure a new building in Berlin that meets its requirements for a modern and sustainable workplace. In March, the EPO informed the AC of its proposal to lease the C1 building, a centrally located property under construction at Alexanderplatz that fully meets these criteria, and the lease agreement was signed in June following approval by the Budget and Finance Committee. The move to a new EPO Berlin sub-office was accompanied by the signature of a new simplified and streamlined seat agreement with Germany in November 2024. The building was completed on schedule, allowing staff to relocate as planned in early March 2025.
  • BIP (2024-2028): During 2024, the AC endorsed the projects in the BIP for the period 2024 to 2028. The programme aims to modernise the EPO's building portfolio by addressing four key principles: safeguard health and safety; contribute to environmental sustainability, by reducing energy consumption thereby contributing to our goal of carbon neutrality by 2030; support sustainable staff engagement through modern workspaces which foster well-being and collaboration fit for the new ways of working; maintain the value of our patrimony and contribute to financial sustainability, including through the responsible use of office space. In 2024, we started the planning and design phase for our projects in the Isar and PschorrHöfe buildings in Munich, and The Hague buildings.

Figure 6 – SP2028 Building Investment Programme pipeline

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In 2024, the KPIs under driver 1 progressed well towards their challenging long-term SP2028 targets.

Results from the 2024 Staff Engagement Survey (SES) highlighted notable progress in employee engagement, bringing the associated KPI closer to the SP2028 target. Sense of purpose, belonging and alignment was also well perceived by staff, who answered the related question positively in 82% of cases. Feedback from the survey has led to the development of concrete actions in many areas with the primary focus on how we connect with the Office and with each other.

The KPIs related to gender diversity remained stable throughout the year. Further data analysis shows large variations across the organisation, between examiner and non-examiner staff, due to the availability of talent in specific technical fields and gender imbalance among STEM applicants, and also between the levels of management. To address this, the EPO will increase the KPIs' granularity to show groups separately, introducing additional KPIs to monitor examiner recruitment and the representation of women in top management. The latter reached 40% of women in top management by January 2025.

The 35 contracting states of the European Patent Convention (EPC) represented among the EPO staff indicate a steady level of geographical diversity while we continue to put efforts into increasing the number of countries represented.

With a view to maintaining a responsive end-to-end recruitment cycle for examiners, the KPI respected the target of four months' time to hire that allows the Office to quickly react to capacity needs and evolving incoming workload.

Developing our people's talent is one of our strongest priorities and in 2024 we started monitoring the impact of training and development activities via a structured survey. In 54% of cases, staff found that the training received had increased their ability to perform their work. Following up on the comments received, improvement activities were put in place to further tailor the development opportunities and to enhance and facilitate the use of the learning offer.

With a total of 3 032 t CO2e, corresponding to a 29% reduction in the CO2 emissions from operations compared to the previous year, the environmental sustainability KPI drew closer to its ultimate SP2028 target. More details on the environmental performance activities are available in the dedicated Environmental Report 2024.

Our commitment to sustainability is also reflected in the reduced running costs for our buildings in Munich and The Hague, as measured by the KPI "Build value". At the end of 2024, the KPI shows a reduction of 14.1% compared to the baseline costs calculated in 2022.