Human Resources Management

In consultation with Fraunhofer’s Executive Vice President Human Resources, Legal Affairs and IP Management, the central HR department has given much thought to the issue of HR functions necessary for a future-oriented HR service and, more importantly, the areas in which these functions need to be applied with respect to Fraunhofer’s research mandate. The key reflection was that HR policy plays a strategic role in the organization’s future development and that this role is no less important than the financial and research aspects of Fraunhofer’s activities. 

No two people are alike – every organization is a mix of people of different sexes, cultural backgrounds, ages and personal aspirations. Diversity management is an approach that aims to make use of this social diversity to the benefit of the whole organization, and allow everyone to share in its results. 

Leadership is all about knowing where to go and how to get there. The organization-wide leadership principles provide orientation to help Fraunhofer managers with their duties and define what is expected of them: namely to facilitate excellence in applied research. This involves having to reconcile two opposing sets of requirements on a day-to-day basis. While managers are expected to give the teams they supervise the greatest possible freedom to develop creative and innovative ideas, they also have to ensure that these ideas can be transformed into implementable products and solutions.

“Careers with Fraunhofer” means actively making the best use of your time at Fraunhofer. To support you, the application-oriented research organization offers a wide variety of development opportunities. These include acquiring specialist knowledge; becoming familiar with the processes in a scientific organization; expanding your portfolio of methodologies; gaining experience in project management as well as marketing & acquisitions; and building professional networks.

Our goal is to provide junior scientists during their time at Fraunhofer with dependable conditions of employment and to contribute as best we can to their individual career development, including the provision of additional qualifications. Given our intrinsic focus on applied research, Fraunhofer is able to offer junior scientists the opportunity to work in a broad range of areas as well as gain additional qualifications in specialist or interdisciplinary fields. As a rule, the attainment of a doctorate at a university marks an important step toward a successful career in science or, indeed, in industry.

Employees who work for Fraunhofer on short-term contracts need to be given opportunities to develop skills that will help them to achieve success in their chosen profession – regardless of whether or not they decide to stay with Fraunhofer. 

Fraunhofer has a good reputation, but the same cannot always be said of the collective wage agreement for public service employees (TVöD). Salaries are often lower than in industry, at least as far as basic pay is concerned. However, Fraunhofer additionally offers a variable compensation plan to help make its salaries more attractive. 

Fraunhofer is an internationally open-minded company that offers an ideal working environment for employees from all over the world. This ideal environment considers the needs of applicants and employees, from Germany as well as from all other nations: beginning with the first contact and proceeding throughout working for Fraunhofer. 

Fraunhofer uses the employee survey (MAB) as a strategic management support instrument and as a means of assuring the organization’s continuous, systematic and participatory development. Its main purpose is to improve quality across all Fraunhofer entities, by using the results to achieve even better collaboration and work structures. 

Fraunhofer’s STEM  (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs start with kindergarten-age children and accompany them throughout their education and into college. In each phase, the programs are age-appropriate and in line with the children’s existing knowledge.