Fraunhofer as an employer

Fraunhofer’s success is very much dependent on us identifying and promoting our employees’ talent. A cornerstone of HR development at Fraunhofer is therefore professional and personal development. We give our employees the freedom to act autonomously as well as space to foster creativity and pursue their own goals. They benefit from close ties with businesses and international exchange.

Human Resources and Corporate Culture

Operating as it does at the interface between science, research and industry, Fraunhofer offers a broad spectrum of professional opportunities and a working environment that encourages creativity and the development of new ideas, in which personal and career development go hand in hand. Fraunhofer’s HR management aims to create fertile ground for such progress by establishing the necessary framework of programs and other supporting measures.

Equal employment opportunities

Promoting equal participation and development for women and men at all hierarchical levels is an integral part of our strategy and an important objective for Fraunhofer. Through a variety of measures and programs, we are promoting equal career and development opportunities across all career stages and driving cultural change towards greater gender equality.

Work-life balance

As an attractive employer, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft would like to give all employees the opportunity to introduce as much flexibility as possible into their working lives. By offering family-friendly working hours and various part-time and remote work models, we ensure our employees strike the right balance between work, family life and leisure time.

Further training

We encourage our employees to become as highly qualified as possible and thereby advance their own career prospects. To accomplish this, we have developed the Fraunhofer Training Program. Through this program, we help them to develop their professional expertise as well as their interdisciplinary skills.

Career mentoring

Expert career guidance, personal exchange of knowledge and experience, supporting workshops and a strong network — this is our recipe for success when it comes to career mentoring. The Fraunhofer “Step forward” program encourages employees to identify their strengths and helps them advance to the next rung on the professional career ladder.

Networks and committee work

Communication and involvement in different networks are key levers for implementing equal career and development opportunities for all genders. It is therefore very important to us that equal gender participation is made visible in committee and stakeholder work, in networks, and in internal and external communication.