We’re sure you invested thoughtfully in R&D and probably looking for ways to make innovation accessible to all, beyond R&D departments.
Your teams are smart, creative, and constantly problem-solving. Meaning they are eager to innovate and contribute to your innovation program.
But here’s where it gets trickier:
You’re probably leaving valuable and commercially-beneficial IP on the table because employees just don’t submit invention disclosures.
And it’s not a concern of reluctance (at least not always) or forgetfulness.
Let’s stop blaming employees and start fixing the system.
The real reasons behind the low invention disclosure rate are often tied to broken processes, outdated mindsets, and a lack of incentives.
So let’s talk about it.
“I didn’t even know this counted as an invention.”
This is probably the most honest response you’ll hear when you ask why someone didn’t disclose an idea.
A lot of employees simply don’t know what qualifies as a patentable invention.
They assume inventions need to be massive, world-changing breakthroughs. But the truth?
Many valuable patents are tiny improvements or novel combinations.
Like a software engineer who adjusts a logistics algorithm to save 3% in fuel usage. But since no one thought to file that, it ends up becoming a core feature in a competitor’s product later.
That’s what we call an innovation capture barrier.
The knowledge is there, but it never makes it to legal or IP teams.
Bureaucracy is a dream-killer
Imagine an engineer logging into the IP portal and finding a 15-field invention form filled with legal jargon.
It takes 40 minutes to fill, and there’s no clarity on what happens next.
So they close the tab and never return.
If your process feels more like a chore than a contribution, your team WILL avoid it. That’s one of the biggest invention disclosure challenges we hear across industries.
Your invention submission software should feel like a collaboration tool, not a government form.
For example, a global company we worked with cut their disclosure form from 18 fields to 7 and added tooltips and a one-click disclosure option.
Disclosure submissions increased by over 50% % in just 3 months.
The result? A 50%+ increase in submissions within 3 months.
“I submitted one last year. Never heard back.”
Feedback loops matter. When employees submit ideas and hear crickets, they learn one thing: the system is a black hole.
Feedback loops matter. When someone takes the time to submit an idea and hears nothing back, not even a “thanks”, they feel invisible.
That silence is more damaging than rejection. Because now, they assume their ideas don’t matter. The result? Fewer submissions. Your low invention disclosure rate becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Fix the loop
Not a manual one. Not one that depends on someone remembering to send a reply.
A systematized, transparent loop that treats inventors like valued collaborators, not passive submitters.
- Send auto-updates at each stage of review.
- Let inventors track status like they would an online order.
- Give feedback, even when ideas don’t move forward.
Even better? Show them what happened with past ideas. Who got a patent, who contributed to a product update, who got recognized in the quarterly townhall. That’s employee invention disclosure motivation right there.
Lack of incentives = lack of interest
At the end of the day, people want to know ‘What’s in it for me?’
To submit invention disclosures, they give their time, thoughts, efforts. If that investment isn’t matched with recognition or reward, engagement drops fast.
This isn’t just about money. It’s about visibility. Appreciation. Career capital. Incentives don’t have to be massive, just meaningful.
- Internal leaderboards for most ideas submitted or implemented
- Contribution badges on internal profiles or dashboards
- Points systems redeemable for time-off, gear, or experiences
- Team or company-wide shoutouts in all-hands or newsletters
- Innovation awards tied to product impact or patent success
- KPIs that connect invention disclosures to performance reviews
The best-performing companies don’t treat disclosure as an optional extra.
They bake it into their R&D culture, link it to team goals, and reinforce it through structured recognition.
Pro tip: If you are into the heavy R&D domain, tie invention disclosure activity to existing incentive programs or OKRs, make it part of how performance is measured and rewarded.
Legal fears are real
Here are surprisingly common reasons people hold back on disclosures:
“Am I signing away my rights?”
“What if this ties me up in something legal I don’t understand?”
Especially in startups, research-heavy teams, or academic environments, this fear runs deep.
These individuals are often used to complex IP clauses, NDAs, and grant-related strings, so they approach internal invention disclosure processes with caution.
And let’s be honest, if the process feels murky, people won’t engage.
To build trust, you need to make your IP process feel safe, transparent, and collaborative.
What helps:
- Clarify early on: Submitting a disclosure doesn’t mean signing away your rights. It’s the first step in protecting your idea, not giving it up.
- Host regular “Ask Me Anything” sessions with your legal/IP team, keep it open, non-intimidating, and judgment-free.
- Create plain-English explainers for your IP workflow. No legalese. Just clear, simple steps.
- Provide real examples of what happened after disclosure—who benefited, what decisions were made, and how credit was shared.
- Offer a downloadable, visual timeline titled “What Happens After You Disclose?”
A one-pager with clear stages like:
→ Submission → Review → Evaluation → Filing Decision → Recognition/Next Steps
That small resource can clear up weeks of hesitation in seconds.
Managers don’t talk about it, so no one else does
Culture is set at the team level. If managers aren’t actively encouraging disclosure, it gets buried under project deadlines, meetings, and quarterly targets.
And innovation culture isn’t something that happens by accident.
If you want your team to actively think about invention disclosures, you’ve got to bake it into your daily rhythm instead of treating it as a once-a-year “innovation event” or something to mention in passing during an all-hands.
Here’s how you make that happen:
- Include innovation KPIs in team OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). Make it part of their measurable goals, not a side project.
- Start every meeting with a 2-minute idea share round. Encourage everyone to bring something to the table, big or small.
- Highlight recent disclosures in Slack or during standups. Make it a regular conversation point, and celebrate the wins, even the small ones.
- Offer a dedicated platform for brainstorming. Provide a safe but modern space where ideas can flow freely without the pressure of deadlines.
Innovation challenges actually work
If you want a proven way to increase invention disclosures, try running focused innovation challenges.
Take the example of a global manufacturing company that ran a 30-day “Heating Solutions” challenge, calling for ideas to improve healing solutions’ efficiency for its users.
The result? 153 disclosures in just one month, almost 5 times their usual submissions, 2x collaboration, and more.
Why do innovation challenges work so well?
- They drive urgency: A defined timeline creates a sense of urgency, motivating employees to submit ideas before the challenge ends.
- They clarify focus areas: Challenges help narrow the scope, making it easier for people to understand what kind of ideas are valuable and worth submitting.
- They build team engagement: Challenges create excitement, foster collaboration, and allow employees to feel like they’re part of something bigger.
Want to make it even more effective?
- Use tools like the AI-driven Inventor Assistant to help employees brainstorm and quickly refine patent-worthy ideas, and submit invention disclosures.
- Set clear milestones and weekly check-ins to keep the momentum going.
- Offer meaningful rewards or recognition to keep engagement high (like a prize for the top idea or public recognition during company-wide meetings).
Focused challenges are not just fun; they’re a strategic way to tap into your employees’ creativity and bring fresh ideas into the innovation pipeline.
Too many systems, not enough support
Employees often don’t know where or how to disclose or submit invention disclosures. Is it the IP portal? The ticketing tool? The Google Form from last year? A Google Sheet?
This friction kills momentum. Instead, use a centralized, intuitive invention management software with:
- Single sign-on
- Clear intake form
- Status updates
- Document uploads
Bonus: If possible, embed your idea capture workflow directly into tools employees already use every day.
So, what now?
If you want to go beyond workshops and posters and actually increase disclosures:
- Audit your current process. Where’s the friction?
- Interview employees anonymously. What stops them?
- Incentivize and recognize. Small gestures go far.
- Streamline the tech. Make submission effortless.
- Educate with examples. Show what counts.
- Build habits. Make it cultural, not seasonal.
- Introduce a centralized, dedicated, and professional tool.
And most of all: stop thinking the lack of submissions means people aren’t innovating.
They are. You just haven’t made it easy to submit invention disclosures.
If you’re ready to turn invention capture into a repeatable, scalable workflow, check out how InspireIP can help with invention disclosure process improvement through our intuitive tools, status tracking, and AI-powered guidance.
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