Occupation Psychology Services
Occupational psychologists apply psychological knowledge, theory and practice to work in its widest sense. How work tasks and the conditions of work can affect people – developing them or constraining and stressing them – and also with how people and their characteristics determine what and how work is done. Some of the broad areas are, for example:
- Management and management development;
- Change management;
- Organisational structure and development;
- Training and development;
- Team development;
- Career guidance, coaching and counselling;
- Stress, well-being and work-life balance;
- Rehabilitation and vocational rehabilitation;
- Unemployment;
- New technologies such as e-learning, portfolio working and virtual team working;
- How people’s environment affects their work (ergonomics);
- Development and interpretation of psychometric instruments;
- Recruitment and selection.
Some occupational psychologists specialise in specific areas, such as personnel selection and recruitment, vocational rehabilitation, training and development, or how the environment in which people work affects them.
Occupational psychologists work in-house for some organisations, or provide their expertise via occupational or business psychology companies/ consultancies, or work in the academic field.
They apply their knowledge and expertise to identify and resolve organisational issues, bringing with them an appreciation of the global, organisational, team and individual levels of working. Occupational psychologists have expertise in organisations, culture and climate, structure and values.
Specialist Services Within This Broad Area
Counselling and Personal Development
Counselling can help people to cope with stressful events – change and uncertainty, relocation or redundancy, organisational change, new demands on workers, upheavals in their private lives. Happy events, such as promotion or the decision to make a career change, are also stressful. Occupational psychologists use their wide knowledge and understanding of work to help their clients gain control of their work and to manage their careers.
Design of Environments and of Work
The right conditions can improve productivity, increase job satisfaction and protect the health of workers. Important factors include such things as lighting, noise and temperature, shift work and fatigue, and the effects of drugs (including medicines and social drugs such as alcohol – not just illegal substances)
Employee Relations and Motivation
The relationship between an organisation and the individuals of whom it is composed is of great importance. Motivation may be difficult to measure but no-one could doubt its significance. Reward, recognition, respect, leadership, loyalty – these key concepts are all psychological in nature.
Human-Machine Interaction
People cannot give their best if they are struggling with the tools they use in their job. Human-centred design and installation of equipment can enhance every aspect of performance. This is true in all spheres, but computer systems in particular need good design, careful selection and thoughtful introduction into the workplace if they are to produce real benefits. And software is as important as hardware.
Organisational Development
Some organisations are planned, some are haphazard, quite a few are planned yet are still haphazard! Occupational psychologists help to plan and manage systematic change in organisational structures, relationships and work procedures in response to changes in the organisation’s external environment or, for example, to accommodate the introduction of new technology. They do this through many techniques (e.g. team development) and use various tools to assess the organisation’s culture.
Performance Appraisal and Career Development
Organisations need to know how their members are performing. They need this information to identify and to rectify conditions which are causing inefficiency, but organisations also need this information for the proper development of their members. Management development is well-established but development is not just for managers.
Personnel Selection and Assessment
Selecting the right person for the job is the first crucial step in achieving good results for employer and employee alike. Modern systems of assessment, which include the use of psychometrics, computerised selection, assessment centres, biographical information (‘biodata’) and structured interviews can ensure that the best decisions are made.
Training
Maintaining and improving efficiency depends on training and developing staff. Choosing or designing the right programme depends on a proper understanding of the task and an understanding of the learning process. Occupational psychologists have expertise in analysing tasks, in designing and using modern training systems (including Computer Based Training), and in evaluating the effectiveness of training outcomes.
