Are you interested in how people function in the workplace? Do you think about how the work environment could better accommodate, satisfy and strengthen the worker? If so, then you may wish to pursue an organizational psychology degree online.
As an organizational psychologist, you will examine employees and how they operate within their workplace or industry. You will assess worker motivation, performance and satisfaction. Your expertise may also be used to screen and recruit new employees and find inventive ways to increase productivity in the workplace. With more and more businesses seeking the services of psychologists to improve the function of their organizations, now is a great time to pursue an organizational psychology degree online.
What is Organizational Psychology?
Organizational psychology has traditionally been called Industrial-Organizational psychology, which is sometimes shortened to the term I-O psychology. Organizational psychology is rooted in social psychology, a study that mixes psychological principles with sociology. At its heart, organizational psychology is concerned with the attitudes and behaviors of workers, and how they can be improved to increase the effectiveness of the organization they work for. The study of organizational psychology was accelerated during WWI, when thousands of troops need to be rapidly assessed and assigned to different work posts; but it wasn’t until after WWII that the field gained prominence in the commercial sector.
What Does an Organizational Psychologist do?
Much of the work that an organizational psychologist does is collect data from individuals and the workplace that they populate. This can be accomplished through many means, such as administering surveys or making natural observations. Organizational psychologists are highly concerned with statistics, and will use quantitative and qualitative research methods to draw conclusions from their collected data.
Job Analysis
Organizational psychologists are often hired by companies to perform job analysis work. This task involves documenting all kinds of information about a particular job. Task-oriented job analysis involves listing all the duties, including small details, that a job requires. Work-orientated job analysis involves documenting all the knowledge and skills that a worker must possess to accomplish a job. Using both types of data, an organizational psychologist can produce a number of items that may be useful for their client, including performance criteria guidelines, training programs and safety recommendations
Personnel Recruitment
Organizational psychologists may work alongside a company’s human resources department to assist in the recruitment of new employees. The goal of the organizational psychologist in this role is to get qualified individuals to apply for positions within the company. This task requires determining what skills and traits are being sought for in applicants, creating and marketing job placement ads, and screening out ineligible or unqualified applicants.
Performance Evaluation
Performance appraisal is the task of measuring a person’s work behavior and success on the job. This type of personnel evaluation is commonly used to determine promotions and pay raises. Used in combination with job analysis, an organizational psychologist can break down a job into smaller tasks, then rate a worker’s performance over a number of scores.
Psychometrics
Organization psychologists are highly trained in psychometric psychology – the measuring of psychological variables, including knowledge, aptitude and abilities. Using psychometrics, organizational psychologists uncover individual differences through administering different kinds of tests. Using these scores, the psychologist can identify the best worker or applicant for a particular job.
Jobs For Organizational Psychologists
Many businesses are concerned with recruiting and retaining valuable employees, especially in an era when people are expected to change careers at least several times in their working lives. The services that an organizational psychologist provides aims to improve the harmony between employees and their employers, whilst also increasing the effectiveness of the organization as a whole. For these reasons, organizational psychologists are in hot demand, and one should seriously consider earning an organizational psychology degree if this professional is of interest to them.