Many companies say their
greatest resource is their employees.
Industrial-organizational psychologists
help develop positive,
effective work environments that
support employee success,
and organizational productivity.
Focusing on making a strong match
between employees and positions,
they are often adept at job analysis—
learning which skills and qualities are
most important for different jobs.
They develop testing and selection methods
to make the best hiring decisions,
and help current employees find
advancement opportunities
within their organization.
When conflicts occur,
they participate in mediation
and dispute resolution.
Industrial-organizational psychologists
also advise leaders on how to
communicate effectively.
They use surveys and other tools
to identify the areas an organization needs
to change to be more successful.
To improve morale, lower stress,
and build stronger teams,
these psychologists also develop
training programs for staff and managers.
Work settings for this field are most often
corporations, research groups,
government agencies,
or independent work consulting with
different types of organizations.
A master’s degree in industrial and
organizational psychology is required
to enter this field;
some positions require a Ph.D.
The great reward for an
industrial-organization psychologist…
comes from seeing employees achieve
their own job satisfaction.