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You Can Help to Build Better Organizations By Becoming an
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
Industrial-organizational psychology helps develop strategies that build
better organizations. An I-O psychologist can help you with staffing, workforce development, and workplace climate issues.
- Recruit people that best fit your organization.
- Hire better people.
- Retain the best people.
- Develop fair, legal, and efficient hiring practices.
- Improve the skills of the people you already have.
- Create a diverse, qualified workforce.
- Develop performance management systems.
- Minimize absenteeism.
- Eliminate harassment and discrimination.
- Foster a team environment.
- Increase motivation and dedication.
The bottom line in any organization is performance
Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychologists contribute to an organizations success by improving the performance
and well-being of its people.
An I-O psychologist researches and identifies how behaviors and attitudes can be improved through hiring practices, training programs, and feedback systems.
Applying psychology to help individuals have more satisfying work lives is a
fulfilling vocation.
I-O Psychologists Work With Organizations in Many Areas
Employees
- Testing: test development, including tests of job knowledge, skills, reasoning, personality, and physical abilities; assessment centers; certification testing; multimedia testing (Web-based, video, etc.); interpretation of test results; test fairness; test-taker perceptions
- Selection and Promotion: recruiting; hiring; structured interviews; succession planning; performance appraisal and management
- Training and Development: computer-based learning; executive coaching, management development, mentoring, and leadership; competency modeling; team design and
training; measuring training effectiveness
- Employee Attitudes and Satisfaction: involvement and empowerment; retention, job satisfaction; burnout, conflict,
and stress management; aging and retirement; gender issues; resignation and voluntary turnover
- Employee Motivation: factors that motivate employees to perform effectively
Organizational Development
- Change Management: mergers and acquisitions; group
processes; process reengineering; productivity and quality improvement; strategic planning
- Surveys: climate and culture
- Job design and evaluation
- Organizational structure
- Team building
- Workforce planning (downsizing and rightsizing)
- Cross-cultural and diversity issues
- Impact of technology in the workplace
- Customer service issues
Human Resource Management
I-O psychologists can provide scientific research that HR managers can use in developing strategies and decisions.
- Legal: analysis of issues and expert testimony on EEO/AA, ADA, OSHA, and other issues; discrimination; jury decision processes
- Workplace Health: ergonomics, human factors, and safety; overcoming stress; workplace violence
- Compensation and Benefits: pay, perks, rewards, and recognition
- Employee Behavior: harassment; absenteeism; discipline
- Employee Issues: union and labor relations
- WorkLife Programs: flexible work arrangements, quality of work life, worklife balance, working parents,
and telecommuting
- Performance Evaluations and Assessments: design of job performance measurement systems for feedback and performance improvement
Research Expertise
- Research design and methods
- Data analysis and statistics
- Statistical models
- Data privacy, confidentiality, and ethics
- In-depth knowledge of the research on employee attitudes and behaviors as they relate to organizational performance
Job Titles of I-O Psychologists
Corporate Vice President, Director, Manager, Staff Member of
Organizational Development, Management Development, Human Resources Research, Employee Relations, Training and Development,
and Leadership
Development
President, Vice President, Director of
Private research, consulting companies, and organizations
Full, Associate, Assistant Professor of
Psychology, Management, Organizational Behavior, and Industrial Relations
About SIOP
The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) is an association of the world's top workplace behavioral scientists.
- With more than 6,000 members from all 50 states and 42 countries, SIOP is a diverse group with its primary focus on building better organizations by improving the performance of individuals, teams, and groups.
- SIOP members, most of whom have doctoral degrees, are affiliated with the American Psychological Association or the American Psychological Society.
- SIOP members have testified before Congress, written federal legislation, and have served as consultants and experts for numerous companiesfrom small private firms to large multinational corporations.
Learn More About Being an I-O Psychologist
Start by going to the SIOP Web site at www.siop.org.
There you will find:
I-O psychology in the workplace: a partnership that builds better organizations.
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SIOP members may request up to 100 brochures free; just send an e-mail
to siop@siop.org.
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