How Work Psychology can help your organisation

Work or occupational psychology is concerned with people and organisations, in particular helping organisations to optimise the selection, development and performance of their people. Typically work psychologists will analyse work situations, design effective selection or development solutions and finally evaluate outcomes to assess overall validity and cost effectiveness.

Work psychologists are known formally as Occupational Psychologists and any working in the United Kingdom are bound by Professional Practice and Conduct Guidelines defined and administered by the British Psychological Society. (See their web-site at http://www.bps.org.uk/). I have been a Chartered Occupational Psychologist since 1988 and am shown in the current Directory of Chartered Psychologists. I am also a founder member of the Association of Business Psychologists. Contact them on www.theabp.org.

Among the issues that work psychologists can address for organisations are;

   * what are the key characteristics for success in a particular job?

   * how can I identify these in the applicants I see?

   * what can I do to improve the relevance/effectiveness of my selection procedures?

   * who is most likely to be successful in training?

   * who are likely to make the best supervisors/managers?

   * how can I identify the strengths and weaknesses of my current supervisors/managers?

   * why do some teams suceed but others fail?

   * how do I assess people for new or re-designed jobs?

   * what are the prevailing values or culture of my organisation?

This list is not exclusive but does reflect my own areas of personal expertise and experience.