Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

Key Responsibilities

• Write articles, white papers, or reports to share research findings and educate others.
• Study consumers' reactions to new products and package designs, and to advertising efforts, using surveys and tests.
• Counsel workers about job and career-related issues.
• Study organizational effectiveness, productivity, and efficiency, including the nature of workplace supervision and leadership.
• Assess employee performance.
• Facilitate organizational development and change.
• Develop new business by contacting potential clients, making sales presentations, and writing proposals.
• Advise management concerning personnel, managerial, and marketing policies and practices and their potential effects on organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
• Train clients to administer human resources functions, including testing, selection, and performance management.
• Conduct research studies of physical work environments, organizational structures, communication systems, group interactions, morale, or motivation to assess organizational functioning.
• Identify training and development needs.
• Provide advice on best practices and implementation for selection.
• Conduct individual assessments, including interpreting measures and providing feedback for selection, placement, or promotion.
• Participate in mediation and dispute resolution.
• Review research literature to remain current on psychological science issues.
• Provide expert testimony in employment lawsuits.
• Write reports on research findings and implications to contribute to general knowledge or to suggest potential changes in organizational functioning.
• Observe and interview workers to obtain information about the physical, mental, and educational requirements of jobs, as well as information about aspects such as job satisfaction.
• Develop interview techniques, rating scales, and psychological tests used to assess skills, abilities, and interests for the purpose of employee selection, placement, or promotion.
• Conduct presentations on research findings for clients or at research meetings.
• Develop and implement employee selection or placement programs.
• Analyze job requirements and content to establish criteria for classification, selection, training, and other related personnel functions.
• Coach senior executives and managers on leadership and performance.
• Formulate and implement training programs, applying principles of learning and individual differences.
• Analyze data, using statistical methods and applications, to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of workplace programs.