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Psychologists in the work place
Psychologists in the work place utilize the theory and practice in their area of expertise in order to optimize the effectiveness of the organization and the individual employees. The areas where applied psychology is used are recruitment, staff healthcare and training among many other different areas within the company’s structure. Psychologists working inside a commercial company structure therefore deal with a much wider area of applied psychology than that of regular practicing psychologists which often serves as a challenge for psychologists and is the main attraction to these types of job.
A good example of applied psychology in the work place would be the psychometric tests during job interviews. Typically those are designed by an in house psychologist in order to evaluate the personality features of the applicant in order to determine the applicant’s suitability for the job he or she is applying for. Through these tests certain character traits are analyzed in order to determine if the applicant is compatible with the job.
The larger corporations will use in house personnel for this type of applied psychology, but often smaller companies hire a psychologist trough specialized consultancy agencies. Usually those agencies work on a contract basis where one of their staff is assigned to the hiring company to perform the above mentioned functions.
The work does not stop at assessments from applicants analyzing job positions within the company, and contributing capacities to various levels within the company structure are often part of the job. There are numerous aspects of a company where applied psychology has a role to play in order to maximize the effectiveness and improve on the general well being of the staff.
To most psychologists in the work place, applying their skills in a real live company environment is the main challenge that makes their job attractive. The obvious downside is, that at times company policies will outweigh psychological considerations forcing the psychologists to make decisions they do not support contrary to their regular practicing colleagues in the field who run their own practice and therefore make the decisions.
In order to obtain such a function within a company or agency, a degree in psychology is a must and often companies hiring ask for specific degrees like: MSC occupational psychology. Besides the required education and degrees, strong analytical skills and equally strong communicating skills are definitely an advantage for obtaining a position as a psychologist in the work place. Besides these skills, experience in the work place will increase the chances of obtaining such a job considerably.
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