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Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

  • Bright Outlook
  • Rapid Growth

Apply principles of psychology to human resources, administration, management, sales, and marketing problems. Activities may include policy planning; employee testing and selection, training, and development; and organizational development and analysis. May work with management to organize the work setting to improve worker productivity.

What you’d do

  • Provide advice on best practices and implementation for selection.
  • Develop and implement employee selection or placement programs.
  • Analyze data, using statistical methods and applications, to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of workplace programs.
  • Develop interview techniques, rating scales, and psychological tests used to assess skills, abilities, and interests for the purpose of employee selection, placement, or promotion.
  • 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.
  • Facilitate organizational development and change.
  • Analyze job requirements and content to establish criteria for classification, selection, training, and other related personnel functions.
  • Advise management concerning personnel, managerial, and marketing policies and practices and their potential effects on organizational effectiveness and efficiency.

Skills that matter

  • Active Listening
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Writing
  • Critical Thinking
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Speaking

How to get there

Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

Also called

  • I-O Psychologist (Industrial-Organizational Psychologist)
  • Organizational Consultant
  • Organizational Psychologist
  • Research Scientist
  • Consulting Psychologist
  • I-O Practitioner (Industrial-Organizational Practitioner)

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