Occupational psychologist: Job description

Occupational psychologists apply psychological knowledge, theory and practice to the world of work.
They aim to help an organisation get the best performance from their employees and also to improve
employees' job satisfaction.
Occupational psychologists apply expert knowledge to all levels of working and may work on
organisational issues, such as culture and change, as well as issues at an individual or team level.
They may work in a consultancy role or in-house as an employee of an organisation. Collaboration is
common with management, human resources officers and training and development officers,careers
advisers and management consultants, business coaches, ergonomists and psychologists, trade union
representatives, and staff in teams and individually. Roles may also overlap.

Typical work activities

Both in-house and consultancy-based occupational psychologists carry out a range of activities according
to the needs of their clients or the organisation they work for. The British Psychological Society
(BPS) divides this work into eight key knowledge areas. Examples of activities for occupational
psychologists working in these areas include:
1.

Human-machine interaction - assessing the usability and functionality of a system, such as a

computer or workstation, and making recommendations for improvements to ensure ease of use for
the operator. Investigating problems that arise/accidents that occur as a result of poorly designed
human-machine interfaces, designing and applying change interventions.

2.

Design of work environments - reviewing the ergonomic design of a workplace by assessing

the suitability of elements such as lighting, noise levels and furniture, and providing
recommendations for changes/improvements. Working with engineers/designers to provide input into
the design of equipment, like vehicles and workspaces.

3.

Personnel selection and assessment - developing, implementing or evaluating employee

selection procedures, including psychometric tests, assessment centre exercises and structured
interviews. Developing talent management processes and systems so organisations can identify and
develop their high-potential employees.

4.

Performance appraisal and career development - providing coaching, guidance and advice to
employees or students in order to help them plan and manage their careers. Designing performance
appraisal systems that enable an organisation to measure, manage and reward the performance of
its employees.

5.

Counselling and personal development - working one-to-one with individuals to support them
in becoming more successful and effective in delivering their organisational objectives, while also
enhancing their personal well-being.

6.

Training - analysing the training needs of employees, identifying skills gaps and determining how
to address that gap in a cost-effective manner. Designing, developing and delivering training and
development programmes.

7.

Employee relations and motivation - mediating in situations where there is interpersonal

conflict between employees/management or an employment dispute.

8.

Organisational development and change - designing, developing and implementing change

management initiatives aimed at helping employees to cope successfully with changes taking place
in their workplace, such as restructuring, down-sizing or new business processes.

Case studies:Consultant: Aileen

Aileen has a BA (Hons) in Applied Psychology and an MSc in Occupational Psychology. She
works in the Human Capital practice of a global business consultancy firm
When I started my psychology degree, my ultimate goal was to become a clinical psychologist. However,
through my studies, I developed an insight into what this role actually involved and decided that it wasn't
the right career path for me after all.
Throughout my course I particularly enjoyed my modules on occupational psychology and this got me
considering a career as an occupational psychologist. In particular, the variety of career options within the
discipline really appealed to me.
After my degree, I took a year out to travel and gain some work experience and then I applied for an MSc
in Occupational Psychology.
I thoroughly enjoyed the MSc programme, particularly my thesis project where I looked at the factors
influencing graduate engineer retention in two manufacturing companies. I loved the consultancy aspect
of the project - gathering and analysing quantitative data, meeting with staff and managers to gather
qualitative data, and presenting my findings and recommendations to the senior management team. I was
pretty sure at this stage that consultancy was the right career for me.
While doing my Masters thesis project I came into contact with a small consulting firm/psychometric test
publisher as I had wanted to use one of the tests they produced to gather data for my project. I stayed in
touch with them and when I had completed my Masters they invited me to interview for a junior consultant
position.
I really enjoyed the work, particularly the problem-solving aspect and the constant interaction with clients
across a wide range of sectors and companies. However, as it was a small company, the progression
opportunities were limited, so after two years I successfully applied for a role in the Human Capital
practice of a large global consultancy firm.

My work is extremely varied, which is probably what most appeals to me about the job. On one project I
might be designing a management development programme for a client, and on another, helping a
company to manage the people-related change associated with a new business strategy.
The less enjoyable aspects are sometimes having to do quite long hours (although this is not a regular
occurrence) and the fact that sometimes, for various reasons, clients don't implement your
recommendations.
Overall, it's an interesting and challenging job and the financial rewards are quite good. Under the
supervision of my manager, who is an occupational psychologist, I am working toward chartered status.
My recommendations for aspiring occupational psychologists are to have some business experience,
which will usually help with your Masters application. Everyone on my Masters programme had worked
for some period of time before starting the course.
If you are thinking about getting into consultancy, consider doing an internship or work placement. Many
of the larger firms offer formal programmes.
Also, if you are planning to become a chartered psychologist, get working on your 'stage 2' as soon as
possible and try to stay focused. It takes time and it's easy to become distracted by other things once you
start working.