What is industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology?
Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology is a scientific discipline dedicated to the study of psychological processes in the workplace. I-O psychologists ascribe to the scientist-practitioner model, which is characterized by the use of the scientific method to address the needs of employees, organizations, and other stakeholders. Specifically, the knowledge disseminated by I-O psychologists, as well as advice provided to specific organizations, is derived from the careful and systematic collection and analysis of data, rather than relying on lay theories, anecdotes, or idiosyncratic experiences. In other words, I-O psychology takes a data-driven approach to identifying ways to ensure individuals are satisfied, safe, and productive at work.
What services do you provide?
The Waterloo Organizational Research Consulting (WORC) group is able to offer a range of services to help your organization thrive. These include:
Job Analysis and Competency Modeling
Job analysis involves identifying the core tasks that define a given role in an organization, as well as the knowledge, skills, and abilities that workers require to be successful in that role. This information is a critical input for writing job descriptions, hiring new employees, designing training programs, and numerous other interventions.
Talent Assessment and Personnel Selection
Choosing which individuals to hire is one of the most important decisions an organization makes. Fortunately, there is over 100 years of research providing scientifically valid insights into the best practices for hiring or promoting employees. At WORC, we can help you identify talent and motivation, ultimately leasing to high-quality hiring decisions. This may include standardized tests of knowledge, abilities, and personality, as well as high-quality interview questions that effectively identify candidates with the highest likelihood of success on the job.
Learning and Development: Training Design and Evaluation
Aside from hiring the right employees, organizations often need to provide individuals with role-specific training. WORC is able to assist with any and all stages of training development, including conducting thorough training needs assessments, designing training programs, and evaluating their effectiveness in terms of changes in employee attitudes, knowledge, behavior, and business impact.
Employee Listening Survey Development
It is often useful to survey employees regarding their job satisfaction, work engagement, and attitudes. Yet developing psychological surveys, and accurately interpreting the results from these surveys, requires specific training and expertise. At WORC, we are well-versed in state-of-the-art psychological measurement techniques. We are well-prepared to help you form accurate insights into how your employees think and feel about their jobs, the organization, specific initiatives, and numerous other issues.