What does an industrial/organizational psychologist do?
The productivity of an organization is the sum of that of every individual in that organization, and the psychological state of these individuals is a major determinant their productivity. Thus, an industrial/organizational psychologist is tasked with improving the overall work environment by improving the mental state of the employees. Applying the principles of psychology, they aim to improve the communication, occupational satisfaction, and safety-mindedness of all parties involved with their organization. They must help the employees they work with reach a mental state to function at peak efficiency.
Industrial/organizational psychologist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real industrial/organizational psychologist resumes:
- Develop computer programs using SAS and various PC programs to support research, analysis and administration of ongoing activities.
- Develop cognitive behaviorally-base educational module for post-surgery patients.
- Develop cognitive behaviorally-base educational module for post-surgery patients.
Industrial/organizational psychologist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 43% of Industrial/Organizational Psychologists are proficient in Statistical Methods, Action Plan, and Employee Selection. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Integrity.
We break down the percentage of Industrial/Organizational Psychologists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Statistical Methods, 43%
Analyze data using statistical methods and applications to evaluate the effectiveness of the tests.
- Action Plan, 19%
Audited the employee and contingent files, creating and executing an action plan to close the findings.
- Employee Selection, 16%
Developed and implemented employee selection and placement programs.
- Training Programs, 8%
Formulate and implements training programs.
- APA, 8%
Supervised clinical activities of doctoral level psychology interns in APA accredited internship program.
- Psychological Tests, 7%
Scored and recorded psychological tests.
"statistical methods," "action plan," and "employee selection" are among the most common skills that industrial/organizational psychologists use at work. You can find even more industrial/organizational psychologist responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for an industrial/organizational psychologist to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what industrial/organizational psychologists do because "psychologists must examine the information they collect and draw logical conclusions." Additionally, an industrial/organizational psychologist resume shows how industrial/organizational psychologists use analytical skills: "analyze data using statistical methods and applications to evaluate the effectiveness of the tests. "
Communication skills. Many industrial/organizational psychologist duties rely on communication skills. "psychologists must have strong communication skills because they spend much of their time listening to and speaking with patients or describing their research.," so an industrial/organizational psychologist will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways industrial/organizational psychologist responsibilities rely on communication skills: "conducted seminars on motivation, conflict resolution and interpersonal communication. "
Integrity. This is an important skill for industrial/organizational psychologists to perform their duties. For an example of how industrial/organizational psychologist responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "psychologists must keep patients’ problems in confidence, and patients must be able to trust psychologists’ expertise in treating sensitive problems." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an industrial/organizational psychologist: "presented continuing educational seminars on ethical rehabilitation practice. ".
Interpersonal skills. A big part of what industrial/organizational psychologists do relies on "interpersonal skills." You can see how essential it is to industrial/organizational psychologist responsibilities because "psychologists study and help individuals, so they must be able to work well with clients, patients, and other professionals." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical industrial/organizational psychologist tasks: "provide cognitive, behavioural and interpersonal interventions in weekly psychotherapy for chronic mental health clients in residential treatment facilities. "
Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for industrial/organizational psychologist responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of industrial/organizational psychologists all the time, as "psychologists need problem-solving skills to collect information, design research, evaluate programs, and find treatments or solutions to mental and behavioral problems." An excerpt from a real industrial/organizational psychologist resume shows how this skill is central to what an industrial/organizational psychologist does: "developed and implemented training program focusing on listening skills, professionalism, and conflict resolution. "
The three companies that hire the most industrial/organizational psychologists are:
- Alaka`ina Foundation Family Of Companies4 industrial/organizational psychologists jobs
- Challenger School2 industrial/organizational psychologists jobs
- Chenega1 industrial/organizational psychologists jobs
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Compare different industrial/organizational psychologists
Industrial/organizational psychologist vs. Manager, personnel selection
Sales managers are responsible for leading the organization's sales team. They oversee the progress and performance of the whole team, set area assignments to team members, and set weekly or monthly quotas. Sales managers oversee training team members during onboarding and providing further coaching to help them achieve their goals. They manage the challenges that team members may meet and help mitigate any problems that come along the way. Sales managers also set the strategic direction of the sales team and follow through by ensuring that the team's activities are in line with the goals.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between industrial/organizational psychologists and manager, personnel selection. For instance, industrial/organizational psychologist responsibilities require skills such as "i-o," "organizational psychology," "statistical methods," and "action plan." Whereas a manager, personnel selection is skilled in "hr," "wms," "selection process," and "disciplinary actions." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Managers, personnel selection tend to reach similar levels of education than industrial/organizational psychologists. In fact, managers, personnel selection are 2.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 16.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Industrial/organizational psychologist vs. Testing projects administrator
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, industrial/organizational psychologist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "i-o," "organizational psychology," "statistical methods," and "action plan." Meanwhile, a testing projects administrator has duties that require skills in areas such as "regression," "windows," "software defects," and "test cases." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Testing projects administrators tend to reach similar levels of education than industrial/organizational psychologists. In fact, they're 3.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 16.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for industrial/organizational psychologists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Jim Sliwinski Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology, Defiance College
Industrial/organizational psychologist vs. Senior behavioral scientist
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an industrial/organizational psychologist is likely to be skilled in "i-o," "organizational psychology," "statistical methods," and "action plan," while a typical senior behavioral scientist is skilled in "r," "patient care," "treatment planning," and "discharge planning."
Senior behavioral scientists typically earn higher educational levels compared to industrial/organizational psychologists. Specifically, they're 7.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 13.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Industrial/organizational psychologist vs. Psychologist
Types of industrial/organizational psychologist
Updated January 8, 2025
