Industrial psychology is responsible for improving quality, both business and personal.
What is it?
Industrial psychology is a type of psychology applied to companies to study, analyze and understand the behavior of people in the workplaceobserving how the company works and how employees work.
To carry out this study, a series of scientific methods are used, such as: qualitative and quantitative research. It is usually applied when the company is in a transition phase.
It seeks to enrich knowledge about all the factors that promote and affect processes at work. The goal is to increase the quality of work.
An industrial psychologist applies his psychological theory to the organization, rather than to an individual worker. He studies how bosses and workers interact in the workplace. Sometimes These psychologists are hired to help the company be more productive in the work environment.
What topics does it cover?
This psychology studies everything related to the behavior of people in the company. However, we point out the major topics that this branch of the science of applied psychology uses.
The topics covered may be in reference to these three groups:
- Analyze the work as simple and complex from a psychological point of view.
- How a person adapts to his work.
- How to adapt work to the worker.
He first group What he wants is analyze the work and determine the technical structure. It also looks at the social and personal structure of work, something that has the name: professionography.
In it second group The types of work structure have already been determined and what is done is study the person's adaptation methods in relation to their work. Furthermore, the goal is to assign the employee a job that matches his personality and behavior. This means that each person has a task and is suitable for it, thus enhancing his education.
In this way, it can be said that industrial psychology seeks guidance in the professional field, selecting suitable personnel and training workers in the best way taking into account industrial psychology.
In it third group The aspects related to work and personnel have already been defined, therefore, seeks to study and adapt the processes involved in the same workas well as other aspects related to the work environment.
Industrial psychology takes into account the way machines and tools, materials, environment, working time and relationships between people are adapted.
Try a free session
Cope with work-related stress with the professional help of a psychologist.
Make an appointment
Staff recruitment
In order to select staff, a recruitment of people interested in the job must first be carried out.
For this purpose, industrial psychology uses two types of description:
- Generic description: This reveals what the organization wants, what positions are available, and what needs to be done to get them.
- Specific description: The vacancy is analyzed, a list is created that includes the capabilities and requirements of the position, and the selection process begins.
This process uses methods such as an initial interview, tests, studies, general knowledge assessment, etc.
Staff selection
The most important thing is to evaluate each aspect in relation to the work environment and also to the staff.
When looking to hire someone you have to take into account everything related to the jobthe capabilities sought, etc.
After recruitment, you have to select, that is, determine which person is suitable for the job you are looking for. You must analyze the needs of the company and the skills of the people.
To carry out this selection, industrial psychology relies on different methods:
- Evidence
- Intelligence tests
Industrial psychology seeks to understand the worker
As we have already seen, industrial psychology tries to study mental processes to improve the work environment, from staff recruitment to an analysis of the work environment.
When you want to study behavior you have to separate it into three types of people according to their function: managers, workers and consumers. It should be noted that Each one looks for different things and has a different attitude.therefore, the study must be focused in a different way.
On the other hand, when studying a mental process that has to do with work, one must look at how the person adapts, how he or she performs his or her work and how he or she integrates with the rest of the employees.
Furthermore, it should be said that industrial psychology seeks Understanding worker attitudeshow their behavior develops depending on the work environment, how motivation or any other psychological condition that appears as a consequence of the work environment is influenced.
The current problem
Psychological problems are very common in our society. The problem is that you can't separate people's behavior in the workplace.
When people have problems of this type it can also be turn to industrial psychology for solutions. If the root problems are not addressed, dismissal will occur and the problems will continue to persist.
Processes and people's attitudes are factors that influence work, but Factors in the job itself also influence such as ventilation, lighting, bad smells…
People adapt to work and work must adapt to people.Yes, something that requires recognition of employees' skills.
When there is a work that requires complex or specific skillsIndustrial psychology recommends working with the worker so that he can adapt.
It must be said that people who work in industrial psychology have to be very thorough. It is a profession that requires all kinds of details. They have a great responsibility Because depending on what they say, the company will change its way of working, both managers and workers, that is, it affects the performance and the general result of a company or industry.