It is an all-too-common occurrence that we hear of. You or someone you know starts a job they are excited about, only to leave a short time later due to the poor working environment. This can mean different things to everyone, whether it be a bad boss, stressful work, or dull company culture. This happens at too many companies, and it also leads to issues for the employer. These pain points can include high turnover, poor employee performance, and the need to pay above-market salaries to fill open positions.
It is frustrating to know that all this agony can be avoided if employers take the time to understand what their employees are looking for in a job. Do people value work-life balance or higher salaries? Remote or on-site work environment? Skype or Teams? These are all questions that should start being asked by leadership teams at companies everywhere, as the answers can truly benefit everyone. Lucky for all of us, there is a specific area in the psychology field that can provide clarity into these issues and identify ways to improve working environments. That study is referred to as work and organizational psychology.
What is work and organizational psychology?
Work and organizational psychology studies how people behave within organizations and how organizations can create a healthy and productive work environment for their employees. It is an important field because it helps organizations understand and address issues related to employee performance, motivation, leadership, communication, and well-being:
Motivation: Work and organizational psychologists study how to motivate employees and improve their performance. This can include understanding what drives an individual’s behavior and how to create an environment that supports and encourages productivity.
Leadership: Work and organizational psychologists study how to develop effective leaders and how leadership styles can impact an organization.
Communication: Work and organizational psychologists study how to improve communication within an organization and how to convey information to employees effectively.
Employee well-being: Work and organizational psychologists study how to create a healthy and positive work environment that supports the well-being of employees. This can include addressing issues such as stress, burnout, and work-life balance.
Workplace diversity: Work and organizational psychologists study how to create a diverse and inclusive work environment and manage diversity effectively within an organization.
By understanding and addressing these issues, organizations can increase productivity, improve employee satisfaction and retention, and ultimately achieve their goals. Additionally, work and organizational psychology also helps individuals to better understand and navigate the complexities of the modern work environment and to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their careers, with the guidance of experienced CFHP Brisbane psychologists.
How can we implement work and organizational psychology into our business?
The first step is to get the right leadership members in place who can oversee such an undertaking. No matter how large or small the organization, it takes a lot of work to have everyone buy into something like work and organizational psychology. Just like any technology implementation, people will understandably raise questions and concerns. Do we really need this? Is it worth all the time, money, and effort? How will this help our business? The list goes on, so to ensure this approach is adopted throughout the entire organization, it is crucial to have people in the building who can explain everything and address any potential concerns that others will inevitably have.
Unfortunately, people with this knowledge do not fall off trees, so the corporate world is always looking for anyone who can help them improve their human resources and culture. If work and organizational psychology sounds like something you would be passionate about, perhaps pursuing your doctor of business administration online would be a worthwhile career move! This program offers a wide variety of specialized areas to focus on, including work and organizational psychology. In tandem with learning from a globally recognized business program, you can ensure that you are receiving an extremely high-quality education, regardless of what you are passionate about.
Once your organization has the right people in the door, where do you go from there? A sound approach would be to turn inward and gain the perspective of your employees. They are what makes everything go and are the ones who directly impact how successful your business is year after year. You want employees who enjoy their job and like working for your organization. If they are happy, your customers are happy, which ultimately makes you very happy.
What do we want to know, though? There are so many ways to go. Some logical questions could be asked that center around the day-to-day of their roles. Are they happy with the work? Is it boring, stressful, or tedious? If they have a commute, do they mind it? If they work from home, do they miss the interactions with coworkers? Once you have a good understanding of how your employees feel on an average day of work, you can start asking more macro-level questions. Are you happy with your compensation package? Are you happy with the benefits package? Do you feel that your work is meaningful? Is there a clear career trajectory for you? These are all areas that should be focused on because they play a huge role in how satisfied your employees are. Money and career status are huge motivators, as many people want to make a lot of money and be the boss. While this is a very important area to address, working conditions and feelings towards work should not be pushed aside. At the end of the day, people just want to be happy. Given that most of us work for a decent portion of our lives, the time we spend doing our profession certainly plays a huge role in one’s happiness.
By studying these and other topics, work and organizational psychologists help organizations to create a positive and productive work environment and to achieve their goals. They also help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their careers.
