Week 22 - Occupational Psychology Flashcards
What is occupational psychology?
Study of people and their behaviours at work, and of the organisations in which people work
What are the BPS key areas of practice for occupational psychologists?
Design of work environments Personnel selection and assessment Performance appraisal and career development Training Employee relations and motivation Organisational development and change Human-machine interaction Counselling and personal development
Why is psychology used in selection processes?
Helps to get the best people for the job
Chooses people who will be more satisfied and committed
What do psychologists do in selection processes?
Design processes that encourage fit
Match individuals to organisational environments
What are the problems with ‘fit’ in selection?
Different types of fit - values, needs/skills, organisational cultur/climate, team, person-job fit
A person might fit the job but not the team
Why are psychometrics used in selection tools?
Reliable - consistent, candidates get asked the same questions that measure the same things
Validity - the measure predicts job performance
What is the process for best practice selection design?
Job analysis - identify selection criteria - choose/design selection tools - selection - evaluate selection process
Why is job analysis important for selection?
It identifies the specifics of a job enabling the selection process to be accurate in what it measures
What are KSAs?
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
What is a competency model?
List of competencies for the job, each has a positive and negative indicator
