Workplace psychologists help firms develop ways to improve behavior

DALLAS -- Planting one foot in academics and another in business, Joel Philo balances between both.

A workplace psychologist, he's selection and insights manager at Frito-Lay North America in Plano, Texas. And he belongs to the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

This relatively small field has enjoyed steady growth the last few years as more employers implement hiring practices, training programs, and feedback systems that can improve behavior and attitudes. Workplace psychologists are being recruited to shepherd the process.

Fueling this demand is burgeoning interest in pre-employment testing, executive coaching, and worker satisfaction, said Philo, 30, who earned bachelor's and doctoral degrees in psychology.

''As talent becomes scarcer than capital, identifying, developing, and retaining that talent becomes a top priority," he said.

''People in my field are specialists in such talent management and can use our knowledge of statistics, proper research design, and psychology -- especially around motivation, individual differences, leadership, and social psychology -- to contribute verifiable value to the bottom line."

Workplace psychologists facilitate many tasks, including promotion, computer-based learning and team design.

They also guide organizations in mergers and acquisitions, human resource management, and statistical analysis.

All this is based on scientific principles, not speculation, said Mark C. Frame, 34, assistant professor and director of industrial and organizational psychology at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Many major retailers, technology firms, airlines, and production companies hire in-house help. Smaller organizations also rely on these consultants to stay in the game, Frame said.

''Employees who are satisfied, challenged, and rewarded don't tend to quit and go to work for the competition," he said. ''Workers who are productive and efficient tend to be more profitable.

''Matching the right person to the right job can often lead to better customer service and organizational commitment. And an organization's fortunes may rest on hiring a leader with integrity and ethics."

Much of an industrial and organizational psychologist's role focuses on being a problem solver.

Often, though, the biggest challenge lies in identifying the problem in the first place, Frame said.

''We know how to go into an organization, diagnose a problem and study it scientifically so that the ultimate solution is based on data and not short-term, superficial analysis," said Wendy S. Becker, who heads the visibility committee of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

One of her projects involves crime labs. While technology such as DNA testing and fingerprint databases can help solve more crimes quickly, these labs are hampered by their inability to attract, develop, and retain forensic scientists, said Becker, an assistant professor of management at the State University of New York at Albany.

''There is a national case backlog -- crimes not being solved -- because of the need for trained employees," she said.

To assist labs in getting over these humps, Becker documents employee issues, creates surveys, and designs performance measures. She also aids labs with accreditation.

At the entry level, median salaries were $47,177 for master's degree holders and $66,888 for PhD recipients.

The field is slowly growing as more employers recognize the need for workplace psychologists.

The group's membership has increased to 6,690 this year from 6,219 in 2001-2002.

Industrial and organizational psychology has greatly influenced the workplace, said David Nershi, the society's executive director.

''The success of any organization is the result of employee performance and practices, and I-O psychologists have developed methods and techniques to optimize performance," he said.