Importance of Psychology in Human Resources Management
Human resource management (HRM) is the science of managing many employees, including managerial staff, trainees, and specialists. HRM involves effectively addressing and managing the human resource needs of a country.
HR specialists are responsible for recruitment and selection, training, professional development, motivation, productivity, employee retention, and much more.
They also oversee employee salaries, health and welfare, on-the-job safety, mental well-being, and communication. HR departments are ensuring compliance with employment laws and regulations.
Essentially, HRM is the management of human personnel, which is why it is deeply grounded in psychological principles.
After all, what is psychology except the study of the human mind? Keep reading to learn more about the role of a psychologist in managing an organization’s human resources.
Defining an Organizational Culture
In recent years, the demand for organizational psychologists has increased tenfold. Humans are the most significant resource that allows organizations to achieve their growth and profitability ambitions—psychologists aid organizations in hiring skilled and efficient personnel and establishing a healthy organizational culture.
Psychologists work closely with HR specialists to create well-defined eligibility criteria and an organizational hierarchy to manage employees and teams effectively.
A psychologist works to create an organizational culture that is well-aligned with the goals and objectives. Psychological practices promote higher motivation, employee safety, mental well-being, and enhanced productivity levels.
Organizational psychologists enjoy superior financial security and job stability. If you’re already working in HRM, you can expand your career advancement opportunities by pursuing psychological training and credentials.
While switching careers may seem like a bold move, you can search for a bachelor of arts in psychology online. You can expand your skillset and boost your marketability by combing your HR specialization with a degree in organizational psychology.
Managing Human Resources
The discipline of human resource management is described by psychological research and theories on human motivation, professional ambitions, and growth.
HR practices have evolved and improved with the advancement of human psychology theories and practices. The science of management works closely with psychology to coordinate resources efficiently and effectively.
All human activities involve an interplay of psychological principles because humans reflect their psychological traits in all settings and activities.
HRM affect by the mentality, motivational drivers, cognitive capacity, and professional aptitude of each individual. HRM is the psychology of managing human activity and behavior to improve an organization’s human resource productivity.
Naturally, a psychologist plays an instrumental role in defining and implementing effective HRM strategies. Organizations hire psychologists to conduct research, ensure effective personnel selection, employee motivation, and retention.
If you’re aspiring for career advancement in organizational psychology, pursuing an online human resources degree is a highly strategic career move. It will enhance your marketability by cementing your skills as an HR specialist and organizational psychologist.
Let’s take a closer look at the responsibilities of a psychologist within an HR department.
1. Employee Recruitment & Selection
Recruitment and selection are a necessary process conducted by the HR department, including candidate evaluation, interviews, and psychological observations.
Psychologists design well-defined and efficient selection processes to hire promising candidates and fulfill human resource needs.
Psychologists also evaluate candidates’ cognitive, behavioral, and social traits by examining their resumes and during interviews. They observe verbal and non-verbal behavior to assess the confidence and social skills of each candidate.
Psychologists conduct psychometric tests and evaluations to understand each candidate’s cognitive abilities, personality traits, and logical reasoning.
These processes require psychological understanding to ensure that all psychometric tools are valid, reliable, and standardized.
2. Enhancing Performance & Efficiency
Organizations rely on psychologists to evaluate employee performance and conduct observations to address inefficiency. Productivity is integral to ensuring profitability, and psychologists design team-building exercises and practices to boost productivity.
They work closely with HR professionals to enhance team productivity and help each employee actualize his/her potential. They deploy various performance management tools and tactics to eliminate wastage and drive productivity.
3. Motivation
Motivating employees is instrumental in aligning their goals and ambitions with the objectives of an organization.
Demotivated employees are unproductive and inefficient, and their lack of ambition undermines the overall productivity potential. Lack of motivation and encouragement is directly associated with employee absenteeism and turnover.
An organization is likely to lose skilled professionals if it fails to create a nurturing environment that motivates employees.
Psychologists help organizations inculcate the desire for professional growth and development in their employees. They create reward systems and mechanisms to boost motivation levels and job satisfaction.
Conclusion
Psychologists play an active role in creating a healthy and inclusive work environment that rewards and motivates employees. They observe employee productivity levels to identify issues and address them promptly to prevent productivity lapses.
Organizational psychologists promote healthy and productive interpersonal relationships to avoid communication gaps.
They introduce reward mechanisms and intrinsic drivers to boost employee potential and serve organizational goals. The ultimate goal is to promote productivity by maintaining a healthy organizational culture that is considerate of employee needs.
Psychologists work to reduce employee turnover and absenteeism levels to ensure efficient management of human resources.
Organizational psychologists work to promote an organizational environment that encourages employees to actualize their true potential.
They examine employees’ mental well-being, identify signs of demotivation or mental distress, and help employees overcome these issues.
They assist the executive leadership in creating a nurturing, motivating, and inclusive workplace to promote diversity and harmony.
