What Do Personnel Psychologists Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for personnel psychologists?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what personnel psychologists do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
Personnel Psychologists Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about personnel psychologists by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Personnel Psychologists apply principles of psychology to human resources, administration, management, sales, and marketing problems. Activities may include policy planning; employee testing and selection, training, and development; and organizational development and analysis. May work with management to organize the work setting to improve worker productivity.
Popular Job Titles For Personnel Psychologists
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- Organizational Development Managers
- Organizational Development Specialists
- Directors of Organizational Development
- Organizational Development Consultants
- Learning and Organizational Development Managers
- Directors of Organizational Effectiveness
- Operational Effectiveness Directors
- Organizational Effectiveness Managers
- Organizational Development Analysts
- Learning and Organizational Development Specialists
- Directors of Learning and Organizational Development
- Organizational Development and Training Specialists
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for personnel psychologists can be found.
Best Industries for Personnel Psychologists
Personnel Psychologists Jobs By Industry
- Scientific Research and Development Services: 33.8%
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services: 22.6%
- Education and Hospitals (State Government): 13.3%
- State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 8%
- Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 6.3%
- Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 5.2%
- Other: 10.8%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of personnel psychologists can be found working in the Scientific Research and Development Services sector. In 2022, about 33.8% of all jobs for personnel psychologists were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (22.6%), Education and Hospitals (State Government) (13.3%), State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals (8%), Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals (6.3%) and Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (5.2%).
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What Do Personnel Psychologists Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what personnel psychologists do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work personnel psychologists do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that personnel psychologists tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for personnel psychologists, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Personnel Psychologists
Based on 3,918 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Personnel Psychologists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Organizational Development | 2,446 | 62% |
| Project Management | 1,250 | 32% |
| Change Management | 1,216 | 31% |
| Talent Management | 826 | 21% |
| Performance Management | 822 | 21% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Personnel Psychologists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership | 2,282 | 58% |
| Communications | 2,168 | 55% |
| Management | 1,846 | 47% |
| Planning | 1,077 | 27% |
| Coaching | 1,056 | 27% |
Based on 3,918 job postings related to personnel psychologists, organizational development was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 62% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for project management, change management, talent management, performance management and organizational effectiveness were also highly sought.
As for common skills, leadership was the most desired skill found in job postings for personnel psychologists, followed by communications, management, planning, coaching and presentations.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Organizational Development | 2,446 | 62% |
| Project Management | 1,250 | 32% |
| Change Management | 1,216 | 31% |
| Talent Management | 826 | 21% |
| Performance Management | 822 | 21% |
| Organizational Effectiveness | 770 | 20% |
| Psychology | 697 | 18% |
| Succession Planning | 567 | 14% |
| Learning Management Systems | 561 | 14% |
| Organizational Change Management | 514 | 13% |
| Organizational Architecture | 511 | 13% |
| Employee Engagement | 493 | 13% |
| Instructional Design | 469 | 12% |
| Industrial And Organizational Psychology | 463 | 12% |
| Business Strategies | 453 | 12% |
| Adult Education | 449 | 11% |
| Data Analysis | 430 | 11% |
| Process Improvement | 425 | 11% |
| Organizational Leadership | 423 | 11% |
| Surveys | 356 | 9% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership | 2,282 | 58% |
| Communications | 2,168 | 55% |
| Management | 1,846 | 47% |
| Planning | 1,077 | 27% |
| Coaching | 1,056 | 27% |
| Presentations | 1,022 | 26% |
| Leadership Development | 980 | 25% |
| Consulting | 978 | 25% |
| Writing | 960 | 25% |
| Training And Development | 920 | 23% |
| Influencing Skills | 854 | 22% |
| Research | 825 | 21% |
| Innovation | 785 | 20% |
| Problem Solving | 779 | 20% |
| Customer Service | 731 | 19% |
| Microsoft Excel | 691 | 18% |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 690 | 18% |
| Operations | 690 | 18% |
| Microsoft Office | 688 | 18% |
| Coordinating | 617 | 16% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for Personnel Psychologists
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Organizational Development Managers | 1,718 | 23% |
| Organizational Development Specialists | 1,079 | 14.5% |
| Directors of Organizational Development | 661 | 8.9% |
| Organizational Development Consultants | 751 | 10.1% |
| Learning and Organizational Development Managers | 639 | 8.6% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2021 and August 2022, the top job sought by employers was organizational development managers, with 514 unique job postings. Organizational development specialists were second, with 294 postings, followed by directors of organizational development, organizational development consultants and learning and organizational development managers.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to personnel psychologists.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Organizational Development Managers | 1,718 | 23% |
| Organizational Development Specialists | 1,079 | 14.5% |
| Directors of Organizational Development | 661 | 8.9% |
| Organizational Development Consultants | 751 | 10.1% |
| Learning and Organizational Development Managers | 639 | 8.6% |
| Directors of Organizational Effectiveness | 308 | 4.1% |
| Operational Effectiveness Directors | 181 | 2.4% |
| Organizational Effectiveness Managers | 241 | 3.2% |
| Organizational Development Analysts | 179 | 2.4% |
| Learning and Organizational Development Specialists | 232 | 3.1% |
| Directors of Learning and Organizational Development | 236 | 3.2% |
| Organizational Development and Training Specialists | 228 | 3.1% |
| Industrial/Organizational Psychologists | 103 | 1.4% |
| Psychologists | 301 | 4% |
| Leadership and Organizational Development Consultants | 230 | 3.1% |
| Human Resources Organizational Development Consultants | 74 | 1% |
| Innovation Leads | 55 | 0.7% |
| Customer Satisfaction Analysts | 101 | 1.4% |
| Consulting Psychologists | 68 | 0.9% |
| Workplace Managers | 80 | 1.1% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for personnel psychologists? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for personnel psychologists.
How much do personnel psychologists make?
Personnel Psychologists: How do you become one?
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