Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Occupational psychology is concerned with the psychology of work. The profession aims to apply the science of psychology to work (and sometimes non-work) in order to promote the well-being and functionality of people and organisations.

Occupational Psychologists do many different things, and many of them specialise in particular areas of the profession. For example, some Occupational Psychologists work at the individual level, coaching people to improve their performance at work, whilst others may work at the macro-level, focusing on organisational strategy and how companies can structure themselves to best harness the skills of their people. In between these extremes are psychologists who specialise in all aspects of the employee life cycle, from selection through training, leadership, performance management, employee well-being, and redundancy. Another area that is encompassed by the profession is workplace and equipment design, where the psychologist seeks to optimise the relationship between people and their environment at work.

There are currently around 3,200 Occupational Psychologists in membership of the British Psychological Society, Division of Occupational Psychology, which includes just over 1300 Chartered Occupational Psychologists and around 950 Practitioners in Training.

Psychologists who have completed their training are referred to as ‘Chartered Occupational Psychologists’. You can check whether someone is chartered on the ‘Register of Chartered Psychologists, which is available on the BPS website (www.bps.org.uk). You may also come across individuals who are known as ‘Practitioners in Training’. These people have completed part of their training, but are working under the supervision of a Chartered Occupational Psychologist. Please note that there are other types of Chartered Psychologists - Educational, Clinical and Forensic. Whilst these individuals are qualified in their own areas and can legitimately apply their skills elsewhere, they may not always have specific experience of work-related issues, so check their individual experience.

Many types of organisations currently use occupational psychology. The public sector has a long history of applying psychological principles. For example, the Ministry of Defence employed psychologists in the 1950’s to help them select the best people for jobs. All government departments employ Occupational Psychologists to advise them on ‘people issues’. In the private sector, most large blue-chip companies have long recognised the value of using occupational psychologists to enhance their businesses, although recognition varies in different sectors. Small and medium-sized enterprises have typically used occupational psychology less, mainly to do with the perceived cost of employing such expertise, but there are now several Occupational Psychologists who specialise in working with this sector.

There are now many scientific studies that have shown the link between various ‘people’ variables and the financial bottom-line. For example, a study conducted by Aston Business School demonstrated that those companies who had adopted best practice in human resources performed better than those who did not.

Occupational Psychologists have access to the latest evidence in all areas related to people and their performance, so they are best placed to know whether an intervention will really make a difference to performance, and ultimately to the bottom-line.

You can access a comprehensive database of qualified individual practitioners on this site. Simply go to ‘Find Consultants’ and start your search there.

By their inclusion on the database How do I find a qualified Occupational Psychologist.

You should start by getting in touch directly with the individuals and organisations featured on this site to talk about the needs of your organisation. Try to match closely the practice areas and location of potential suppliers with your specific requirements before contacting them.