Applying Organizational Psychology

The study of employees’ behavior within an organization is known as organizational psychology. It encompasses selection and recruitment, performance and employee relations between themselves and management. Osland et al (2007) observe that applicants who apply the principles of psychology wisely can easily get the jobs of their dreams. A company’s dilemma of finding the best employee inside or outside the organization can be solved by applying these principles as well. This paper addresses the recruitment and socialization issues within a company and the benefits that can be gained from the principles of organizational psychology.

The process of recruitment in an organization starts in the event of a vacancy that needs to be filled. A company’s strategic plan can project growth forecasts that can identify the need for new employees in the future. Retirements and promotions within an organization create vacancies that prompt a company to find new personnel. After gathering such information, an organization identifies the potential market where it can find recruits it needs. The urgency and training that a recruit goes through dictates the timeframe for selection and recruitment. To understand the duration that new employees take to settle, the hiring department may use previous research within the organization. This is the socialization process, which follows shortly after recruitment. If the period of socialization is long, the selection team will need to get the employees earlier in order to get acquainted with the organization before they start.

It is important for a company to consider its current workers in the selection process as this has many advantages compared to getting new employees. One of the advantages is that employees within the organization do not need to be trained, or socialized, unlike new recruits. On the other hand, companies need to be aware of the potential workers outside the organization. Finally, the organization should identify the best methods of reaching potential employees in case it chooses to recruit from outside.

Applicants who seek employment ought to conduct a SWOT analysis to establish how viable they are to the organization. These include their skills, professional qualifications, and values (Osland et al., 2007). They may also try to evaluate the company’s culture in relation to their beliefs. It is observed that most job seekers are likely to apply to organizations that match their personalities. In addition, applicants will seek information about an organization before sending their applications.

The hiring department can attract suitable applicants by making clear what particular skills and values they are looking for. Organizational psychology may aid in placing the information that relates to working hours, salary scale and job status. This discourages unqualified applicants and invites suitable ones. It is important for the recruitment team to identify applicants that match the work environment. If the department with a vacant position has postgraduate or aged workers only; for example, it is advisable to find a similar match in case the organization is comfortable with such personnel. The method used by an organization in informing the public of the vacancy should be transparent. This is because applicants judge the organization from the invitation and the interview to which they are subjected.

Organizational psychology assists the recruitment team in identifying applicants with values that match those of an organization. The information provided in the job postings, for example, must target skills and qualifications that elicit the values expected of an applicant (Brewer et al., 2013). Consequently, the recruitment process will not be discriminative to any applicant. Brewer et al (2013) observe that an effective recruitment process is one that targets at identifying hidden personality traits that affect the job performance of a worker either negatively or positively.

Organizational socialization is the adjustment process a recruit goes through to fit into the organization. Britt and Jex (2008) point out six stages that a recruit must go through to be absorbed into the organization’s culture. In the first stage, the new employee takes time to understand the history of the organization. It helps them to identify old employees and their contribution to the success of the organization. Britt and Jex (2008) rank language of communication as second explaining that each organization has its jargon. New employees will have to learn the language for more effective communication. In addition, recruits ought to understand the unspoken rules of an organization.

Britt and Jex (2008) identify good relations and interactions between the new employees and the old ones as the climax of socialization. The stage dictates the role of the recruit in the workforce. The organization’s goals and values must match those of the employee to be productive and efficient. This will also dictate the job satisfaction of the employee in their long-run service to their respective organizations.

Employee socialization can be informal or informal. The organization can have organized pieces of training geared toward orienting a new worker to the organization. This is possible if there are a number of new personnel. The informal approach may utilize a predecessor or role model approach where a single person who served in the same position earlier trains a new employee (Schein, 2003).

Organizational psychology plays a pivotal role in socializing people from different backgrounds in an effort to acquaint them with the values of an organization. Anderson et al (2001) observe that in most organizations, managers play the role of socializing their employees. This involves constant motivation through appraisal and keeps the workers informed. Psychological skills are also essential for the manager to identify the potential skill of an employee and utilize it accordingly. Organizational psychology is instrumental in correcting employees who work without using a prescribed manual, which may be detrimental to some of the employees (Noordegraaf, 2011).

Many new employees may undergo stressful periods when trying to fit into a new organization’s culture. An old employee may find it hard to adjust to a new position following a promotion or demotion. Organizational psychology assists the departments charged with the responsibility of recruitment and socialization to identify stressed employees and intervene (Noordegraaf, 2011). Principles of organizational psychology advise that stress can be reduced and productivity increased by offering employees a variety of tasks. Levels of burnouts can also be reduced by employing this approach. A manager who finds time to interact with employees can identify the needs and problems of the employee.

Involving employees in decision-making is the last step of socializing them psychologically. This enables them to work towards a common goal as a team. Allowing employees to set their sales targets makes them work under minimal supervision. Organizational psychology primarily focuses on a worker’s personality and dignity with the aim of empowering them to serve the organization as it is expected.