There’s a common misconception in life that everyone should merely suffer through work until retirement. That the third (or so) of our lives we spend in the office or sending emails is a trade-off for the other two thirds where we do the things that fill our cups – rest, exercise and pursue leisure.

 

It’s a relief, then, to learn this doesn’t have to be the case. With the right tools, the workplace itself can be a source of wellbeing and ease. From finding a fair work-life balance to helping employees feel more satisfied in their jobs, organisational psychology is a practice that aims to help people feel content and safe at work – and reap the cascading benefits that come from that.

Organisational psychology is the scientific study and application of psychological principles to organisations and the workplace. In other words, it’s the science of how people think and behave at work. Its primary purpose is to align the interests of a company with the needs of its employees, improving the quality of life and work conditions while optimising the business’s performance and efficiency.

 

This specialised field has become more applicable in the wake of the pandemic. As businesses embrace hybrid working models¹ and the very nature of work continues to evolve, it’s more important than ever to create an engaging company culture and avoid employee burnout.

 

My career path to becoming an organisational psychologist was non-linear. I was in elite sports for several years, so pursuing sports psychology seemed like a natural next step, but when I thought deeply about my experience in high-performance environments, I realised it wasn’t necessarily the sport element I enjoyed, but understanding how individuals and teams can thrive. At the same time, I experienced a few disengaging workplaces and thought, ‘surely, this can be better’. I was curious to figure out if – and how – my elite sport and behavioural expertise could be translated and applied to the workplace.

Organisational psychologists have a wide range of skills, knowledge and abilities that benefit both organisations and the people inside them. For businesses, this includes contributing expertise in areas like strategy, culture, coaching, and organisational change and development. It may involve helping to select the right candidate for a role, suggesting preventative and curative measures for topical issues, building a more harmonious workplace culture, and reducing the rate of employee turnover.

 

For employees, it can include leadership and talent development, competency frameworks, psychometric assessment, improving the soft skills of executives, and championing mental health in the workplace – all things that can improve the quality of an employee’s work life.

 

The ultimate idea is to empower each and every person within a company to have healthy, balanced personal and work lives, while building an organisational culture that increases productivity, engagement, and profitability.

Like all psychology, organisational psychology is really about self-awareness. When we understand our underlying work style traits, core values, and derailment risks, we can better manage our own behaviours and increase our workplace success.

 

There can be mental health impacts for individuals who lack the awareness and strategies to feel safe and well at work. Just consider the amount of time most of us spend in the office or on our emails. If we’re always miserable and counting down the hours until the day ends (or until we retire!), we’re going to feel that stress across the other two-thirds of our lives.

 

The good news is organisational psychology can help us engage with our workplaces in a healthier and happier way. By improving our mental health at work, we can improve our mental health across other areas of our lives.