Importance of Organizational Psychology - Essay Example

Organizational Psychology ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY Introduction Majority of international and domestic companies both in the public and private sector today rely on employment assessments, such as personality and aptitude tests, as an effective way to ensure the people they hire are a match for the position applied for. Such assessments are important in telling the recruiter things that they need to know, rather than only what the prospective employee wants to share with them (Zedeck, 2011). A key challenge in employment assessments is to make sure that the test measures the true characteristics and capabilities of the applicant, especially as stress and other pressures could influence the test scores of the job applicant. Establishments normally use employment assessments to screen prospective employees from a list of applicants, usually prior to conducting a formal interview. This will enable the hiring manager to identify applicants who have limited knowledge or undesirable qualities of their specific job (McKenna, 2012). Because the hiring process costs a lot of business funds in salary and benefits, training, office equipment, and expenses, employment tests aid managers in determining the best fit for their job requirements. This paper will identify the best employment assessments for a clinical case coordinator at Moving Minds Psychological Management and Rehabilitation. Cognitive Ability Tests One of the employment assessments that can be used to identify the best applicants for the job is the cognitive ability test, which uses problems or questions to measure the applicants’ ability to learn quickly, reason, use logic, and conduct other enduring mental tasks that are critical to their success in the job (Argyris, 2012). This test assesses the prospective employee’s aptitude, as well as their potential to solve problems related to the job, particularly through provision of information regarding their mental abilities. The current job requires that the employee is able to learn quickly, which is one of the aspects that the cognitive ability tests for. For instance, cognitive tests are known to produce valid inferences for the applicant’s success in training, which will be required in the current job. The inability of the prospective employee to influence the results of the assessment using fake responses or impressing the manager will help in ensuring that only employees who are able to work in the demanding environment, which requires logical, reasoning and learning on the job, are selected (Argyris, 2012). Wood and Wood (2011) describe the cognitive aptitude test as the most accurate predictor of performance on the job, especially as they assess the qualities that are most critical to middle level jobs, of which the current job description identifies the applicants will be employed into. The job requires that the prospective employee must have skills and capabilities in critical thinking, problem-solving for patients and their families, attention to detail in order to contain and manage distressed patients, and the ability to learn and apply new information. All these capabilities are tested for by cognitive ability tests. The candidate who scores well on the cognitive ability test will be more successful in making better decisions when part of a dynamic team, especially if he/she is to take up a leadership position on the team. In addition, this candidate will be more likely to complete training successfully, as well as be better equipped to evolve, adapt, and learn new skills in a dynamic work environment (Wood & Wood, 2011). This will ensure that the candidate is motivated enough to develop and learn clinical skills in psychology, which is a critical requirement for the job. The cognitive ability test is composed of questions that relate to three distinct areas of the individual applicant’s thinking capacity, which are their ability to make sense of different imaging and puzzles, ability to process mathematical problems or calculations, and ability to absorb information (Byron, 2011). The observational capabilities of the applicant will also come into question during completion of the cognitive test, which will be of special assistance to Opening Minds as the applicant will be required to observe individual patients to identify their cause of distress and to reassure them. The applicant will also be required to go through a lot of data as the job will be phone-based, meaning that the test for the applicant’s ability to absorb information will be especially important. High cognitive functioning will separate the best applicant for the job from the rest, particularly with regards to the applicant’s ability to think rationally and logically when confronted by a distressed patient, as well as their ability to reason so as to identify the best way to reassure these patients (Byron, 2011). In addition, cognitive ability testing will provide essential insight into the candidate’s ability to calculate cause and effect in the psychological setting, as well as their ability to communicate. There are several customized battery tests to test specific areas of the participant’s cognitive ability, which are drawn from emotional, spatial, mechanical, numerical, verbal, and conceptual/abstract reasoning cognitive aptitude types (Woody & Robertson, 2011). In relation to conceptual/abstract reasoning assessments, Opening Minds will be able to focus primarily on the fluid intelligence of the applicants, especially with regards to their ability to accurately and learn complex information required in the processes of problem solving needed in the current job. An abstract reasoning test, for example, reduces the assessment process’ emphasis on the candidate’s verbal ability, instead testing their understanding of abstract ideas that could be a common occurrence when working with distressed individuals. Verbal reasoning cognitive tests, on the other hand, will be focused on the candidate’s ability to communicate and pay attention to concepts related to the job verbally (Woody & Robertson, 2011). This will be important to ascertain in the applicant because the job is phone based and requires them to communicate verbally on the phone with patients and their families. This test will be of special use in assessing the candidate’s effectiveness in understanding written ideas and constructing accurate conclusions to communicate via the telephone in a reassuring manner (Černe et al, 2012). However, probably the most important area for this job that the cognitive assessment will test for is the candidate’s emotional intelligence reasoning capabilities. It will be essential to assess the candidate’s ability to handle the emotional elements in their job (Černe et al, 2012), especially with regards to their work with distressed individuals who can be difficult to understand and offer information to, as well as their requirement to work in a team. Job Knowledge Tests Job knowledge tests will also be of great importance in assessing candidates applying for the PWP/PCC job, especially as they evaluate the professional or technical knowledge and expertise needed for specific professions or jobs and has been shown to produce valid inferences for job performance outcomes (Spector, 2012). Job knowledge tests will serve as a useful mechanism for Opening Minds to evaluate candidates for their knowledge concerning the job they are applying for, particularly in the assessment of employee-job fit. In this case, the job description requires that the applicants have a Master’s degree in Psychology, which will act as the professional qualifications of the applicant. It is evident from the job description that the applicant must have knowledge in clinical psychology, which the job knowledge test will help the hiring manager to determine the level of the applicant’s understanding of their job in working with people suffering from mental and physical disabilities. In addition, the job description also says that successful applicant may have their contract extended after one year, in which the job knowledge test will allow the hiring manager more information to make their decision at that time by comparing the job knowledge test at the end of the one year with that completed before employment (Spector, 2012). This will help in determining whether the employee has gained sufficient on-the-job knowledge. The most common use for job knowledge assessments is to accurately and efficiently test the applicant’s level of mission-critical knowledge that they require in successfully satisfying essential job position requirements (Fernández, 2011). This type of test is also adopted by organizations like Opening Minds as a critical part of ongoing coaching and development programs. In this case, Opening Minds is looking for an applicant who will undergo ongoing training to gain skills in clinical psychology, meaning that the applicants should be eager to develop clinical psychology skills. Job knowledge testing is also critical for job positions that involve direct contact with clients or patients because these jobs are important for Opening Minds to satisfy their clients and their families. Job knowledge assessments are executed to gauge the skills and progression of the applicant/employee, as well as the skills that they need to implement in order to increase their proficiency (Lepak, 2012). Therefore, this assessment will enable Opening Minds to identify areas that successful applicants require to improve, in turn informing their training programs for the applicant and the areas it should most focus on. As stated, these tests can be used in the event that the successful applicant wants to extend their contract. Since the job description requires that the applicant at least have some working experience prior to joining Opening Minds, the job knowledge assessment will be ideal for ensuring that this is the case for the successful applicants. Job knowledge tests analyze the different skills that the applicant possesses, as well as those skills that they acquired over years of training or employment (Ryan, 2012). In this case, the skills required to have been acquired will be of a technical nature with regards to knowledge of working with people in physical or mental distress. The job knowledge assessment should be of help to the hiring manager at Opening Minds as they can scrutinize specific qualities like inter-disciplinary awareness. This is an especially important skill as the applicant will be required to work with various disciplines, including employers, solicitors, IAPT, and insurance companies in both the NHS and the private sector. In addition, this assessment will also scrutinize qualities in the applicant’s ability to take authority of work they are involved in, leadership skills, and management of relationships (Ryan, 2012). Again, these are important qualities related to the current job’s requirement to work with various stakeholders and work in teams. The applicants should have skills in tackling risky situations where distressed people are involved, as well as maintaining healthy relationships with their co-employees (Landy & Conte, 2012), which are all skills assessed by the job knowledge test. Finally, the assessment also evaluates the applicant’s ability to conceptualize a plan to carry out swift action, ability to learn and grasp new concepts, effective communication to generate fast results, and involvement in extra-curricular activities held by the organization. These skills are going to be important at Opening Minds since the applicant must be able to relate well with the service user, his/her co-workers, and his/her employer. In addition, these tests will identify areas the applicant should work on, what they are best at, and the appropriate changes required to be effective and efficient in the job (Landy & Conte, 2012). They can then work to improve these skills in preparation for a promotion. Personality Tests Personality assessments have potentially useful qualities in selecting and recruiting personnel, including testing for the applicant’s effectiveness and leadership qualities in a team or group environment (Schaubroeck et al, 2012). The MMPI tool under personality tests is especially valid for clinical psychology settings, enabling the employer to identify applicants who understand potential disorders in mental health. However, it is important that Opening Mind’s hiring manager focus on personality testing that is designed for the purpose of the job, rather than providing information regarding the mental stability or health of the applicant, specifically as this would be illegal. An assessment of mental fitness and ability will be critical in ensuring that the applicant is able to understand and work with people suffering from mental instability. Opening Minds can reliably measure different personality traits that will impact on the job performance of the applicants, using personality testing. These personality traits will influence the types of work an applicant would be good at, as well as the job environments they would be most successful working in (Schaubroeck et al, 2012). Personality tests will enable Opening Minds to assess the applicant’s ability to work with others, especially since personality traits are important in evaluating how the applicant will interact with others by identifying applicants that are consultative, warm, and outgoing, as well as those that are independent, reserved, and quiet (Hart & Sheldon, 2011). Since the job requires that the successful applicants are able to work in multi-disciplinary environments, within teams, and have concern for others, this test will ensure that only applicants with consultative, warm, and outgoing traits are selected. Personality tests will also assess for the applicant’s energy and drive in the job environment by explaining how they set goals, work towards the achievement of these goals, and move forward with their job opportunities (Hart & Sheldon, 2011). As this job requires an ambitious and persistent employee, Opening Minds will be able to identify applicants who have organizational and time keeping skills that are essential for applicants to earn the trust of their colleagues both in their internal workplace teams and multi-disciplinary teams involving various stakeholders. Personality assessments will also shed light on the working style of the applicants, identifying their attention to detail, dependability, and desire for guidance and structure (Muchinsky, 2012). The current job at Opening Minds requires that the applicant is able to support and be supported by his/her co-workers, meaning it is important that they identify applicants who are able to work in structured environments and those who work best in flexible environments. Obviously, the current applicants will operate in a highly flexible environment that requires them to be dependable and follow the rules, while paying close attention to detail. Moreover, personality testing will also enable Opening Minds to select employees who are good at dealing with stress and pressures that come with such a dynamic and flexible environment (Muchinsky, 2012). Identifying applicants with high self-control levels, as well as those able to cope with multiple demands from different stakeholders at Opening Minds, will be a good pointer to those with the ability to work well in such a high pressure job. References Argyris, C. (2012). Organizational traps: Leadership, culture, organizational design. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Bryon, M. (2011). How to pass data interpretation tests: Unbeatable practice for numerical and quantitative reasoning and problem solving tests. London: Kogan Page. Černe, M., Jaklič, M., Škerlavaj, M., Ülgen, A. A., & Dönmez, P. D. (January 01, 2012). Organizational learning culture and innovativeness in Turkish firms. Journal of Management & Organization, 18, 193-219. Fernández, B. R. (2011). 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