A career in personnel research can be very rewarding for those interested in studying human behavior and performance in the workplace. Personnel researchers use scientific methods to improve recruiting, hiring, training, and retention practices. They help organizations attract and retain the best employees. If you are considering a career in this field, here is what you can expect.
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Required Education
To become a personnel researcher, you will need an advanced degree in industrial-organizational psychology or a related field like human resources. Most positions require a master’s degree or PhD. Common graduate programs include industrial-organizational psychology, human resources management, and applied psychology. These programs provide training in areas like statistics, research methods, psychometrics, and personnel psychology.
Salary
With an industrial organizational psychology degree salary will be strong. According to salary data, those with a bachelor’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology or a related field have a median salary of around $58,000. However, starting salaries are often lower, around $42,000, and seasoned professionals with many years of experience can make over $87,000. Individuals who obtain a master’s degree see a boost in income, with median salaries around $76,000 and starting salaries around $58,000. With decades of experience under their belt, some personnel research professionals earn salaries surpassing $120,000. In general, the earning potential in this career field correlates with education level and time spent gathering expertise.
Job Duties
As a personnel researcher, your primary duties will involve conducting studies on various aspects of workplace behavior and job performance. This may include studying the effectiveness of different recruitment sources and selection tools, evaluating training programs, analyzing employee turnover, surveying job satisfaction, assessing leadership styles, and recommending improvements to HR practices. The goal is to gather data that will help organizations hire, motivate, and retain talented employees.
Day-to-Day Work Environment
Personnel researchers divide their time between offices and fieldwork. When in the office, they spend time designing surveys, compiling data, performing statistical analyses with software programs, and writing reports. Fieldwork may involve observing operations, conducting interviews, distributing surveys, and gathering data directly from employees in their work settings. Researchers may also attend conferences to present findings and network with other professionals.
Advancement Prospects
With experience, personnel researchers may be promoted to lead researcher, research manager, or director of human resources. Some pursue teaching positions at colleges and universities. Others branch into related areas like statistical analysis, psychometrics, or organizational development consulting. Obtaining a PhD opens up more opportunities for advancement into leadership and consulting roles.
Key Skills
To succeed in this career, you need strong research skills, expertise with statistical analysis, and excellent writing ability. Strong communication and presentation abilities are also beneficial when reporting findings to organizations. Critical thinking helps in interpreting results and making data-driven recommendations. Good judgment and ethics are crucial when conducting research with human participants. Patience is required when performing detailed analytical work.
Benefits of the Career
Besides the attractive salary potential, a career as a personnel researcher offers the reward of seeing your work contribute directly to the organization’s success. The research provides insights that help improve employee performance, well-being, and retention. For those interested in studying human behavior, it provides an outlet to apply psychological principles in a practical setting. The field also provides variation, as you take on new research projects on a regular basis. Overall, if you are interested in combining social science research with real-world application in the workplace, personnel research could be a fulfilling career path.
