What types of organisations use occupational psychology?

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.