Life has changed dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic. For more than a year, people were locked in their homes, causing significant changes in their daily lives, psychological state and work habits. The pandemic has disrupted supply chains, made travel difficult and made communication via the Internet the ubiquitous norm. Now that society is slowly returning to normal, people are facing new challenges and issues about how to adapt and move on.
To find answers to these questions, we turned to one of the most influential psychologists of our time. Recognised as “one of the most influential psychologists of our time”, pioneer and thought leader Professor Peter Saville is one of the most respected psychologists in the field of business psychology. His life’s work is recruiting the right people for the right jobs. In the field of psychology, few names stand out like Professor Saville’s.
His unique approach sets him apart from his colleagues. Not content to be a mere theorist, he is a practitioner who is passionate about applying his research to the real world. He advises, communicates and collaborates with companies around the world.
When asked about the possibility of a return to the pre-COVID-19 days, Peter Saville gave a sobering answer. “It’s no longer possible,” he said. “We need to prepare for a future in which global disruptions become a regular occurrence.” He went on to explain that COVID-19 had highlighted the global problem of employee selection, and how this will affect all levels of society.
Professor’s practical experience in business and academia makes his conclusions particularly valuable. He began his career in psychology in 1970 when he joined the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), where his unique combination of academic and business acumen caught the attention of Director Professor Stephen Wiseman. Professor Saville’s most notable achievement was the creation of the original Occupational Personality Questionnaires (OPQs) in 1984, which are now used in more than 80 countries and available in more than 60 languages. More than 50 million of his tests and questionnaires are used each year to improve the selection, development and well-being of people in the workplace.
Peter Saville stressed that the shift to remote working is a major challenge for businesses. “People have quickly adapted to living, working and communicating online and it will be difficult to bring them back into a traditional office environment.” He said the shift had already caused significant waves of redundancies, with many employees feeling resentful towards their employers. However, those who have remained in their jobs have become even more valuable, and it is important for managers to proactively identify those who may become disengaged or a potential threat to the business.
According to the Professor, one of the biggest challenges for companies in the post-COVID-19 era is recruiting the right people. I asked Saville what advice he would give to people in such circumstances.
“For employees, my advice would be to be more versatile and to constantly develop your skills. It’s important to look beyond narrow specialisation and prepare for the fact that new skills may be needed in the future in a rapidly changing economy. After all, as the saying goes: knowledge is power.”
However, when it comes to business managers, Professor Saville believes that special attention must be paid to recruitment and the human factor. After all, the success of an entire business depends on the right employee selection. In this process, Saville notes, his company 10x Psychology, which offers cutting-edge HR management solutions, can help.
“10x Solutions is a pioneering approach to HR management based on psychology and machine learning algorithms. Our company offers managers and HR staff a suite of psychometric testing and advanced machine learning algorithms to predict employees’ professional growth and successfully plan and adapt their development.”
I also asked Peter Saville what he thought about the role of science in the post-pandemic era.
According to Professor Saville, one of the key challenges facing scientists today is the need to focus on practical solutions to real-world problems in business. “We need to move beyond theoretical discussions and start working more closely with businesses and other organizations to solve the problems they face,” he told me. “That’s where the real impact of our research needs to be felt.”
To illustrate his point, the Professor told me about the recent project he had undertaken with the Shabshai family, a group of psychologists who use psychological knowledge to help businesses thrive. “The Shabshai are doing useful research in psychology and I was delighted to advise them on a new monograph on integrative psychotherapy and proactive coaching,” he said. “This research has a real practical aspect and can make a difference to people’s lives.”
For Saville, the key to successful applied research is a willingness to work across disciplinary boundaries and embrace new ideas and approaches. “We need to be open and willing to learn from other fields, be it business, technology or the social sciences,” he said. “By working together, we can create a more holistic and effective approach to solving problems.”
As our conversation came to a close, I asked the Professor what advice he would give to scientists and researchers who want to make a difference in the world. His answer was simple: “Stay curious, stay engaged and never stop asking questions. We have the tools and the knowledge to make a real impact on people’s lives, and it’s up to us how to use them.”
We recommend taking a look at “Testing Times: Psychologist at Work” , Professor Peter Saville’s latest autobiographical book. It describes his career and life and is a useful read for anyone interested in the psychology of work, entrepreneurship and leadership.
