Mental Health Job Aid for Managers: Psychosocial Factor 5 – Psychological Competencies and Requirements
Psychological Competencies and Requirements are present in a workplace where there is a good fit between employees' interpersonal and emotional competencies, their skills and the position they hold. Employees possess the skills and knowledge for a particular position as well as the psychological and emotional ability to do the job.
Psychological Competencies and Requirements: Where to Start?
Take Action!
Always consider interpersonal/emotional competencies when making hiring and promotion decisions, ("interpersonal/emotional competencies" refer to abilities and capacities to manage emotions and relationships, and to effectively solve challenging interpersonal problems at work).
Orient new employees to interpersonal/emotional competencies needed for their jobs by providing them with the list of interpersonal competencies related to their job and communicate why these skills are important.
Provide training in interpersonal/emotional skills, particularly those required for highly-demanding positions (see Canada School of Public Service Courses listed below).
Be open to discussions with employees about exploring other internal positions that may better match their interpersonal/emotional competencies (i.e. via temporary assignments, acting appointments or career-development discussions).
Perform job hazard analyses required by the hazard prevention program with the assistance of your Occupational Health and Safety Advisor to evaluate the psychological hazards and interpersonal/emotional requirements of the positions of your employees, and develop prevention measures where necessary.
Additional Resources
To assess each psychosocial factor, you may use the Organizational Review Worksheet and Survey Tool provided by Guarding Minds at Work.
Developed in collaboration with the Centre of Expertise on Mental Health in the Workplace.
