Mind On The Job: Recent Episodes
Dr Ben Searle
People at work are the source of complex problems and opportunities. Why do workplace bullies bully? Why do dedicated workers burn out? Why do interviewers sometimes pick the wrong candidates? What makes organisations work? What else has scientific research shown about how to run organisations, and what we should be doing differently?
Join Dr Ben Searle and his expert guests as they explore the fascinating and valuable world of organisational (IO) psychology.
This episode looks at the value of lived experience: how consultation with people who have lived experience of disability or illness (in this case, specifically mental illness) can help make workplaces more inclusive and supportive.
My guest is Professor Y. Lena Wang from LaTrobe Business School.
Professor Ying (Lena) Wang conducts research that focuses on understanding and developing individuals' personality, fostering employee proactive behaviours, and promoting diversity and inclusion in organisations. Coming from a practitioner background, Lena works extensively with government and industry partners in a wide range of applied research projects in such areas as workforce / leadership development, diversity and inclusion, and impact evaluations.
You find out more about Lena's work on the value of lived experience from the following sources:
The Personnel Review article she led, Employing people who have "been there, experienced that" to inform innovative HRM responses to workforce mental health issues: Practice insights from industry;
The International Journal of HRM research study she led, Developing inclusive and healthy organizations by employing designated lived experience roles: Learning from human resource management innovations in the mental health sector; and
The Australian National Mental Health Commission's National Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Development Guidelines, to which she contributed.
Mind on the Job is created, presented, and produced by organisational psychologist Dr Ben Searle.
The music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This episode looks at compassion, its importance in the workplace, and how we can make workplaces more compassionate.
My guest is Dr Robert Styles, Director of Bespoke Programs at ProSocial World.
Robert initially trained in music then went on to become an academic doing applied research in the field of contextual behavioural science through the Australian National University. This stream of activity continues with ProSocial World, an organisation dedicated to using science to help groups become more cooperative, adaptable, and resilient. As Director of Bespoke Programs, Robert and his team facilitate initiatives designed to enhance the well-being of communities, organisations, and governments around the world.
You can find out more about ProSocial world's courses from their website, where you can also get a copy of Robert's book Conscious Cultural Evolution: A Prosocial Approach to Collective Action.
Robert mentions Professor Elinor Ostram's design principles for sustainable institutions; you can read about these in her book, Governing the Commons.
Mind on the Job is created, presented, and produced by organisational psychologist Dr Ben Searle.
The music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This episode discusses the positive sides of work and working.
My guest is Dr Kathryn (Kat) Page, an organisational psychologist, leadership partner at ByMany, and author of the newly released book Good Work: Transforming Your Work from the Inside Out. Kat works with leaders and organisations to design work that supports mental health, wellbeing, and sustainable performance. Her work bridges psychology, public health, and organisational practice, helping shift the focus from fixing people to fixing work.
You can buy a copy of "Good Work" from your local bookstore or online retailers.
Mind on the Job is created, presented, and produced by organisational psychologist Dr Ben Searle.
The music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This episode features a thoughtful discussion about technology, the meaning of work, and the questionable goal of "efficiency".
My guest is Anya Johnson, Professor of Organisational Behaviour and interim Head of the School of Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School. Anya investigates how employees regulate their emotions in the workplace, and the relationship between the design of work and teams and well-being, mental health and performance.
Check out the article about technology and work that we mention in the interview:
Johnson, A. et al. (2020). A review and agenda for examining how technology-driven changes at work will impact workplace mental health and employee well-being. Australian Journal of Management, 45(3), 402-424.
Also check out this special issue of the Australian Journal of Management about Managing with Compassion guest edited by Professor Anya Johnson and recent podcast guest Professor Helena Nguyen (and others).
Mind on the Job is created, presented, and produced by Dr Ben Searle.
The music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
In this episode, we discuss fly-in fly-out (FIFO) work arrangements, focusing on the inherent psychosocial hazards and how they can be managed.
This episode's guest is Sandra Lam, an AHPRA endorsed Organisational Psychologist and Managing Director of FIFO Focus and PerMentis. With over two decades of experience across Australia and overseas, she specialises in psychosocial risk, organisational wellbeing, and building healthy workplaces. Sandra works across mining, government, justice, defence, and international sectors. She helps organisations integrate psychosocial risk management into everyday practice and supports people to thrive at work.
Mind on the Job is created, presented, and produced by Dr Ben Searle. Check out my website MindOnTheJob.com for more resources.
The music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
If you enjoyed the episode, please rate & review the show on your podcast player!
In this episode, we discuss some of the psychosocial hazards and other challenges affecting teachers and principals in Australian schools, along with what can be done to address them.
My guest is Melinda Phillips, an organisational psychologist, researcher, and teacher who is committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of principals, school leaders, and school staff. Melinda has supported schools in a range of roles in the last twenty years including as a teaching educator, consultant, and now organisational psychologist. Her recently published research explored the secondary traumatic stress experiences of school staff following student suicidal behaviour. She is currently completing a PhD exploring the social contexts of work that buffer or boost staff wellbeing in trauma aware schools.
More information about Melinda's work can be found via her consultancy, Compassionate Schools. You can also check out her 2025 research paper,
Phillips, M., & Anderson, D. L. (2025). Protective factors for secondary traumatic stress of school staff following student suicide or suicidal behaviour. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 35(3), 266-277.
Mind on the Job is created, presented, and produced by Dr Ben Searle. Check out my website MindOnTheJob.com for more resources.
The music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
If you enjoyed the episode, please rate & review the show on your podcast player!
This episode is about workplace emotional labour and ways to manage it. It may help if you first listen to our mini-episode about emotional labour -- or watch the video of that minisode.
This episode's guest is Professor Helena Nguyen from the University of Sydney Business School Work and Organisational Studies unit, where she is co-director of the Body, Heart and Mind in Business research group.
Mind on the Job is created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle. Check out our website MindOnTheJob.com for more resources.
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
If you enjoyed the episode, it would help me if you rate & review the show on your podcast player!
This episode draws on Self-Determination Theory to discuss basic psychological needs and how they affect motivation, performance, and wellbeing in the workplace. It may help if you first listen to our mini-episode about Self-Determination Theory (2.9) -- or watch the video.
This episode's guest is Professor Marylène Gagné, a John Curtin Distinguished Professor at the Future of Work Institute in the Faculty of Business and Law. The Institute promotes productive and meaningful work as essential foundations of a healthy economy and society.
Marylène's research examines how organisations, through their structures, cultures, rewards, tasks, and management, affect people’s motivational orientations towards their work, including volunteer work, and how quality of motivation influences performance and well-being in the workplace. She is a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and of the Academy of Social Sciences Australia, and is associate editor for the Academy of Management Annals, Motivation Science, and Motivation and Emotion. She is also a member of the Australian Research Council’s College of Experts.
Mind on the Job is created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle. Check out our website MindOnTheJob.com for more resources.
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
If you enjoyed the episode, it would help me if you rate & review the show on your podcast player!
This mini-episode introduces listeners to Self-Determination Theory, a metatheory of motivational concepts connected by the psychological value of autonomy and other basic psychological needs. Basic psychological needs and autonomous motivation are central to my upcoming interview with Professor Marylène Gagné.
This season's mini-episodes are also available in video format -- look for Mind on the Job on YouTube or check out my videos on MindOnTheJob.com.
Mind on the Job is created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle.
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
If you enjoyed the episode, it would help me if you rate & review the show on your podcast player!
This mini-episode introduces listeners to the concept of emotional labour (or emotional labor, depending on your region), specifically the way many of us need to suppress and/or display certain emotions to align with workplace expectations of emotional behaviour. Emotional labour is central to my upcoming interview with Professor Helena Nguyen.
This season's mini-episodes are also available in video format -- look for Mind on the Job on YouTube or check out my videos on MindOnTheJob.com.
Mind on the Job is created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle.
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
If you enjoyed the episode, it would help me if you rate & review the show on your podcast player!
This episode is about strategic ways to manage mental health at work. This involves monitoring workplace demands and resources, so it may help if you first listening to our mini-episode about the Job Demands—Resource model -- or watch the video of that minisode.
This episode's guest knows a lot about workplace mental health management.
Psychologist Teegan Modderman is passionate about building strategy and capability within organisations to ensure a healthy and safe workplace for all. Her broad experience has been gained through working within the public and private sectors to drive system reform and legislative change in the management of psychosocial risk.
She was instrumental in forming the business case for Queensland’s new laws for managing psychosocial hazards at work, and regularly contributes thought leadership to the field. Over her career, Teegan has worked with international regulators, government agencies, peak bodies and community organisations to raise awareness and embed systemic change.
Mind on the Job is created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle. Check out our website, MindOnTheJob.com, for more resources.
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
If you enjoyed the episode, it would help me if you rate & review the show on your podcast player!
This Mind on the Job mini-episode introduces listeners to the Job Demands and Resources model, first described in 2001 by Evangelina Demerouti and colleagues. The concept is important for my upcoming interview with psychologist Teegan Modderman, but it will be relevant to many other episodes this season.
This season's mini-episodes are also available in video format -- look for Mind on the Job on YouTube or check out my videos on MindOnTheJob.com.
Mind on the Job is created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle.
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
If you enjoyed the episode, it would help me if you rate & review the show on your podcast player!
This episode is about psychosocial hazards. Never heard of them? Start by listening to our mini-episode about Psychosocial Hazards -- or watch the video version on our website.
In many countries, employers are responsible for measuring and minimising physical and psychosocial hazards in the workplace. But how do we measure psychosocial hazards -- and what are the challenges we face when we try?
This episode's guest answers to these questions.
Jason van Schie, a Masters-qualified psychologist and founder of FlourishDx, helps organisations worldwide simplify psychosocial safety with deep expertise and scalable tech. Known globally as co-host of the ‘Psych Health and Safety’ podcast, Jason blends science, strategy, and storytelling to make workplaces safer, healthier, and higher-performing.
For more information about psychosocial hazards, check out this guide from SafeWork Australia.
Mind on the Job is created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle. Check out our website, MindOnTheJob.com, for more resources.
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
If you enjoyed the episode, it would help me if you rate & review the show on your podcast player!
This Mind on the Job mini-episode introduces listeners to the concept of "psychosocial hazards", which is important for our upcoming interview with FlourishDX founder Jason van Schie, but it will be relevant to many other episodes this season. Psychosocial hazards are aspects of jobs and work environments with the potential to harm a worker's mental health.
This season's mini-episodes are also available in video format -- look for Mind on the Job on YouTube or check out my videos on MindOnTheJob.com.
Mind on the Job is created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle.
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
If you enjoyed the episode, it would help me if you rate & review the show on your podcast player!
This episode is about work design. Never heard of it? Start by listening to our mini-episode about Work Design.
When it comes to work design, we sometimes have an idea of what not to do -- such as micromanaging, overloading, and generally mistreating staff. But what SHOULD we be doing? Is there a way of describing what good work should be like?
This episode's guest answers to these questions.
An Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow, Sharon Parker is a John Curtin Distinguished Professor in Organisational Behaviour in the Faculty of Business and Law at Curtin University, where she directs the Centre for Transformative Work Design. Professor Parker is a world-leading researcher on the topic of work design, as well as other topics such as proactivity, job performance, and mental health at work. In this episode, she describes her model of SMART work design.
Mind on the Job is created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle. Check out our website, MindOnTheJob.com, for more resources.
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
If you enjoyed the episode, it would help me if you rate & review the show on your podcast player!
Season 2 is finally here!
This Mind on the Job mini-episode introduces listeners to the concept of "work design", which is important for our upcoming interview with Professor Sharon Parker about SMART work design, but will be relevant to many other episodes this season. Work design refers to features present at some level in any job, such as workload, complexity, and decision-making freedom.
This season's mini-episodes are also available in video format -- look for Mind on the Job on YouTube or check out my videos on MindOnTheJob.com.
Mind on the Job is created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle.
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
If you enjoyed the episode, it would help me if you rate & review the show on your podcast player!
This Mind on the Job episode is an update about the show.
This show has been on hiatus since changes in my situation (work difficulties from 2018-2019 and we all know what happened in 2020) led me to burn out.
But although it took me a long time, I can announce not only that I've recovered, but also that I'm working on two new seasons of this podcast! The first of these should begin around August 2025.
I'm also about to launch a newsletter, READ BEFORE BURNING. This will be a brief monthly report on some of the things I learned as I worked not only on my own recovery from burnout but in the process of researching the book I've written on this topic (more about that later). Click here to sign up for the newsletter.
More importantly, I'm currently running a research project to help identify early warning signs for burnout. If you have experience of burnout (or if you think you might be burning out now), please consider participating in this confidential online survey. Better yet, share my posts about the project:
- LinkedIn,
- Facebook,
- BlueSky,
- Twitter.
The survey will be live until the end of July 2025.
Go to MindOnTheJob.com for more resources on this topic.
Mind on the Job (now on BlueSky)
Created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle (@drbensearle)
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
If you enjoyed the episode, it would help me if you rate & review the show on your podcast player!
People are an organisation’s greatest asset, and from time to time, an organisation needs new people. But when a bunch of candidates apply for the one job, how do we work out who is the best person for the job? What are the limitations of traditional job interviews? What use are psychometric assessments? What differentiates executive selection from entry-level selection?
Organizational psychologists are known for their expertise in this area. So to answer these questions, Ben chats to organisational psychology experts Dr Patrick Dunlop (University of Western Australia) and Ms Jamie Sims (People Measures).
Go to MindOnTheJob.com for more resources on this topic.
update: This episode vanished for some reason -- if you can read this, the missing episode has been republished.
Mind on the Job
Created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle (@drbensearle)
Episode 04: Assessment for Selection: Insights into Effective Hiring
Guests: Dr Patrick Dunlop and Ms Jamie Sims
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave us a rating & review on iTunes (or wherever you get your podcasts)!
Mind on the Job episode 06 is about Designing & coaching terrific teams!
When a group of people get together under the right conditions, they can make a successful team -- one whose collective capability is greater than the sum of its parts. But not all teams are effective, and some are downright dysfunctional.
So why aren't all teams effective? What conditions are necessary for a team to work well? How would we know whether those conditions are in place? And what else can we provide or do to maximise team effectiveness?
To answer these questions, Ben chats to organisational psychology experts Professor Ruth Wageman (Team Diagnostics) and Ms Pauline Willis (Lauriate).
Go to MindOnTheJob.com for more resources on this topic.
update: This episode vanished for some reason -- if you can read this, the missing episode has been republished.
Mind on the Job (@mindonthejob)
Created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle (@drbensearle)
Episode 06: Terrific #teamwork: Designing, coaching & assessing teams.
Guests: Professor Ruth Wageman and Ms Pauline Willis
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod
If you enjoyed the episode, it would help us if you rate & review the show on iTunes! To do this, go to iTunes (use the search function within your app), search for Mind On The Job (even if you've already subscribed), click on the show under Podcasts, and click on the Reviews tab. Then rate and review.
Mind on the Job episode 05: Organisational Culture & Climate!
When people work in social groupings, like organisations, they tend to develop a shared set of perceptions, attitudes, and values. These can be reinforced through systems, behaviours, and personnel selection until you have measurable phenomena that we call organisational culture (and its more easily measured attitudinal cousin, organisational climate).
But what exactly are they, and what is the difference between them? Why do we care about them at all? And if they matter, what can we do to improve them?
To answer these questions, Ben chats to organisational psychology experts Associate Professor Ian Glendon (Griffith University) and Dr Louise Parkes (Voice Project).
Go to MindOnTheJob.com for more resources on this topic.
update: This episode vanished for some reason -- if you can read this, the missing episode has been republished.
Mind on the Job (@mindonthejob)
Created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle (@drbensearle)
Episode 05: Culture & climate @ work: Why they matter & how to change them.
Guests: Associate Professor Ian Glendon and Dr Louise Parkes
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod
If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe and also leave us a rating & review on iTunes! To do this, search for Mind On The Job in iTunes (even if you've already subscribed), then click on the show under Podcasts, and then click on the Reviews tab.
Work can sometimes be stressful, but if it gets too bad or goes on for too long, people can burn out. But what does that look like? How would you know if you're at risk of burning out? What causes burnout, and what should organisations be doing to prevent it?
To answer these questions, Ben chats to organisational psychology experts Professor Michael Leiter (Deakin University) and Ms Diya Dey (FBG Group)?
Go to MindOnTheJob.com for more resources on this topic.
In the meantime, here are some resources to seek out:
- Heads Up -- Resources to support a mentally healthy workplace
- Beyond Blue -- Support for depression
- Lifeline telephone line (Australia): 13 11 14
- If outside Australia, consult this list of suicide help lines.
Mind on the Job
Created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle (@drbensearle)
Episode 03: Burnout & Wellbeing at Work: How Do We Manage Them?
Guests: Professor Michael Leiter and Ms Diya Dey
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave us a rating & review on iTunes (or wherever you get your podcasts)!
Workplace bullying! It's a menace, it causes huge problems, and it happens in more workplaces than you'd think. So if someone is treating you badly at work, why is that happening, and what steps should be taken?
In this episode, Ben chats to organisational psychology experts Associate Professor Michelle Tuckey (University of South Australia) and Ms Heather Ikin (formerly of Workplace Health & Safety Queensland) about what bullying means, how common it is, and where it is most common. We then tackle the two biggest issues: what causes bullying, and what can you do about it?
Go to MindOnTheJob.com for more resources on this topic.
In the meantime, here are some resources to seek out:
- Fact sheet on bullying from the Australian Human Rights Commission
- Information on bullying from Fair Work Australia
- Lifeline telephone line (Australia): 13 11 14
- If elsewhere, consult this list of suicide help lines.
Mind on the Job
Created, presented & produced by Dr Ben Searle (@drbensearle)
Episode 02: Workplace Bullying: How Can We Discourage It?
Guests: Associate Professor Michelle Tuckey and Ms Heather Ikin
Music is Cypher by Kevin Macleod
If you enjoyed the episode, leave us a rating & review on iTunes (or wherever you get your podcasts)!
Welcome to Mind on the Job!
This short episode introduces your host (@drbensearle), explains what organisational psychology (also called I/O Psychology) is all about, and outlines the reasons why knowing about it can help you strive for workplace excellence.
It should be of interest to:
- professionals in HR, OD, change management and other human service areas,
- current and aspiring leaders and managers,
- I/O psychologists
- students in management and psychology
- anyone who is interested in the psychology of people at work.
Follow the podcast on Twitter: @mindonthejob
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For more information visit the Mind on the Job website.