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About Us
Our Mission Statement:
To share ideas, best practices, business systems, and proven research methodologies to support business growth and the wellbeing of the leaders and workforce in our rapidly changing and beautifully diverse world.
Our Core Values
At ICG, we will:
• Lead the way to set new professional standards in the field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology • Promote the highest ethical standards in everything we do • Utilize the latest research, education, and evidence-based practice of IO psychology to inspire individual and organizational health, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace • Provide novel tools, concepts, and methods to maximize individual and team performance • Respond to real world issues while working hand-in-hand with business leaders turning their most difficult and frustrating challenges into clearly defined and profitable solutions
All states in the US require psychologists to become licensed, and in almost all cases, licensing depends on having a doctoral degree. In addition, 1500 hours or more of supervised practice is required of psychologists in direct health services roles. During these supervised hours, most practitioners learn the ins and outs of working with clients and running a successful business from a qualified mentor. No such license or supervision is required for those in the Industrial-Organizational Psychology world. While this may seem preferable for those in the industry, there are some distinct disadvantages to this lack of licensing and support.
One disadvantage to the lack of licensing requirements is the confusion caused by many in the industry of whether or not the title “psychologist” can be used for those who have obtained a graduate degree in I-O Psychology and are not practicing in direct health care. The title may be allowed for some consultants working in states with lenient guidelines. However, with the understanding that consultants at ICG will inevitably work across state lines (and possibly in multiple countries), we must conform to the strictest (and most ethical) standards using the title “I/O Consultant” or “I/O Professional” in our advertising and promotion material.
Another huge disadvantage to new I/O graduates is the lack of education and mentoring, which may be needed to open a consulting practice. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 56.3% of new businesses started in the US will fail in less than 5 years from startup. After removing franchised business models, the failure rate is over 85%.
The Good News
The good news is because of the media focus on DE&I initiatives, the concerns over many employment assessments, and the transition to a work-from-home or hybrid work environment, the need for I-O professionals has never been higher! To take advantage of this incredible opportunity, graduates must transition from student to business owner without the support of a mentor…that is, until now!Ivy Consulting Group was created by a group of Harvard Extension School students and graduates who, after attending a conference organized by The Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology (SIOP), realized a huge gap needed to be filled. While the SIOP conference provided valuable research, initiatives, and hiring perspectives, we needed an active member community, shared ideas, branding, business systems, marketing, forms, and mentoring, to name a few. Better yet, we wanted to know how to find leads and use the knowledge we had learned to improve the performance of our clientele. We found that very few of these services were taught at the university or offered by professional organizations. Once we realized what we needed to do, we started building the site you are visiting today.
Account Types and Membership
To create a membership, you must be at least 18 years of age and have a verifiable identity and email address. There are three types of members who generally sign up for services, which are employers, organizational practitioners, and vendors. Employers – which include entrepreneurs, team leaders, executives, managers, HR professionals, and recruiters. Practitioners – which includes anyone in business to support employers with business and people problems related to the workplace. Vendors – companies who offer ancillary products and services for the benefit of our website members.
There are 4 basic account types that are currently listed on this site:
- Certified Consultant (or Candidate) Account – for members who have completed a master’s degree in I/O Psychology, Management, or related field, and desire to open (or already run) a consulting practice.
- Member Account – A basic member account is free and similar to a Certified Consultant Account, with some obvious limitations. This account is perfect for a student who has not met the educational requirements for membership. In addition, some well-established practitioners may not desire to use our branding, business tools, or lead services. For both the student and well-established consultant, the reduced membership price can be an attractive option.
- Employer Account – this is a FREE account for small business owners (5 – 500 employees) who would like to either hire or consult with one of our I/O professionals.
- Vendor Account – members who offer goods and services that will benefit the group.
In 2023, an additional account type will include an invitation-only Partner/Owner Account. The requirements may include but are not limited to an upfront financial investment, five years in the industry, dedicated participation in group activities and mentorship, and quality standards.
Yes! That is exactly why we created a trial account and Welcome Course. However, this is a very limited account and will not provide many of the tools and resources our members demand.
If you are unsure, sign up for our Associate Account which is free and does not require a credit card to activate.
However, after you sign up for a paid account, if you are unsatisfied with our programs, you can cancel for any reason, at any time.
No, we welcome accounts from our professional Industrial-Organizational Psychology and business community from all over the world!
For Consultants
The 10 dynamics of ICG is a list of our group’s primary offerings. The 10 dynamics are:
- Market Research and Consumer Behavior
- Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
- Assessments and Selection
- Motivation and Engagement
- Training, Coaching, & Business Development
- Team Building and Culture
- Performance Management
- Leadership Development
- Strategic Planning and Implementation
Using over 100 custom branded Lesson Plans to go along with our proprietary Employer Online Learning System (to be rolled out by topic in 2023), consultants will have a distinct advantage over competitors in the industry.
Regardless of background or experience, certified consultants will have the tools needed to quickly develop a highly successful consulting agency!
New users will have the opportunity to complete a basic online training program that will teach them how to set up their accounts and navigate the website. Consultants who desire to become certified will also be required to successfully complete a course confirming the basic skills have been mastered before taking on clients. Additional training will include:
- weekly live online zoom training
- a video library of best practices will be available for all consultants to use when needed
- a community forum with groups to help users find the users they are looking for
- live online chat
- support ticket system for more complex issues
No. Many consultants who become members already have successful firms and will continue to use their own websites and branding. However, we would love for you to utilize our brand which will help us become a leader in the field of I-O Psychology!
All we ask of our members is to help us establish our brand by adding your membership to the company’s LinkedIn page.
Connect Now
The basic member program was created to provide support to work for an employer and have no interest in owning a consulting agency. In addition, some members may already have established agencies and would like to share best practices without using many of the systems and lead services offered through the Ivy Consultant program.
The benefits offered to Ivy Consultants which are NOT available to basic members include:
- the use of the IVY Consulting Group brand (however, basic members can place an emblem on their business social media accounts reflecting membership)
- an ivycg.org Google email address
- Full suite of Google products including Google Drive, Chat, Hangouts, Meet, Tasks, and more.
- a business splash page to advertise to employer members
- access to the ICG marketing system
- access to the ICG billing platform
- access to the ICG client management system (not included in the base membership)
- participation in weekly training calls and coaching sessions
- participation in the Certified Consultant member-only group
- business leads
- banner ads on the ivyconsultinggroup.org website
For a full feature list and comparison table, go to: Membership Benefits – Ivy Consulting Group
There are three distinct training programs required to become a Certified Ivy Consultant.
Phase I (asynchronous training) – newly approved consultants complete an online course that provides an overview of the ICG programs, services, and technology. The course and exam can be completed in 8 hours.
Phase II (live classroom training via google meeting) – Once Phase I has been completed, consultants will be invited to train with a small group of like-minded consultants to complete our ICG Basic Training Program. This phase of the training takes between 3 – 6 months to complete.
Phase III (in-person intensive workshop) – This 3-day workshop is required for certification purposes and will provide in-depth training on how to build a thriving coaching or consulting practice.
Ivy Consulting Group, Inc., will become recognized as a premier training and education agency for I-O Psychologists, business consultants, coaches, researchers, and other professionals in the industry. To maintain our promise of quality and professionalism, we have created the following membership and quality standards:
- A master’s degree (or higher) in Psychology or I-O Psychology from a leading institution, or
- Holds an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) certificate from the International Coaching Federation or higher, or
- At least 10 years of certifiable coaching experience and three letters of recommendation from past clients.
AND
- Successful completion of the IVY Consulting Group basic training program (30-60 day average completion time).
- Acceptance and adherence to the group’s Privacy & Terms.
- Payment of membership dues.
- Maintain an acceptable quality standard determined by our 5-star customer review rating system.
- An application and approval by the member board.
A coach enables the individual he or she is working with to solve problems, while a consultant is an expert that will solve problems for the team.
A coach will address issues such as fear or limited self-confidence.
A consultant will generally help with problems directly related to your business.
For most psychologist roles, you must have a doctoral degree, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That’s because a doctorate is mandatory for licensure as a counseling, clinical or research psychologist in most states. While master’s degrees in these areas of psychology exist, they often serve as part of the path to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree, especially for candidates whose undergraduate majors may not align with their intended program of doctoral study.
In this respect, industrial-organizational psychology is unique. Some states require industrial-organizational psychologists to be licensed based on laws that restrict the use of the title “psychologist.” In these states, an industrial-organizational psychologist would need a Ph.D. or Psy.D. and a license to call themselves an industrial-organizational psychologist. Otherwise, despite coming from the background of graduate studies in psychology, this professional would need to use a different job title to refer to themselves.
Other states only restrict the practice of psychology rather than the title. Under these laws, an industrial-organizational psychologist may not need a doctorate because they are not performing work, like psychotherapy services, that requires licensure. However, since the specifics of practice laws vary from state to state, aspiring industrial-organizational psychologists should investigate the exact licensure requirements in their state.
With all of that stated, some of our members may meet all of the requirements to use the title I-O Psychologist in their state; however, there can still be issues when conducting business and even advertising across state lines. Because our practitioners may conduct work in states which have stricter guidelines, using the title “psychologist” is not recommended.
Complete an application on the website. A link to the application will be inserted here at the time we officially launch the site.
Join Us
FOR CONSULTANTS and ASSOCIATES
Monthly ICG membership dues are listed on the Benefits and Pricing page; however, we will offer special discounts to our first members.
Ivy Consulting Group is proud to offer our Ivy Consultants the tools and support required to develop a successful consulting agency. In some cases, we will rely on 3rd party vendors to help complete our Consultant Toolbox providing access to essential components not available directly through our services today. One of the vendors is HoneyBook.com which is HIPAA compliant and has been trusted by over 100k independent businesses to manage projects, book clients, send invoices, and get paid.
To find out more, click HERE.
Protecting confidential data is a top priority for everyone at ICG.
Credit Cards and Billing
ICG does not store credit card data and utilizes secure offsite services such as Google Pay and PayPal to process all membership services.
Customer Management
When it comes to Client Management, documentation, and billing, we must make certain our client’s information is secure and compliant with all HIPAA requirements. Ivy Consulting is a proud partner of the vcita Group and is trusted by over 1.4 million customers worldwide. Using Amazon Web Services (AWS), the service is processed in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), helps healthcare providers protect sensitive records and their patients’ confidential health information by processing data in compliance with HIPAA, and offers full transparency into privacy rights to consumers residing in the State of California in relation to their personal information. In addition, vcita aligns corporate practices with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA).
We are in the process of completing a comprehensive 3-day intensive workshop that will be offered to approved IVY Consultants who want to become the best of the best. The workshops will become part of a higher-level certification process and will include workshop facilitator training, research, and advanced consulting practices. The target date for roll-out is September 2023.
