Understanding the role of assessment tools in psychosocial risk management – A Q&A with People Plus Science

Psychological Health and Safety at Work

Psychosocial risks in the workplace aren’t always visible, but their impacts can be profound. In this Q&A, we sat down with Carolyn Grant, the CEO of People Plus Science, to explore what these risks are, why they matter, and how assessment tools can play a crucial role in helping organisations identify and address them effectively.

Carolyn is the founder of People Plus Science – an organisation that helps leaders turn people-related risks into opportunities using neuroscience-based tools and data-driven insights to improve psychological safety, performance, and organisational resilience.

Be sure to check out Part 2 of our Q&A with Carolyn on the People Plus Science website, where we discuss why leadership engagement is critical, how assessment tools can drive real change, and what the future holds for organisations committed to both performance and psychological safety.

Read part 2 of our Q&A with Carolyn 

RTP: To start, could you explain what psychosocial risks are and why they’re so important for organisations to address?

Carolyn: When we talk about mental health and well-being in the workplace, we are talking about psychosocial impacts – stressors at work that can alter our mental and emotional states and impact our mental and physical health (and that of others). Put simply, they are stressors that we experience at work. So when we talk about psychosocial risks, we’re talking about identifying the stresses at work that impact our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

Some of those stressors might actually stem from outside of work, like:

• Financial stress – trying to buy a home, supporting family members, or navigating the high cost of living.
• Family stress – such as caring for extended family or individuals requiring additional support, going through a breakup, illness, or being a single parent on a single income.

At work, stress can arise from:

• Interactions with others and their behaviours – from disrespect and lack of inclusion to bullying and harassment.
• Management of work – workplace supports, communication, and change management.
• Organisation of work – unrealistic deadlines, excessive workload, poorly managed shift work, or inadequate staffing.

There are several reasons why it’s critical to address psychosocial risks, and it really depends on your role and values:

1. Because fundamentally, as humans, we should care about the people we work with.
2. As individuals, we need to understand the impacts of ongoing stress and the toll it takes on our mental and physical health and start to speak up more.
3. From a duties and responsibilities perspective, we can all be liable, so understanding the impacts we have on others is critical. Under Workplace Health and Safety laws, regardless of our role or authority, penalties can be severe, financial or even prison time.
4. From a leadership perspective, penalties are more severe, and there is increasing scrutiny on the due diligence of leaders in this space.

RTP: How do assessment tools help organisations identify and understand these risks? Are there specific tools you find particularly effective, and could you share a couple of examples?

Carolyn: Assessment tools are essential because part of the legal requirement is for organisations to consult with all staff, volunteers, customers, and suppliers – not only to identify psychosocial risks but to assess them in terms of impact, frequency, and duration.

There’s a great myth that culture surveys are enough. But that’s often not the case. Organisations relying solely on engagement surveys often find themselves non-compliant and at risk of serious penalties.

Here are two tools we recommend:

1. Free Tool: Work Safe Queensland has the free People at Work survey tool for organisations with more than 20 employees. It’s statistically validated and provides the information you need on psychosocial hazards.
2. People Plus Science Psychological Safety Assessment Tool: This tool goes beyond hazards – it looks at trust, respect, psychological safety, emotional capital, and values. These elements help identify both the cultural dynamics and the psychosocial risks. It’s about moving beyond compliance to building high-performing teams. The insights we gain help us target root causes, accelerate interventions, and improve productivity.

   And a tip: Survey fatigue doesn’t come from the length of a survey – it comes from inaction and lack of feedback. If you can combine your cultural and psychosocial hazard assessments into one survey, do it. But be sure to act on the results.

RTP: What’s the best way for an organisation to get started when trying to identify their psychosocial risks?

Carolyn: We’ve found great success with a structured process that delivers high participation rates – often over 97%, with over 80% of people requesting one-on-one interviews. Organisations using the People Plus Science approach typically see a 22% increase in productivity within the first 5 months. Here’s the format:

1. Communicate, educate and train
2. Consult
3. Co-design
4. Plan
5. Implement (targeted and tailored)
6. Reassess/Evaluate

RTP: What are the biggest benefits of using these tools for both employees and the organisation?

Carolyn: Assessment tools are just one part of the process. Effective consultation also involves workshops and focus groups that gather meaningful input across the organisation.

During the co-design phase, we use tools that foster collaboration, engagement, and shared ownership of solutions.

Then comes planning, where we work with leaders to identify resourcing, prioritise high and medium risks, and optimise internal capabilities.

During intervention, a whole new toolkit is needed-tailored to your organisation, your people, and the risks identified. For example:

• Fixing outdated or non-compliant processes
• Creating board and leadership reports
• Engaging occupational therapists
• Providing access to financial counselling or super advice
• Delivering training or coaching
• Taking corrective action or mentoring

The key benefit for leaders is reducing personal liability and ensuring legal duties are met. But this only happens when employees feel psychologically safe enough to give honest feedback.

If people feel unsafe or believe “nothing ever changes,” they won’t speak up – putting the entire organisation at risk. In fact, the 2025 People Plus Science Boardroom Psychological Safety Index shows that executives and boards have the lowest trust levels from frontline staff.

In organisations with low trust, or a history of breaches in confidentiality or HR bias, external, independent facilitation is essential to rebuild credibility and meet compliance.

RTP: Do organisations ever face challenges when using these tools? How do you help them overcome those hurdles?

Carolyn: One of the biggest challenges is closing the perception gap, especially at the executive and board level. Often, executives haven’t been properly informed of their due diligence responsibilities, or they’ve been told “it’s under control” when it isn’t.

Boards often don’t even know the right questions to ask. That’s changing as more actions are taken, and CEOs are fined for lack of due diligence.

Here’s a striking stat:
75% of employees say they haven’t received any training about psychosocial hazards, yet 41% of boards believe they have (sort of).

Another hurdle? Repairing trust. Many employees are exhausted and disengaged. 77% of Australian workplaces are disengaged. According to our Index:

• Only 32% of executives reporting to boards feel “listened to”
• Only 33% of frontline staff trust their leadership or board

RTP: How do these tools align with ISO 45003 or WHS legislation?

Carolyn: Our tools are fully compliant and are designed to go beyond compliance to support growth, profits, and risk reduction.

We align with ISO 45003 and state WHS legislation and Codes of Practice. But what makes the difference is how we work:

1. We use communications grounded in neuroscience and positive psychology
2. We begin with educating leaders, staff and stakeholders
3. We use quantitative and qualitative consultation
4. Our assessments are statistically valid – measuring impact, frequency, and duration
5. We co-design strategies at the individual, team and organisational levels
6. Our messaging is brain-friendly, encouraging real behaviour change
7. We reassess at 90-120 days to see what’s working and redesign as needed
8. We run psychologically safe change programs
9. We work with legal advisors to help leaders understand their responsibilities

RTP: Are there different considerations for certain industries?

Carolyn: Yes – and not just at the industry level. Even within the same organisation, different teams face different risks.

For example, a finance team and a factory team in 45-degree heat face very different exposures, even if they’re in the same company. A mining company recently faced a $1.2 million enforceable undertaking, not for the miners, but for the finance department.

Also, some industries have higher risk exposure: healthcare, aged care, emergency services, education, fly-in, fly-out mining. They often deal with:

• Traumatic events
• Aggression or violence
• Emotional labour
• Remote or isolated work

Your tools need to reflect these realities. The language of a survey, for instance, will differ between a law firm and a logistics team. We once had to totally rethink our approach for truck drivers who had no computer access – a very different setup from office workers.

RTP: For organisations just starting out, what’s your advice?

Carolyn: Start simple:

1. Understand your legal obligations
2. Engage with your people – ask open-ended questions about stress, conflict or disengagement
3. Choose a validated tool aligned with ISO 45003 and your industry
4. Be transparent – share results and explain next steps
5. Bring in external support if trust is low or you need help turning insights into action

The most important thing is to start with intention and humility, and follow through.

We also offer a free compliance readiness tool where you can get a quick score and overview of your current gaps:
https://peopleplussciencepsychosocialscore.scoreapp.com

Thank you, Carolyn, for your participation in our Q&A. Be sure to visit the People Plus Science website for part two of our Q&A.

Read part 2 of our Q&A  

Further reading

Read more about ISO 45003 – the standard for Psychological Health & Safety at Work
Learn how to identify psychosocial hazards at work
Explore psychosocial risks in the workplace