"Primarily I work with clients. With small companies it will usually be the managing director. In large companies, it is the design manager or health and safety officer."
Joanna, BSc psychology, MSc ergonomics
When you are an ergonomist, the way clients react to you can vary a lot.
At it's most basic, getting contracted by a client is the same as getting hired at any other job; albeit the experience is very different if you're operating on your own than if you're part of a larger association.
Reactions to you will change depending on:
All of these factors can influence how stringently clients ask you for references (work, education and certification) and how cooperative they'll be later on.
However, the one absolute certainty, is that with a job well done, everyone grows to appreciate you and the practice of human factors. After all, ergonomics is a results-driven discipline that speaks for itself in terms of cost savings, productivity, and especially in the case of usability, profit.
However, in order for safety efforts to be made permanent and to see significant results, ergonomists must often initiate programs at their client's company. This process of client involvement is called participatory ergonomics.