SIOP 2022 recap: what the I/O experts are talking about

Another Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychologists (SIOP) conference is in the books. For the first time since 2019, the event was able to be held in person, taking place at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA.

This conference was an opportunity for our experts at Talogy to flex their scientific expertise and present on an array of salient talent management topics. Covering everything from the tight labor market, hybrid and remote work settings, assessment length, and the ever-popular subject of turnover, the Talogy team capitalized on the conference’s opportunity to share their wealth of knowledge while simultaneously learning from their industry colleagues.

If you’re interested in hearing about what’s going on in the dynamic world of I/O psychology, we’ve rounded up the Talogy presentations below. Stay tuned to our blog page for more in-depth discussions on a number of these subjects in the coming months.

Assessments and Technology

New innovations and advancements in personality assessment

Talogy presenter: Kristin Delgado, Manager of R&D

The dark triad (DT) is a set of ‘dark traits’ – narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism – that are associated with poor job performance, more counterproductive work behaviors, poor work attitudes, and toxic behaviors. Many DT measures are traditional explicit, self-report personality instruments that are susceptible to response distortion, particularly in a selection or promotion context. Given the deceitful and manipulative nature of DT individuals, a less transparent approach to measurement may be more effective. Recent research (e.g., Anastasia Schreiber & Marcus, 2021) suggests that established models of normal personality can be used to understand narcissistic or psychopathic tendencies embodied by DT. We were interested in understanding to what extent existing workplace personality measures could capture the DT constructs. Attendees were interested to hear about the hybrid approach that used both psychological theory-driven and data-driven methodologies to detect and classify dark personalities via response patterns.

Want data? Have data? Bridging the scientist-practitioner gap, match.com style

Talogy presenters: Nataliya Baytalskaya, Managing Research Scientist; Rick Jacobs, Senior Vice President/Senior Scientist

While companies collect large amounts of data, many lack the expertise or time to analyze it. Meanwhile, academics and graduate students are looking for organizational data and have the time and skills for deep analysis but lack access. This session proposed the creation of a matching platform for bringing these groups together to bridge this gap. The roundtable discussions led to a multitude of ideas of how a platform like this might work, including how it could be funded, how participant identity would be verified, and the types of projects that it could lead to for each party's mutual benefit. 

Supervised construct scoring to reduce personality assessment length

Talogy presenter: Rick Jacobs, Senior Vice President/Senior Scientist

Personality assessments help identify qualified job applicants when making hiring decisions and are widely used across a variety of industries and organizations. However, many existing personality measures are quite lengthy, and companies and researchers frequently seek ways to shorten personality scales. Two studies investigated the effectiveness of a new scale shortening method called Supervised Construct Scoring (SCS). Using a combination of Machine Learning (ML) with content validity considerations, we demonstrated that multi-dimensional personality scales can be significantly shortened while maintaining the key assessment properties of reliability and validity

New guidelines for technology-based assessment

PSI presenter: John Weiner, Chief Science Office

John Weiner served as co-chair and editor of the panel, along with Steve Sireci, distinguished professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Wayne Camara, LSAC, and Steven Stark, University of South Florida, were discussants on the panel. This session provided an audience of over 250 the opportunity to preview the content and development of the Guidelines, and information was shared on how to participate in the ongoing public commentary. Technology has become such an essential part of the assessment lifecycle and the Guidelines will benefit a wide range of stakeholders in the assessment industry, helping to ensure technology-based assessments are valid, reliable, fair and unbiased, accessible, and secure.

Hybrid and remote work

Hybrid work: challenges, best practices, and ways forward

Talogy presenters: Alanna Harrington, Senior Research Consultant; Mei-Chuan (Mavis) Kung, Director of US R&D, TM R&D

As our response to the pandemic has transitioned from crisis mode to managing the status quo, more and more people have expressed preference for a ‘hybrid’ model of working. In this panel, a group of experienced practitioners and applied researchers discussed challenges, best practices, and considerations to transform various types of organizations into a hybrid work model. There were multiple takeaways for organizations from this discussion including things like the need to create compelling learning and development offerings, consider an individual’s work setting preferences during the recruitment and onboarding process, and try to create a consistent cultural experience for employees regardless of where they work.

I/O’s assemble: to champion or challenge the rise of remote work:

Talogy presenter: Steven Jarrett, Director of Manufacturing COE

Who doesn’t love a good debate? As hybrid and remote work become more of a norm and less of a privilege in the workplace, experts from both sides of the fence weighed in on the pros and cons of this seismic shift. Even with differing viewpoints, this group of I-O experts agree that having these options available means how a leader guides their team needs to adapt as a higher emphasis is now placed on supporting team members who are not under the same roof.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)

Measuring, interpreting, and communicating DEI metrics

Talogy presenter: Kimberly Silva, Senior R&D Consultant

In a panel discussion, seven DEI experts shared their knowledge and recommendations for handling DEI metric challenges. Recommendations were summarized into three key initiatives. One, know where you are. Evaluate the current state of the organization, then create a data collection infrastructure to mirror findings. Two, know where you are going. Leverage data to set concrete DEI goals – just like performance goals – and hold the organization accountable for achievement. Three, decide how to get there. Use a multimethod or mixed method approach to collect data to capture a more holistic picture of the employee experience. Last, recognize that the analyst sets the stage, the speaker creates the narrative, and the recipient issues the call to action. Therefore, select a diverse panel of experts to interpret, communicate, and hear results.

Community of Interest: Asians in I/O – addressing experience in I/O and at work

Talogy presenter: Mei-Chuan (Mavis) Kung, Director of US R&D, TM R&D

This community of interest served as a rallying point for I/O practitioners and researchers to connect and discuss barriers facing the Asian community. This session brought awareness to the barriers that Asians face in the workplace (including the ‘bamboo ceiling’ and invisible minority status), identified meaningful ways that organizations and individuals can address them, and provided an opportunity to develop connections with one another. Participants left with a better depiction of the vastly different challenges and opportunities faced among Asians. By bringing allyship to one another, the ability to bring positive changes to the unique and often neglected issues of the Asian community is strengthened immensely.

Messy validation VIII: fairness in assessment and selection

Talogy presenter: Steven Jarrett, Director of Manufacturing COE

With heightened focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), practitioners are faced with a growing number of anomalies, complexities, and stakeholders when validating, implementing, and maintaining assessment and selection strategies. Practitioners find themselves needing to revisit best practices for addressing these issues. This session explored how the recent focus on DEI has impacted validation and the importance of looking at the process as whole – not just through the eyes of a validated assessment.

Current trends and labor conditions

From science to practice: practical applications of turnover research

Talogy presenter: Alissa Parr, Director, Talent Solutions

Since last spring, 33 million Americans have quit their jobs. This mass exodus has been termed the Great Resignation or Great Reshuffle. Advancements in machine learning have allowed us to develop turnover propensity indices in different settings: within a pre-hire assessment and within employee datasets (e.g., emails, meeting data, personnel information, networks). These models have allowed us to differentiate between those likely to leave and likely to stay. Outside of statistical modeling, it’s also important to humanize the concept of turnover. Turnover contagion occurs when turnover-related thoughts, feelings, and behaviors spread among employees. One study found that the odds of an employee leaving increase by 85% if someone in their network leaves. Connections matter.

Choose your own adventure consulting V: modern days challenges, unique approaches

Talogy presenter: Nataliya Baytalskaya, Managing Research Scientist

Many organizations in various industries are facing unprecedented shortfalls in meeting staffing demands making it easy to lose sight of the tried and true I/O principles that can help companies survive and even thrive in these settings. This expert panel offered practical solutions for a fictional client’s issues around staffing and turnover through the lenses of either employee well-being, recruitment/HR, or assessments/simulations. Each panelist shared how they would address the problem, what the solution would look like, possible timelines, and levels of effort. They also answered questions on how they would show ROI for their approaches and what potential pitfalls might accompany these solutions. 

Same tight labor market, more complexity: how I/O practitioners are taking action

Talogy presenters: Lindsey Burke, Senior Consultant; Bekah Regan, Senior Consultant; Christa Bupp, Consulting Manager

Prior to 2020, many organizations were already feeling the pinch of a tight labor market. The pandemic and social justice movements introduced even more complexity and put a spotlight on well-being and DEI in the workplace. These challenges have led to new perspectives and opportunities for improvement. In this session, I/O practitioners shared case studies of how they tackled the ‘new’ tight labor market from various angles (e.g., recruitment, selection, engagement, retention), the outcome, and lessons learned. One of the main takeaways for participants was that there is no one-size-fits-all approach; action will depend on the organization, the location, the team, and – even in some cases – the individual.

Making feedback hot again: bringing today’s top trends into the world of feedback

Talogy presenters: Jon Gove, Managing R&D Consultant; Nataliya Baytalskaya, Managing Research Scientist; Mei-Chuan (Mavis) Kung, Director of US R&D, TM R&D

Four experienced researchers and practitioners shared stories of feedback systems in today’s rapidly changing environment, each focusing on one of the following topics: new technology, NLP techniques, virtual environments, and cultural considerations in global 360s. The panel then discussed the current and future state of feedback systems and how to maximize their value. Keeping in mind the four above identified trends, panelists also discussed the balance of traditional scientific approaches to feedback versus practical value to the recipient and how to maximize the value and impact for all participants. 

Tackling manufacturing turnover: tried & tested and trendsetting strategies

Talogy presenter: Steven Jarrett, Director of Manufacturing COE

 Before the pandemic, the manufacturing sector enjoyed low unemployment rates and high growth, making effective recruitment and retention strategies vital to managing an effective workforce. The pandemic exacerbated concerns around emotional exhaustion, workplace safety, and other working conditions, leading to retention challenges. This panel discussed tried and tested strategies plus some new and unique strategies and learnings that allow us to remain responsive and agile in uncertain pandemic conditions. The main takeaway is that every organization is different. Not only that, but solutions may differ by location or job class, highlighting the criticality of conducting a thorough investigation to best address the root cause of turnover concerns.