How SIOP Members Help the Military and Veterans

What comes to mind when you think of psychologists working with members of the military or veterans?  Clinicians working with them on their mental health needs?  America’s Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs(VA) are the largest employers of psychologists in the world. According to the American Psychological Association, 7% of its membership - nearly 8,000 people -works for the DoD, and the VA counts 5,000 psychologists on its payroll. Although the majority are clinicians, a number of industrial and organizational psychologists (I-Os) work for the two agencies in a number of capacities to create programs, improve governmental organizations, and provide support to improve the lives of veterans.

Baltimore was indeed the Charm City for the 201 people who attended the 14th Annual SIOP Leading Edge Consortium, High Potential: Identifying, Developing, and Retaining Future Leaders, held October 19 and 20. With scenic Inner Harbor views and many great shops and restaurants, the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel and surrounding area made for a wonderful backdrop to an exciting and informative event.

The International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP) has welcomed five new Division 1 Board Members for the 2018-22 term.

Military Spouses Are Poised to Fill Your Organization’s Talent Gap

Spouses of active duty military members are often assumed to be individuals whose sole purpose is keeping the home fires burning while their loved ones are deployed, training, or on other missions. This misconception overshadows the reality that 53% of military spouses are actually pursuing bona-fide careers outside the home (DMDC, 2015). Although there are in fact some military spouses, of both genders, that do support and maintain a home, the military spouse population is one that is vastly overlooked as career contributors.

Achieving work-life balance goes beyond finding time for the family

Ever feel a little guilty about taking the time for that pick-up game of basketball or a weeknight watercolor class? You shouldn’t—it’s good for you and your job.

That’s what doctoral candidate Victoria Daniel and Dr. Yujie Zhan of Wilfrid Laurier University discovered in their research titled “Wearing Many Hats: How Employee Personal Life Engagement Enriches Creativity at Work,” presented in April at the 2018 Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology in Chicago, Illinois.

The research touches on several topics in SIOP’s 2018 Top 10 Workplace Trends, including work-life balance, the changing nature of how people work, and engaging millennials in the workplace.