Name:
Cole Napper
Position/Employer:
Global Head of People Analytics at FedEx Corporation & Co-Host of the Directionally Correct Podcast
How long have you been a SIOP member?
15+ years
What roles have you had within SIOP?
Served on the Professional Practice Committee and various subcommittees
Interest area(s)
People Analytics and the “I”-side of I-O psych
What sparked your interest in I-O psychology?
I fell in love with I-O psychology for its ability to use research and data to understand complex phenomena in the workplace. It’s fascinating.
What role do you see I-O psychology playing in the future of work?
I-O psychology research is right in the thick of guiding what the future of work looks like, whether it be remote versus in-office, teams, how to motivate employees, changes to the employee value proposition, etc.
What work trends are you seeing and hearing about and how can I-O psychology practitioners, educators, and students impact these trends?
I am extremely curious about the impacts of GenAI on the broader workforce (e.g., upskilling people vs. replacing jobs), it being a force multiplier to people analytics, and how it impacts the I-O psych research toolkit
What advice would you give to students or those early in their career?
You have a license to learn. Go use your skillset and expand your boundaries.
What is one of your favorite SIOP Annual Conference memories/highlights?
Recording Directionally Correct live at the SIOP Annual Conference the last 2 years has been a riot. 🙂
Please share one non-I-O-related bit of information about yourself.
I’m an avid golfer.
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