Making a Difference: How I-O Psychologists Can Drive Social Good

Imagine introducing yourself as an I-O psychologist and seeing someone’s face light up with genuine curiosity instead of that familiar blank stare. What if the powerful impact of our work—shaping workplace culture, fostering leadership excellence, and boosting team performance—was as widely recognized as it deserves to be? Although many of us have encountered moments of needing to explain our field, this is also an opportunity. Despite being at the forefront of improving workplace culture, leadership, and team effectiveness, I-O psychology remains one of the best-kept secrets in business.

SIOP’s Visibility Committee is seeking to change that dynamic by increasing the visibility of SIOP, SIOP members, and I-O psychology to business leaders, public policy officials, and the general public. Within the Visibility Committee sits the Advocacy & Prosocial Subcommittee, which aims to promote, guide, and encourage SIOP members’ use of I-O knowledge for prosocial purposes.

Prosocial I-O work involves using the principles, research, and practices of I-O psychology to benefit others or society at large, often with little or no compensation. This work may include volunteer efforts or extra-role activities driven by a keen desire to make a positive impact. It may also encompass paid work or formal job responsibilities for individuals who chose their career path, job, employer, or projects based on a commitment to creating societal value.

The world is brimming with opportunities for I-O psychologists to make a meaningful impact. To inspire others in the field and spark ideas for getting involved, the Advocacy & Prosocial subcommittee is launching a TIP column to showcase the impressive work and stories of I-Os doing this work and making a difference.

To learn more about prosocial I-O efforts, we interviewed Kira Barden, director of People Analytics and Research at Intuitive. Below, hear Kira’s story of the diverse prosocial experiences across her career, her advice for how to get started, and valuable insights for those of us who might question if we are ready to advise organizations in all areas of I-O.

Briefly describe your history of prosocial work; how did you get started and how did things unfold?

I actively volunteered on high school and college committees; I have always felt drawn to opportunities where I could get involved and use my skills to benefit others. In 2003, as I was finishing graduate coursework (CUNY, Graduate Center at Baruch College – Doctoral Program in I-O), I started attending social events at The LOFT in Westchester County, NY. After a few months, the board president approached me to ask if I would be interested in getting involved with peer support groups, specifically by training new facilitators who volunteered to lead peer support discussion groups. At first, I felt intimidated and wondered whether I was the best person to lead such a training.  However, I thought it would be a great opportunity to get more involved in the community, and it was directly related to classes I was teaching as an adjunct professor (Interviewing Techniques and Small Group Dynamics). My initial work involved designing a half-day training for peer facilitators, with quarterly refresh sessions. The organization valued this training, and I continued conducting it for several years.

In addition, I was asked to consider joining the board of directors. I decided to join the board in 2005, and to this day, i am still a board member. over the course of nearly 20-years, i have served multiple terms in various roles, including president, vice-president, secretary, and director. During this time, the organization’s budget grew from $150,000 to $1.4 million, and the team expanded from one paid staff member to 13. The growth allowed me to use I-O skills in multiple ways to guide the board and executive directors. Some of the work I’ve done includes:

• building an employment handbook,
• writing several policies for the staff and board,
• creating a performance management and merit process,
• writing job descriptions for new roles and building accompanying interview guides,
• running community focus groups on topics related to the organization’s services and community reputation,
• forming search committees and interview processes to bring in three executive directors and new directors to the board,
• facilitating strategic planning conversations with the board, and
• coaching numerous staff on leadership gaps.

As my professional career expanded, I also took on leadership roles within employee resource groups (ERGs) at PepsiCo and WestRock. These ERG experiences allowed me the chance to develop talent in more junior colleagues, identify and fill skill gaps in the employee population, and apply my facilitation skills for educational sessions and webinars.

How have you leveraged your I-O knowledge and expertise in prosocial work? What have you learned from that experience?

I leveraged my I-O knowledge and HR expertise from work experiences to help The LOFT as the organization grew. As the staff expanded, the organization needed basic infrastructure in terms of policies and processes to identify, interview, hire, and develop talent. Over the course of 20 years, the board of directors also grew, with directors coming and going, creating an ongoing need to identify board requirements, interview candidates, and facilitate strategic planning sessions.

Through this prosocial work, I have gained knowledge and skills about budgets and financials. When I first started, I did not have budgetary responsibility in my professional role. Through the organization’s growth, I learned about diversifying and securing funding, navigating the annual budgeting process, reading the profit and loss (P&L) and balance sheets, and going through the audit and tax documentation each year. Ultimately, these skills helped me in my professional roles, especially in ERG leadership roles where I had responsibility for managing the budgets and procuring vendors for events.

What tool or resource do you wish existed to support I-Os doing prosocial work?

One tool that I think would be beneficial is guidance on how I-O skills can be applied to nonprofits, local government, civic organizations, and small businesses. I-O skills are valuable to organizations, especially those that are small and expanding, and that have limited resources to procure consultants or staff to do this work. In my own experience, I didn’t realize how important my skills would be to The LOFT until I saw how much my work contributed to the organization’s growth and success.

It can be hard to identify how to get involved in this work. There are some organizations with databases that connect interested parties to organizations in need of specific skills and project leadership. Local chambers of commerce or groups that connect nonprofits together may also be a great starting point. Large corporations often have a foundation or volunteer arm that can connect employees to opportunities where they can get involved.

What advice do you have for I-Os (in different career stages and contexts) who want to get started with prosocial work? 

At every stage of your career, there are opportunities to apply your I-O skills to benefit the community. As a young professional, prosocial work can be a great way to build and refine your skills. It can give you an opportunity to guide an organization on a process that you may want to master. For example, when I guided The LOFT on how to create a performance management process for their staff, I did not “own” performance management in my professional role.  However, I knew I could make a difference for them because I had templates and experience with annual cycles that I used in the design we cocreated.

Prosocial work requires time and commitment to the organizations you are working or involved with. This can be a difficult balance with the demands of your professional role(s). I am passionate about giving back to the LGBTQ+ community, so it has been important to me that I engage in prosocial work with a community that I care deeply about. Aligning your personal interests and passions with organizations you support can be a great way to narrow your focus. The intersection of personal and professional values can also help keep you focused and committed when the balancing act between work and life becomes challenging.

Are you doing prosocial I-O work you’d like to see featured in TIP? The Advocacy & Prosocial subcommittee would love to hear from you! Contact us to find ways to share your experiences with the broader SIOP community.