Fixing the Industrial-Organizational Psychology-Technology Interface (IOPTI)

Abstract Historically, industrial-organizational (IO) psychologists focusing on assessment development did not need to rely on advanced technology. As this changes ever faster, understanding why IO assessment experts, both practitioner and academic, are so bad working with technology has become a concern for those who wish to remain employed and relevant across the coming decades. Many IO psychologists have been frustrated when told a seemingly simple technology change would be expensive, complex, or risky without clarity as to why. But similarly, many technologists are frustrated at the requests they get from IO experts, seemingly divorced from the realities of the technical systems they rely upon. For both, failing to look beyond one’s own assumptions is the major cause of conflict, amplified when making decisions about both people and technology, simultaneously. This chapter focuses on helping better navigate this complex interpersonal interface through the lenses of algorithmic, systems, and design thinking.