Jenny Baker / Thursday, September 22, 2022 / Categories: 602 2022 Exit Survey SIOP Survey Subcommittee: Victoria Hendrickson, Kaytlynn Griswold, Amy Wester, Harry Kohn, Brett Guidry, Erik Zito, William Thai, and Kelsey Byerly To better understand why SIOP members chose not to renew their membership with SIOP, members who did not renew by the June 30, 2021 deadline (N = 2,329) were surveyed by the SIOP Survey Subcommittee through June 7–23, 2022. As a result of sending the Exit Survey, 81 people renewed their membership. Of those who chose not to renew, 39 people responded to the survey. The online survey was sent by email and consisted of five quantitative questions, four write-in questions, and two demographic questions. The SIOP Survey Subcommittee conducted the analysis and generated the full report, which can be found on the SIOP Survey website. Our focus in this article is to share a high-level overview of the results and any key emerging themes. Upcoming articles will focus on actions that are planned and underway as a result of this survey. Given the low response rate, caution is warranted when interpreting the results. Overall Findings The most cited reason for not renewing is retirement (28%), whereas 13% indicated that the cost of membership is too high. Of the respondents, 55% were SIOP Members, 18% were Associates, and 13% were Students. Approximately 38% of respondents had been members of SIOP for 5 years or less when they chose not to renew their membership, and another 29% had been members for 21+ years. Looking at the qualitative responses, many respondents had multiple reasons for terminating their memberships. Review of the Comments The 59 comments were analyzed and are represented here in categories: Topic Example Count Cost If I find myself in a position where membership is financially justifiable, I will rejoin. 14 Benefits and resources Everything was conference related. I found little in the way of support, articles, commentary, or peers. 14 Strategic direction I would like to see more strategic goals for SIOP in advancing the I-O field. 8 Conference Attending the conference is the only current value for my membership. 6 Membership level Unless the membership structure changes significantly, I will likely not rejoin at any time. 5 *The remaining 11 comments did not fall into the above topics (e.g., no longer in the I-O or HR field; retired). Actions Suggested Based on Results The annual Exit Survey is one way we garner insights for retaining SIOP members. In concert with the many other SIOP committees, we continue to look for ways to serve the field of I-O psychology and the members of SIOP. Here are a few considerations we suggest in response to the results of this survey. Dues Cost is a common reason expressed for not purchasing something, and SIOP membership is no exception. We are sympathetic toward those who are currently experiencing financial challenges or ongoing COVID-19 impacts. SIOP does provide members experiencing hardship a one-time partial dues waiver to mitigate financial concerns. Next, several respondents indicated they didn’t feel the benefits of their membership could justify the cost. Work can be done to ensure accessibility and understanding of utility to improve the perception of membership value in relation to the cost. Last, some respondents reported that their employers’ unwillingness to pay dues was a key factor. Although SIOP provides a template for communicating the value to employers, we hope that as SIOP’s prominence continues to grow, more employers will be willing to cover the cost of their employees’ dues. Engagement and Inclusion SIOP and the Membership Committee are deeply committed to championing diversity and inclusion efforts across the SIOP community. The volunteer committee members in SIOP are dedicated to ensuring inclusion and belonging of all members. Although SIOP has taken steps to increase engagement and inclusion, such as the addition of a Diversity and Inclusion Portfolio Officer, further steps are needed in order to continue these efforts. We suggest considering placing additional emphasis on culture within SIOP through committee work, events, and messaging. In addition, SIOP can build upon its outreach efforts to continue building greater diversity and inclusion of its member population, ensuring all groups are represented. Resources and Research Survey results showed mixed sentiments around resources and research, with some respondents expressing dissatisfaction with the practitioner focus and others expressing dissatisfaction with a lack of relevance for practitioners. SIOP values all members, regardless of their background, and seeks to be a valuable organization for practitioners and academics alike. SIOP should continue to seek targeted feedback on the content that is most valuable to its members and consider all perspectives when supporting research and providing resources. In addition, we suggest enabling specific collaboration opportunities across academic and industry groups to help build greater symbiosis between the various perspectives and help the I-O community as a whole bridge the scientist–practitioner gap. Last, SIOP can consider improving the organization’s resources and messaging to be more tailored to each group as appropriate. The SIOP Membership Committee seeks to create an inclusive membership for all I-O-related professionals and focuses on the attraction, selection, and retention of all SIOP members. For additional feedback or questions, please contact our Survey Subcommittee. Print 611 Rate this article: 3.0 Comments are only visible to subscribers.