Member Spotlight: Erica Barto

Name
Erica Barto

Position/Employer
Selection, Testing & Assessment Specialist at Valero Energy Corp.

How long have you been a SIOP member?
14 years

What roles have you had within SIOP?
I have served on the Membership Committee and Career Services Committee.

Interest area(s)
Selection & Assessments, Employee Surveys, People Analytics, Data Visualization, Job Analysis

What sparked your interest in I-O psychology?
I was always interested in human behavior and particularly enjoyed my psychology classes at Texas A&M. As an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to volunteer in Dr. Stephanie Payne's team research lab and that sparked my journey down the I-O path.

What role do you see I-O psychology playing in the future of work?
The way we work has dramatically changed in the last few years with remote work, dispersed teams, and new technology to manage how we work together. I-O psychologists observed a change in the way people were working and immediately launched studies to collect and analyze data around these new trends. In the future, this type of research will continue to drive changes and improvements in the way we work.

Which of the Top 10 Work Trends for 2023 do you most strongly relate to and how can I-O psychology practitioners, educators, and students impact this trend?
#4: Ensuring Inclusive Environments and Cultures– If organizations are eliminating or downsizing DEI teams, these functions will fall to other individuals in the organization. Organizations will still have a need to examine the demographic trends of their workforce, ensure that they are attracting a diverse pool of job applicants, track the diversity of employees progressing into management roles, and implement programs to celebrate the different cultures of their workforce. I-O practitioners can help examine the impact of this trend, answering questions like: How does scaling back on diversity programs impact employee engagement and feelings of belonging? Are minority groups exiting the organization at higher rates because they don’t feel like their culture is celebrated by their employer? 

What advice would you give to students or early practitioners?
Get involved in a SIOP committee or join a local I-O group to connect with others outside your organization. Never stop learning and challenging yourself to develop new skills.

What is one of your favorite SIOP Annual Conference memories/highlights?
Reuniting with former classmates and professors who live around the world and running the Frank Landy 5K Fun Run every year in a new place!

Please share one non-I-O-related bit of information about yourself.
This summer I’m attending a 7-day backpacking course in Alaska through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) where I will learn navigation, wilderness first aid, and risk management. I enjoy learning new skills both in and outside of work!

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