We just got back from the 2025 SIOP Conference (that’s the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology), and our brains are buzzing with ideas. This annual gathering of the best minds in I-O Psychology is where emerging research meets real-world talent strategy. I-O Psychology, for those not familiar with the field, focuses on human interactions in the workplace. This field is where emerging research meets real-world talent strategy that benefits I-Os, talent leaders, hiring managers, and anyone focused on skills-based learning and development.
Here’s an overview of what stood out to us at this year’s conference and how these insights connect to building better, fairer hiring practices and upskilling programs.
1. Treat AI as a tool rather than a threat
If there was one dominant theme across conference sessions, it was this: Artificial intelligence is already reshaping how we assess, hire, upskill, and support employees. We attended many sessions on how large language models (LLMs) can enhance the candidate experience, automate repetitive tasks, and power more personalized learning paths—when incorporated thoughtfully.
We were also excited to lead a session focused on how I-Os can use LLMs themselves:
Upskilling I-O Psychologists: Developing LLM Apps Using LangChain, Vector DBs, and RAG
Presented by Dr. Nathan Hundley, Lead Talent Scientist at CodeSignal
Nathan walked attendees through building AI-powered apps using LangChain, vector databases, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). The session prepared I-O practitioners with the skills to make the most of large language model (LLM) applications in cases where accuracy and domain relevance are critical, such as conducting a job analysis or analyzing employee feedback.
2. Skills-based hiring needs to be scalable
There’s been a lot of buzz about moving “beyond the resume,” but SIOP made one thing clear: organizations need a plan to actually scale skills-based hiring and upskilling practices. That means connecting the dots across recruiting, learning, and career growth. We saw frameworks for building foundational skill taxonomies, integrating skill signals across the employee lifecycle, and aligning business outcomes to skill visibility.
Adam Vassar, Director of Talent Science at CodeSignal, contributed to that conversation in this panel:
Beyond the Skills Ontology: From Ideal to Scaled Implementation
Presented by Ruth Imose, Chapman Lindgren, Andrew Solomonson, and Adam Vassar
Adam joined a group of skills strategy leaders to share how companies can move from theory to practice. They talked about laying the foundation (think: using the right data), embedding skills into all of your talent touchpoints, and scaling the approach across your org. There was a live polling component too, so the session was a real-time idea exchange.
3. Test security can’t be an afterthought
The rise of remote testing and generative AI has led to new challenges in maintaining the integrity of assessments. Sessions on test security spotlighted both known and emerging threats, like candidate collusion networks and AI-assisted cheating, and emphasized strategies for maintaining fairness, data privacy, and organizational trust.
One of the standout sessions we were part of addressed this head-on:
Test Security: Existing and Emerging Threats and Mitigation Strategies
Presented by Jen Harvel, Rose Hastings, Matthew Minton, Adam Vassar, and Laurie Wasko
This panel covered the latest challenges in test security—from generative AI tools being used to cheat, to organized efforts to game high-stakes assessments. The conversation focused on practical strategies to deter candidate misbehavior and mitigate risks, such as monitoring tools, smarter test design, and transparent policies.
Final thoughts
We left SIOP 2025 more energized than ever about the role of AI and other research advancements in shaping the future of work.
If you’re thinking about how to level up your hiring or learning strategy using best practices from I-O Psychology, we at CodeSignal would love to talk. Schedule a call with one of our experts today.