You may have started seeing the term “Emotional Intelligence” become more and more popular in discussions involving the workplace, and there’s a good reason why. Emotional Intelligence (EI), also known as Emotional Quotient (EQ), refers to a person’s ability to perceive, understand, facilitate, and regulate the emotions of themselves and others.
When recruiting a new hire, HR professionals may be thinking, “Don’t we want our employees to be able to separate their emotions from their work?” In fact, it’s quite the opposite. When looking for a new employee, especially one that will be in a leadership or management position, it is important that they have a high level of Emotional Intelligence. Why? I’m glad you asked.
How can EI help in the workplace?
People with high EI are not only in touch with their own emotions, but are empathic to the emotions and moods of others, including both customers and team members. Emotionally Intelligent employees are more likely to have enhanced social and communication skills, and find it easier to discuss goals and problem areas with colleagues. People with high EI are also much better at receiving constructive feedback, and will not only understand the feedback, but enthusiastically put it into practice.
Other benefits of being Emotionally Intelligent include having a higher level of self-awareness, and in turn, being able to hold themselves accountable more often. Employees with stronger EI can also keep cool under pressure, better resolve conflicts, and have a higher sense of motivation.
Five main areas of Emotional Intelligence:
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Regulation
- Motivation
- Empathy
- Social Skills
Now, let’s look at the importance of EI from a different perspective. Employees with a low level of Emotional Intelligence lack advanced social skills, are prone to play the victim when problems arise, and are least likely to hold themselves accountable. Lower EI in people can lead to either passive or aggressive forms of communication, and defensiveness when given constructive criticism. They also lack the social skills to work well with others, so they don’t usually excel as leaders.
Are you hiring Emotionally Intelligent candidates? For starters, look for these key traits of a person with high EI:
- Self-Efficacy
- Emotional Stability
- Extraversion
- Conscientiousness
While these traits aren’t going to be written down on a resume or become obvious during an interview, it can be tricky to pinpoint candidates with Emotional Intelligence. The best way to measure specific traits like the ones connected to EI would be a talent assessment, like Bryq.
Which jobs require a high level of Emotional Intelligence?
While having a high level of Emotional Intelligence would benefit any job, there are some roles that require above-average EI. These jobs are more attractive to empaths, or people who are more in-tune with their own emotions and the emotions of others. Careers where a high EI is needed include:
- Nurses
- Teaches
- Therapists
- Customer Service Representatives
- Communications Managers
- Social Media/PR Specialists
How can Bryq help measure Emotional Intelligence?
To help Hiring Managers and other HR Professionals properly assess candidates in terms of EI, Bryq suggests using our Emotional Intelligence Indicator. By adding the EI Indicator to the Bryq Talent Assessment, customers will be able to better gauge their candidates in terms of self-efficacy, emotional stability, extraversion, and conscientiousness. Bryq’s candidate reports are easy-to-understand and will clearly explain how each candidate measures in terms of Emotional Intelligence, among other key traits.
Emotionally Intelligent candidates are more likely to have stronger managerial skills and perform well in demanding environments, so if you’re looking for a strong leader, this may be an important Indicator for you.
