Human emotions are quite powerful and emotional intelligence is one the greatest attributes of an individual that can help to navigate through both personal and professional lives. Employers look for employees with higher emotional intelligence as they can control and channel their emotions well without breaking down. There are some particular traits that employers should look for to find a person such as job experience, aptitude, workplace culture, and reputation.
What is EQ?
Emotional intelligence is defined with EQ or emotional quotient which was first introduced by Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer. According to the theory of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, EQ stands for “the ability to recognize, understand, utilize and regulate emotions effectively in everyday life.” It is more like utilizing own emotions to recognize others’ which helps to foster a sense of empathy in the workplace. Emotionally intelligent people can participate in team projects more efficiently and offer the opportunity for seamless collaboration.
Annie McKee, the director of the PennCLO Executive Doctoral Program said, “Whenever you put two or more people together, they need to learn how to work together, and EQ is a huge part of that.”
Why EQ Skills are Important at the Workplace?
Employers always seek for the top performers and researchers with higher productivity and EQ is the best way to find that out. EQ is twice as important as IQ and it can greatly improve the threshold of performance which helps to shape the career of an individual.
- EQ Can Outrank IQ - It is not just the intelligence that makes a person a better employee but their hold on their emotions and ability to understand other’s emotions that make them a part of the team or the workforce. It is often said that IQ helps to get you the job and EQ helps to get you the promotion. Therefore resilience is beyond intelligence.
- Jobs are Constantly Evolving - The modern world is highly dependent on digital tools and most of them are AI-driven. What differentiates intelligence from artificial intelligence is human emotions and that is why AIs can never replace the human touch and their manual inputs which are not automated. More than just the role, jobs also require understanding emotional values.
- Leaders Have More Impact on the Industry - EQ is important for employees at all levels, especially the leaders and the managers who can influence others. Their emotional approach and conduct can affect the whole team and someone with a greater EQ can become a better manager for whom the team would like to work.
How to Hire Employees with High EQ?
- Commit Looking for EQ Only - Start looking for emotional intelligence from Day 1 and it should be a major part of the hiring process. Rather than job-related technical skills, make sure the candidates are aware that they need EQ for the job role.
- Craft Questionnaire based on EQ Values - Ask the individual about past experiences, conduct in the team, strengths, and weaknesses which helps figure out their emotional strength in a workplace.
- Ask Relevant Questions - Make sure to ask relevant questions that help to determine their character, ideals, and virtues that could be useful for the business.
Concluding Thoughts
When you have a dedicated workforce where every team member has a higher EQ than average; team projects are smoothly done and the company can witness more growth and stability in business.
