Spotlight Online for Employment and Recruiting Professionals, May 12, 2010

What is emotional intelligence (EQ) and why is it important to employers in the candidates they seek?  

Emotional intelligence is a group of personal and social competencies that when used together effectively can help an individual achieve his or her desired impact or outcome, explains Lisa Kappesser, author of The Smart New Way to Get Hired: Use Emotional Intelligence to Land the Right Job and president of EQ Coaching Solutions. 

The skills areas that make up EQ include:

• Self-awareness
• Self-management
• Social awareness
• Social skills
 

“These skills are not related to IQ, personality, aptitude, or achievement,” Kappesser points out. “EQ develops throughout life and naturally grows with age. However, these skills can be improved and developed at any point in one’s life to increase effectiveness in achieving personal and professional goals.”  

EQ is of critical importance in good leadership and often the differentiator between high and low performers across job classifications, Kappesser says. For example, interpersonal skills—which are critical in today’s global economy and intergenerational workplaces—fall under EQ.  

“Research shows emotional intelligence is the biggest predictor of career success,” she notes. “Employers will want to hire people with these skills who will likely be successful in their jobs and in making the company profitable.”  

Following are 10 emotional intelligence skill areas. Kappesser shares the types of answers the employer should be looking for during an interview to assess for that targeted EQ skill or competency: 

• Emotion identification and expression—The interviewer should look for awareness of feelings and mood in the workplace. Assess how in touch the candidate is with his or her emotions and how the candidate manages those day to day.
• Think of times when you were angry at work. What was the situation and how did you handle it?
• Think of a time you were frustrated because a project was not going well. How did you cope with the situation? What action did you take?
• Goal orientation—The interviewer should look for candidates who have a goal orientation and confidence in achieving their goals.
• Think of a time when you had some strong doubts about achieving success on a project. How did you manage these doubts and what was the outcome?
• Tell me a goal that you set and achieved. What was the situation and what actions did you take? What obstacles did you encounter? 
• Response to feedback and dealing with failure—The interviewer should note how open the candidates are to feedback from others and how they respond to it. The interviewer should look for honesty and willingness to learn.
• Tell me about a time when you made a mistake. What happened, how did you deal with it, and what was the impact?
• Think of a time when you felt like giving up on a project or assignment? What was the situation and how did you handle it?
• Stress management—The interviewer should assess candidates’ awareness of stress in their daily work and how they manage it.
  • Think of a time in which you were stressed on a job. What was the situation and how did you handle it?
• Do you know what situations or events trigger stress for you? 
• Awareness and managing others’ emotions and ideas—The interviewer should look for candidates who are empathic and able to see things from others’ perspectives. The interviewer should assess if the candidates are good listeners and how perceptive they are of others.
• Think of examples in which you were aware of how others on your team were feeling. How did you know what they were feeling and how did you respond to them?
• Think of times in which your beliefs were very different from a co-worker’s but you had to work together. How did you approach your co-worker and how did you handle disagreements?
• Managing relationships/teamwork—The interviewer should assess the candidate’s ability to develop and maintain relationships for work outcomes. The interviewer should assess communication and collaboration skills through the candidate’s overall performance in the interview and with questions like these:
  • Think of a time in which you learned something from your co-workers that really helped you in your job or career.
  • Think of a time in which you helped a team member who was struggling with his or her work or job. What did you do to support this person?
• Awareness of company culture/politics—The interviewer should assess how clued in candidates are to the dynamics of an organization. The interviewer should assess whether the candidates understand the company culture and if they think they would be a fit.
  • Do you know our company’s culture? Would you be comfortable working in this culture?
  • What are some values that are important to you when working for an organization?
• Influencing and leadership style—The interviewer should assess candidates' leadership style and how that fits into the organization.
• Tell me about your leadership style. Do you lead by example? Are you a hands-on leader? Give me an example of your leadership on a past job or as part of a team project?

During an internship or co-op, an employer can assess a student’s EQ in different ways, such as by developing a rating scale that can be used as both an assessment tool for the employer and a  developmental tool in working with the intern. 

“An employer can discuss with the intern what competencies are important and highly valued,” Kappesser says. “Both the intern and employer can rate the intern on each competency at beginning and then at the end of the internship. All 10 of the above competencies are important and can be assessed.”  

• Self-assessment—Does the intern reflect on his/her performance? How does the intern respond when given positive and negative feedback? Does he/she show confidence? Has the intern taken an active role in his/her learning?
• Managing stress on the Job—How does the intern manage stress? The employer should ask the intern how he/she is doing with the job tasks and if he/she is feeling stressed. The employer should look for responses that show the intern is aware and handling the stress effectively.
• Maintaining a positive attitude—Optimism and a positive attitude go a long way in today’s changing workforce. Positive thoughts lead to positive feelings and actions. How does the intern deal with challenges?
• Collaborating and cooperating—With teamwork so critical to businesses today, the employer should observe how the intern interacts with others and works on teams. Does he/she align his/her goals with the team and company goals? How does he/she get along with others who are different from him/her? Is he/she open to learning from others?
• Communicating—How well does this intern communicate with others, with peers, manager, customers, and so forth. What is the intern’s communication style and is it effective? 
 

Of course, it’s important to note that not all jobs require the same skills. Certain kinds of job functions and occupations require more EQ for individuals to be successful. For example, salespeople need a high degree of empathy, Kappesser says.  

“Employers have a list of the hard skills needed such as education, certain experience, and skills, but there should be soft skills that are also targeted for each kind of position,” Kappesser says. “Potential leaders need EQ. It should be weighted fairly heavily.”