Ask an HR Pro: Why Should You Hire for Emotional Intelligence?

From technical and industry-specific skills to education and experience, there’s a lot to consider when hiring and evaluating candidates. Furthermore, in today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, technical skills alone are not enough to thrive in the workplace, and one of the most overlooked components of a candidate’s profile is their emotional intelligence (EQ).

But what exactly is emotional intelligence, how do you measure a candidate’s EQ level, and why is it so important in the workplace and team dynamics? We asked Lisa Shuster, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP and iHire’s Chief People Officer, for her take on this topic.

What Is Emotional Intelligence?

“Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and the emotions of others. It’s a good indicator of how the person will interact with colleagues, handle stressful situations, and manage their own duties,” said Shuster.

Emotional intelligence is broken down into five distinct categories:

1. Self-awareness

2. Self-management/internal motivation

3. Relationship management

4. Social awareness

5. Empathy

“It’s good to remember that many people don’t have the capacity to excel in all five of these categories, and that none of the categories is necessarily more important than any other,” Shuster added. “If a job requires mostly individual work, self-awareness and self-management are probably the most crucial. For a job that includes a heavy amount of collaboration, a candidate will need to show excellence in relationship management, social awareness, and empathy.”

Why You Should Hire for Emotional Intelligence

The most important factors of EQ will vary by position, though it’s beneficial to be aware and look out for signs of each in a candidate.

“Hiring individuals with high emotional intelligence can have numerous positive impacts on your organization,” Shuster continued. “They can enhance communication, exhibit strong leadership skills, resolve conflicts more effectively, and foster empathy and teamwork within their teams.”

With strong emotional intelligence in the workplace, you can create a collaborative and supportive environment that nurtures employee engagement and productivity. EQ is key to cohesive and high-performing teams and, ultimately, your organization’s growth.

How to Gauge High Emotional Intelligence

So, how do you figure out the emotional intelligence of your candidate?

“The interview is a huge part of this process. The Harvard Business Review encourages ‘behavioral event interviewing,’ which involves evaluating the candidate based on their personal experiences, how they handled those experiences, and what they learned from the experiences,” Shuster said.

You can also try asking the candidate questions about a hypothetical situation that requires them to analyze how they would act in a stressful situation or conflict, and more importantly, why they would act that way. Role-play exercises can also simulate real-world situations and allow candidates to demonstrate their emotional intelligence in action.

“Anyone can give a politically correct answer to resolving a conflict, but the real test is their reasoning. This will reveal some of their ability to think critically about social situations,” advised Shuster.

As an employer, hiring for emotional intelligence should be a top priority. By recognizing the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace and incorporating relevant interview questions into your hiring process, you can build a team of individuals who not only possess the necessary technical skills but also the EQ to navigate challenges, work well with others, and contribute to a positive and thriving work environment.

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