Emotional intelligence (EQ) refers to the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.
Studies have found a correlation between job performance and emotional intelligence. Recent surveys indicate that over 71 % of employers value emotional intelligence over IQ. This is a staggering statistic, but it shows how much emotional intelligence can be a factor in overall workplace success.
This is why many companies have begun to incorporate emotional intelligence tests into their application or interview processes, on the theory that someone high in emotional intelligence would make a better leader or co-worker.
Commonly used emotional intelligence tests include the Mayer, Salovey, Caruso Emotional Intelligence test (MSCEIT) and the Bar-On Emotional Quotient testing models. These tests present emotional situations to test takers and then have the respondent choose their reaction to the described situations.
Assessment of emotional intelligence helps a staffing organization determine how well a candidate will perform in terms of development, leadership, teamwork and organization building, credibility, global versatility and social responsibility. Many hiring professionals believe that including emotional intelligence testing in the overview of candidate skills is a powerful way to ensure you hire employees who will be a good fit for your corporate culture and help lead the company to success.
Overall, businesses today not only believe it’s more important to measure emotional intelligence over IQ, but that it’s also more important to measure emotional intelligence over behaviors or personalities. The reasons include:
- Of the competencies that correlate to workplace success, 80% are based on emotional intelligence, which is far greater than intelligence quotient (IQ) or personality traits.
- Highly emotionally intelligent employees can manage their own impulses, communicate with others effectively, manage change well, solve problems, and use humor to build rapport in tense situations.
- Employees with low emotional intelligence are more likely to violate company ethics and policies, ignore rules of the organization, use illegal drugs while on the job, cause conflict and put their self-interest ahead of organizational values.
- Companies that have highly emotionally intelligent employees have a competitive advantage through reduced employee turnover and improved employee performance – all of which improves the bottom line.
Want to know more about emotional intelligence? Tonex offers Emotional Intelligence Training | 2-Day Workshop, which explores the five key elements associated with emotional intelligence, and how to practice each within the context of your workplace.
Additionally, Tonex offers over five dozen other courses in Business Skills training. For more information, questions, comments, contact us.