Why is Emotional Intelligence so Important in the Workplace?

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At first glance, emotional intelligence may sound like a soft skill that’s not all that useful to your business. But the truth is that people with high emotional intelligence relate well to others and have intangible qualities that help them excel in a team environment and often helping to avoid and resolve conflict—something almost every company needs.

Travis Bradberry of Forbes outlines the reasons that hiring emotionally intelligent people gives companies a competitive edge:

“Decades of research now point to emotional intelligence as being the critical factor that sets star performers apart from the rest of the pack. The connection is so strong that 90% of top performers have high emotional intelligence.”

Every company wants these star performers, but not all recruiters and hiring managers know what austria phone number library to look for. If you’re feeling lost on how to evaluate emotional intelligence, you’re not alone. To help you get started, here are some tips for detecting emotional intelligence in candidates.

1. Use emotional intelligence in your job descriptions to attract the right candidates

You can’t hire the right people if they don’t apply, of course. Companies like Adobe and Zappos have designed their onboarding materials very carefully to appeal to the candidates they’re looking for, using techniques like a relational process and adding emotional intelligence to employment materials.

2. Use initial screenings to your advantage

There’s no reason to bring in a candidate who obviously does not have some of the qualities you’re looking for. During the phone interview, look for indications of emotional intelligence, such as positivity, grace under pressure, and looking at success from a team perspective, rather than individual achievements.

3. Tailor your interview questions

You know by now that there’s no reason to use the same, worn out interview questions used at every company—it’s better to tailor your questions so they make sense for detecting the skills you’re looking for. Carolyn Sun at Entrepreneur has come up with a list of interview questions designed to separate emotional intelligence out of the pack that could be very useful in assessing candidates.