The JobSync Blog
Sizing up emotional intelligence
August 18, 2011
Are you looking for employees who are just smart or those who are also adept emotionally?
According to a recent survey of nearly 2,700 hiring managers polled by CareerBuilder, 34% of hiring managers said they are now putting a greater emphasis on emotional intelligence when making a hiring decision. Even more surprising, 71% of hiring managers valued emotional intelligence over IQ, and 75% felt that if two employees were up for a promotion, the candidate with the higher emotional intelligence would win over the one with a higher IQ.
Why are job seekers with high emotional intelligence preferred? Hiring managers in the survey claimed that employees with high emotional intelligence were more likely to 1) work calmly under pressure, 2) resolve conflicts successfully with colleagues, 3) express empathy with coworkers, 4) lead by example, and 5) make more thoughtful decisions. Apparently, the fear is that high-IQ employees often lack the social skills to get along or forge close relationships with their peers. Given that concern, hiring managers worry that a department’s cohesion and camaraderie may suffer, which may ultimately undermine productivity and profitability.
Despite the preference hiring managers place on job candidates with a higher emotional intelligence, few candidates are actually ever tested for emotional intelligence. While there are no shortages of IQ exams for prospective employees, there are far fewer tests of emotional intelligence that provide a comprehensive profile of a candidate’s composure, consideration, and collegiate spirit. And few hiring managers ever administer such tests to candidates.
In the end, it doesn’t take someone with a high IQ to see that neglecting a candidate’s emotional intelligence can leave hiring managers with a personnel situation that really smarts.
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