Assessing Emotional Intelligence In Job Candidates

In work settings where employees are required to interact with a wide range of people—all with different personalities and experiences—it is critical for them to have high levels of emotional intelligence to better work as a member or a leader of the team.  

When organizations start to take emotional intelligence into consideration, they hire empathetic, collaborative and adaptable employees. By having people on board who understand that emotions play a huge part in our jobs, it changes the entire set-up of the company and uplifts everyone’s morale.

Moreover, employees with high levels of emotional intelligence have been known to deal with workplace challenges and difficult colleagues in an effective manner. They also make great leaders.

But it can be difficult to assess emotional intelligence in a potential candidate. Is there a test? Can we check for emotional intelligence the same way we’ve been checking their IQ for centuries? We’re afraid not.

Are There Any Signs That Signify Emotional Intelligence In A Candidate?

It can be difficult to assess emotional intelligence in a person you’ve just met for the first time. But you need to look at patterns they exhibit when answering questions, the honesty that shines through, their dedication to their previous jobs, and the language they’re using while talking about their goals and accomplishments.

Failure

Moreover, probing them to talk about how they’ve dealt with failures is also a good way to assess emotional intelligence.

You need to see if they take responsibility for the reasons behind their failures, and how they talk about the incident affecting their personal growth. If they blame other people for their failures, you need to let that candidate go.

Criticism

Constructive criticism and incorporating all kinds of feedback are very important factors when it comes to a candidate’s career growth.

You can either ask them directly how they handle criticism, and asses their personality through their response, or you can ask them to talk about an incident which involved a higher up critiquing their work.

If they become defensive or start making excuses for the kind of criticism they received, you need to not hire this person.

Teamwork

This is one of the top qualities that hiring managers look for. But when it comes to assessing emotional intelligence with teamwork, it gets a bit tricky. You need to see if the candidate is able to manage emotions in a group setting, if they are able to include everyone in the discussion, and if they can empathize with each of their team members. Do they prefer understanding the team’s dynamics before starting a project, or do they just want to jump into work?

Compatibility and understanding in a team project are very important, but a certain level of professionalism also needs to be maintained. A candidate who can balance the best of both worlds is the right fit for your company.

Here at Jobslog, we help candidates land the right job. We also ensure that employers hire the perfect fit through our online job search portal. Post a job listing today! Job seekers can also post a resume to increase their chances of coming across potential employers!

Sources:

https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/how-to-spot-emotional-intelligence/

https://www.boyermanagement.com/dynamic-training-news/how-to-assess-emotional-intelligence-when-hiring-talent

https://blog.criteriacorp.com/how-and-why-to-measure-emotional-intelligence/