Emotional Intelligence: The New Aspect in Hiring

According to a CareerBuilder, employers are beginning to change what they look for in future candidates. Due to the fact that the economy is under such uncertainty these days and companies are getting smaller, 34% of hiring managers said they are placing greater emphasis on emotional intelligence when hiring and promoting employees post-recession. Another major statistic is that 71% said they value emotional intelligence in an employee more than IQ. This blog post will give a summary of Jennifer Grasz’s story, but to check out the full version click here.

Emotional Intelligence or EI is an evaluation of person’s ability to remain in control of their emotions, use their senses to understand and react to other individuals’ emotions, and how they deal with relations. This was a national survey that was conducted from May 19 to June 8, 2011 with more than 2,000 HR professionals and hiring managers. This assessment revealed that EI is a vital trait for getting a job. With these statistics it is apparent that IQ is suddenly no longer important when it comes to hiring future employees – 75% said they would most likely promote the person with high EI.

Why emotional intelligence is more imperative than high IQ, according to employers (in order of importance):

1. Employees with high EI are more likely to remain calm in chaotic situations (For ways to stay calm, check out How To Deal With Stress At Work)

2. Employees know how to solve conflict effectively

3. Employees are empathetic to their co-workers and react accordingly

4. Employees are leaders by example

5. Employees are more inclined to make attentive business decisions

Top qualities of high EI employees as assessed by HR managers and hiring managers:

1. They will admit and learn from their mistakes

2. They can control their emotions behind when it comes to thoughtful discussions on tough issues

3. They are listen just as much or more than they talk

4. They are good with constructive criticism

5. They are graceful under pressure

Hopefully with the help of this article, it will be easier for people to get a job in this economy. But in reality will it actually make it harder?

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Teresa Humbert is a recent graduate from the University of Iowa where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies and a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management. While at Iowa, she participated actively in her sorority, Pi Beta Phi, and was also the Vice President of Recruitment for Students in Advertising.