The way that you conduct your hiring process can, and will, make or break your organization. Great employees can have a powerful effect on your business, taking it to new levels and providing you with more sales and sustained growth. On the other hand, however, hiring a bad employee will have an adverse effect on your organization. How adverse? The Department of Labor says that the average cost of a bad hire can equal thirty percent of the person’s first-year potential income. For more senior hires, the cost can even be higher.
Many businesses are branching out and stepping away from traditional hiring methods to circumvent this. Of course, hiring managers are still looking for high performance in academics and the appropriate technical skills that a given job requires, but the best employers are looking for something a little bit extra. Tech companies such as Google are taking a look at their candidates’ emotional intelligence in addition to grades and applicable technical skills. The concept of emotional intelligence has been around since the early 1990s, but business leaders have made it all their own since then. Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is dictated by a person’s qualities such as their perseverance, self-control, and sociability with others.
To many companies, emotional intelligence is an even more important quality to possess than than technical ability. A survey taken in 2011 of over 2,600 hiring managers and HR professionals shows that 71% valued EQ over IQ, 75% said they were more likely to promote a highly emotionally intelligent worker, and 59% stated that they would pass up a potential hire with a high IQ but low EQ (link to the survey). The question is, then, why companies are placing such a high emphasis on emotional intelligence and how you can incorporate this quality into your hiring procedures.
1) People skills. The “power of the team” is consistently one of the most important aspects of the workplace and people that are capable of getting along with their peers are more sought after than ever. Highly emotionally intelligent workers will build relationships with a diverse group of people, functioning as an important asset in a work environment that is becoming increasingly globalized. They will build trust and rapport with the rest of the organization and work well within any team you place them on. Look for candidates that enjoy other people and are respected by those around them.
2) Empathy. A person who embodies this quality has a unique understanding of human nature and is able to connect with other people on an emotional level in a way that not everyone can. A potential candidate that can empathize with others will be able to provide great service to customers and team members, responding quickly and genuinely to others’ concerns. This allows teams to focus on the task in front of them rather than engaging in petty bickering and power struggles. A candidate with sensitivity to the needs of others will often act like the oil that keeps a machine running day to day.
3) Clear and effective communication. Not only will a worker with high emotional intelligence stay in contact with you and give you updates on the status of various projects that they are responsible for, they will prove to be a good listener, as well. They understand that everyone wants to be heard and have their meaning understood. The ability to listen and respond to others is, of course, essential to a strong working relationship, but the reality is that many of us aren’t as good at listening as we should be. Highly emotionally intelligent workers are in a great position to set aside their own desires and factor in those of their peers. Their knack for picking up on others’ emotions, whether it be through tone of voice or body language, will come in handy in a team environment.
4) Ability to focus and solve problems under pressure. You want to add people to your team who actually wish to solve issues, rather than sitting on them or worrying about why they have a problem to solve in the first place. Highly emotionally intelligent people want to solve problems as soon as possible and have the capability to stay calm and cool throughout stressful situations. Because of their empathetic view of the world around them, they will also be able to make better judgment calls about how their decisions will affect those around them. Being able to judge the outcome of their decisions allows emotionally intelligent workers to act proactively and manage damage control when bad decisions are made.
When making hiring decisions, keep a lookout for people who exhibit these qualities. They may end up making the difference between an average contributor and a great one!
