Emotional Intelligence - The Most Important Element of Employee Evaluation

November 27 2017 - It can be hard to find the perfect employee for all the work you need to be done properly. There are usually numerous candidates with various specifications and different types of personality, and it can be quite a challenge to find the one with all the characteristics you need.

Luckily there are some things that can help you out when it comes to the picking of the perfect candidate, and one of those things is emotional intelligence (EQ). Various studies have shown that people with high EQ usually have quite a lot of characteristics of a good employee. We've made this short list to help you understand why people with emotional intelligence tend to be great at their work. So, without further ado, let's get straight to it.

People with emotional intelligence are natural leaders

People with high EQ are not the ones that only wait for instructions when their coworkers need assistance. They tend to take the control when they are faced with a situation they think can be resolved with their solutions, and they usually come through with it. This helps with both productivity and mutual trust your coworkers have for each other.

Talk to your candidate and see how well do they understand different personalities. Try to see if they were in charge of a project or a team in the past, and try to deduce how well they respond to various personality types. People with high EQ are naturally likable, and that's something that's very hard to miss. According to the experienced people from Futureproofology leadership development school, during your interview with a potential employee, make sure there are other employees present so you can get their input about the candidate as well.

People with emotional intelligence are great in working with personnel

People with emotional intelligence really love solving so-called "people's problems". This means that they are great listeners and usually know how to address people with different personalities. With this attitude, they can truly stay objective, and therefore really be able to help their coworkers end their arguments or deal with a client who's being difficult.

With high EQ, people usually tend to observe the world objectively. They usually listen and really understand the opposing argument, which helps them come to an easy resolution which suits everyone. Having an employee like that can seriously benefit your entire workflow.

People with EQ are very reflective

One of the most amazing abilities people with high emotional intelligence have is the ability to reflect on each and every situation and its impact. What this means is that they are usually very hard to "catch off-guard". Their ability to understand the impact of their actions helps them adapt for almost any kind of work.

When you're talking to your potential employee, try to figure out what being reflective really means to them. Try to understand how they observe their duties and different situations, and try to understand how they see themselves within your company. Suggest a scenario in which you can understand how they reflect upon their decisions and you will get some better understanding of their emotional intelligence.

Final thoughts

With the right people, any business can flourish, but you need to find the right people first. There are numerous ways to find a professional that suits your business' needs, but when you're focusing on EQ during the interview with your candidate, there's quite a lot to gain. You're not only selecting a candidate because they would do their job properly, but also a person who can understand the complexity of working with a lot of colleagues.

• More general Australian HR articles