How to Identify a Job Candidate with High Emotional Intelligence

How to Identify a Job Candidate with High Emotional Intelligence

Why does emotional intelligence even matter in the workplace?

Business is people and people have emotions. Where there are emotions, you need the capacity to understand, control and manage those emotions. An unmotivated employee, a co-worker in a bad mood, a subordinate struggling for focus due to some personal issues– they all need to be listened to and managed empathetically. That’s where emotional intelligence comes into play.

So how do you identify a job candidate with high emotional intelligence?

Ask them these 3 questions during the interview:

Can you tell us about a time you tried doing something but failed?

• If the applicant talks about a failure, does their comment suggest an awareness of some personal responsibility for that episode, or do they blame others?
• Remember; self-awareness and self-accountability are two core components of emotional intelligence.
• It could be possible that the candidate was not at fault—at all—for their failure, but even then, how they communicate that part is very important.
• Look for a candidate who has a fair-minded approach.

Can you tell us about a day when everything went wrong and how did you handle it?

• Anyone can have a bad day. The important thing is how they react to having a bad day.
• Hearing how the candidate explains the experience can reveal a lot about their level of emotional intelligence.
• A person with high emotional intelligence is able to keep themselves calm and composed in moments of conflict or when things aren’t going in their favor. They are able to control their mood and impulses and not let others take the brunt of their frustration and anger.

Can you tell us about a project that you could not do yourself and had to ask for help?

• People who have high emotional intelligence have good social skills. They can build networks and collaborate and communicate with others effectively and efficiently.
• Asking this question will give you an idea whether the candidate has these attributes. If you come across a candidate who straightforward denies approaching someone for help, our advice would be to stay away from them.

Here, at OPS Staffing, we make sure that every candidate we shortlist for our restoration business clients has a high level of emotional intelligence. We know how much important emotional intelligence is for their workplace harmony and productivity. Interested in partnering with us for your restoration business recruitment needs? Reach out by filling this form.