Personality tests and skills-based competencies have been a part of recruiting and hiring decisions for quite some time now, but are you considering the Emotional Intelligence (EI) of your potential hires? According to Bamboo HR, 1 in 3 HR Managers are placing increased importance on EI in their hiring decisions. Is your organization part of that 1 in 3?

I know you’re probably thinking… [tweetthis]Emotional Intelligence – What is it and why does it matter?[/tweetthis]

EI is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and diffuse conflict. Why would this be important in today’s workforce? According to Daniel Goleman, the man who first introduced EI, when someone has these qualities, they have the ability to work well with others and are effective in leading change.

Furthermore, in the Business Case for Emotional Intelligence, Leaders who use their emotional resources to foster engagement are showing significant bottom-line results.  Increased engagement creates teams that are: (a) 50% more likely to have lower turnover. (b) 56% more likely to have higher-than-average customer loyalty. (c) 38% more likely to have above average productivity and (d) 27% more likely to report higher profitability.

So what if your organization lacks emotional intelligence? Don’t panic! Some of these competencies can be learned. Peoplescape can help you assess your key managers and create development plans for them! We use a leading edge tool, the Harrison Assessment, in our recruitment and development plans to help measure emotional intelligence and identify areas of improvement.