When you're hiring for any role, hard skills matter. But more than ever before, soft skills and emotional intelligence (EQ) are becoming recognized as a success indicator. That's because all the technical skills in the world don't mean anything if a new hire doesn't have emotional intelligence. People with a high EQ are coachable and teachable, and make ideal employees, and savvy companies are putting more emphasis on EQ during the hiring process.

If you are ready to focus on hiring for EQ in the workplace, use these actionable tips to help you make strong recruiting choices.

Interviewing for EQ

Traditional job interviews aren't necessarily effective at helping you evaluate someone's EQ. Behavioral interview questions that require candidates to describe past actions are a more effective means of evaluating emotional intelligence. The right questions can provide important insight into a candidate's personality, soft skills and EQ level.

Questions should always be tailored to the position you are hiring for and your unique company culture, but you can create that list based on these examples:

Self-Awareness

• Describe a time when you had to overcome your biggest weakness to succeed.
• Describe the ways in which your mood has impacted your productivity.
• Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult co-worker to meet a deadline.

Motivation

• Describe a time when you felt unsatisfied at work. How did you stay motivated?
• Tell me about a time you went above and beyond what was required of you.
• Describe a situation in which you had to motivate others.

Empathy

• How do you build rapport with new co-workers?
• Tell me about a time when hearing someone else's perspective helped you arrive at a solution to a problem.
• Describe a time you had to deliver difficult news to your boss (or a customer).
• How do you handle it when you are busy and stressed, but a co-worker comes to you with a problem?

Interpersonal Skills

• Describe your current relationship with your boss, or your most recent boss.
• Tell me about your current relationships with your co-workers.
• What are some personality traits of people you typically work well with?
• Describe a recent conflict you experienced at work and how you resolved it.

EQ Yields Stronger Teams

We used to think of EQ strictly in terms of leadership. However, employees at all levels must be able to exhibit emotional intelligence in all types of workplace scenarios. When employees are self-aware and tuned in to others, productivity and customer relationships will improve.

If you are ready to hire for emotional intelligence, PrideStaff will help you find the right fit for your open roles. Contact us to learn more about the ways we can help you build your team.