From: Mind Body Green
Corporate America is looking more and more at hiring candidates with a high EQ.
But why? Would you pass?
This article by MBG has lots of insight.
As a yoga and meditation teacher, I’m constantly practicing self-awareness. This means that, over the years, I’ve become highly tuned into my emotions and how to healthfully sit with and cope with the more difficult feelings. Of course, by no means am I saying that I’m perfectly self-aware or even emotionally intelligent—but I do believe that I’ve cultivated a good foundation for myself in terms of overall consciousness of being thus far.
While teaching yoga and meditation isn’t my full-time job, the emotional intelligence I’ve honed from these practices certainly helps me in any kind of workplace I’m in. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly why being self-aware played such a big role in my career success, but a new study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology asserts that emotional intelligence (EQ) really can be a highly effective criterion for hiring and measuring employment qualifications. Most importantly, it introduces a brand-new EQ test for employers to use while hiring.
Researchers at the Universities of Geneva and Berne, Switzerland, believe that the usual sunny disposition, intellect, experience, and competence many candidates exhibit at job interviews aren’t quite enough to determine if they’ll be the best person for the job, they explained in a news release. The scientists are convinced that the individual’s level of emotional intelligence must be factored in to their eligibility for the position. Emotional intelligence (EQ) here refers to their ability to regulate, understand, manage, and recognize emotions, specifically in a work environment. In one recent survey, some 71 percent of hiring managers said they valued an employee’s EQ over their IQ, 75 percent revealed that they would be more likely to promote an employee with high emotional intelligence, and about 59 percent said they wouldn’t consider hiring a candidate with a high IQ and low EQ.
