Qualified technology workers need to have a strong understanding of their field as well as a scientific approach to problem-solving, so employers often look for high marks in certain academic specialties or job-related projects that showcase a candidate’s skill and intellect. However, skill and talent alone will not make an employee the best fit for your company or team. A potential employee’s emotional intelligence (EQ) has been shown to be an integral part of a company’s success. This is particularly true for those who work in the IT industry.
EQ is Good For You
According to Travis Bradberry, a Forbes contributor and the co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, the emotional intelligence “affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions that achieve positive results.” It is constructed of several parts of the personality, including personal competence and social competence. Bradberry noted that the emotional intelligence explains why employees with an average intelligence tend to outperform those with high IQs. In a paper published in the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, Dr. Cary Cherniss underlined previous research that showed that the best workers in complex jobs were 127% more productive than the average employee and that 66% of this performance boost is due to the emotional intelligence of the worker.
The EQ of an employee is clearly important for sales representatives, but is sometimes overlooked for programmers, network administrators, and other kinds of IT personnel. However, the EQ is integral to a team’s cohesion. Technology workers need to be able to communicate effectively within their own teams, explaining problems and mentoring others. These same workers may also need to discuss their project with non-technical colleagues or managers and clients who do not have a strong background in a specific technology. The ability to manage these various types of relationships and interactions can have a strong impact on the success of a project and directly influence the relationship with a customer. Experts believe that EQ is something that can be developed and improved, as described in one of our previous blogs. A number of companies are changing their approach to hiring based on the emotional intelligence of workers. For example, Google considers a job seeker’s EQ vital to success, largely because a humble employee is one who is willing to learn.
Hiring the Humble Techie
With that said, what does it look like to hire a tech worker with a good EQ? Fast Company gave a short list of how to find the right balance between tech skills and people smarts. For example, a technology worker should approach problems with the determination to solve them—without focusing too strongly on the fallout from the problems. How well the employee can manage stress and control their behavior at work is also important. And while the employee may be humble, he or she should also have well-formed opinions about how to solve problems. Mark Dehmlow, the Director of the Information Technology Program for the Hesburgh Libraries at the University of Notre Dame challenged managers to “…spend time evaluating candidates for soft skills like a relaxed demeanor; patience; clear, but not condescending, communication; and a personal commitment to serving others.”
Finding the One(s)
Recent surveys have shown that the current hiring trend favors job seekers, so employers who need to attract qualified candidates may find the competition for quality employees quite rigorous. However, this does not mean that the employer should overlook a candidate’s social aptitudes, especially when it comes to filling an important position on a team. One way to carefully assess a candidate’s emotional intelligence would be to ask targeted questions during the interview process to elicit character. Personality tests can provide some assistance in evaluating an employee’s social skills, but they should only be used as one of many tools in the hiring process. Partnering with a dedicated team of recruiters who understand the background of the potential candidates can also improve your company’s chances of finding the best person for the job. Contact us today for help in finding the most qualified employees for your team.