Further Your Career By Developing Your Emotional Intelligence
By Sami L. Barry
The concept of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) has become widely studied and accepted within the professional realm, and it is a theory that is
focused on within the recruitment and talent management sectors. By definition, EQ is the ability to perceive, understand, and manage
one’s own emotions in positive ways; express one’s own feelings effectively; understand and assess other people’s emotions, viewpoints,
and behaviors; and engage emotionally with others. These attributes are significant because they contribute to the success in a person’s
private and professional life.
Dr. Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., an American psychologist, brought EQ to the forefront in his 1995 book, Emotional Intelligence. He has studied
and written extensively about EQ and believes that it has five primary characteristics: Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Empathy, SelfMotivation, and Social Skills. For a person to be considered as having high EQ, he/she must possess most of these traits and not necessarily
all of them.
Improving your EQ
Unlike IQ, which typically does not change much throughout a person’s life, EQ can be developed and improved for the betterment of one’s
personal life and career development. In fact, developing one’s EQ is an effective career strategy. According to research, you can increase
your value to an employer by improving your EQ, and reap your own benefits while doing so. The starting point is becoming fully aware of
your emotions and behaviors, remaining focused, and reducing stress. This includes being conscious of your non-verbal communication and
sensitive to what your body language is saying, and adapting and responding appropriately to the nonverbal cues others are sending you.
The chart below outlines specific suggestions of how you can improve your EQ in each of the five primary areas.
High EQ = Success
As the business world continues to change at a rapid pace, there is increasing value being put on an individual’s EQ because it is the
technically skilled employees with high EQs who can positively differentiate an organization in the marketplace. Progressive employers and
hiring managers are constantly seeking prospective employees who demonstrate high levels of EQ because it directly corresponds to
attitude, management style, interpersonal skills, and ability to adapt to changing business and work environments. It’s not surprising that
professionals who possess these traits are typically high performers and have strong potential to lead organizations, business units, or
teams.
There have been many studies that support the importance of high EQs in employees. A study performed by TalentSmart, a provider of EQ
tests and training, compared EQ with 33 other workplace skills, and found that EQ is the strongest predictor of performance. Research
performed by Travis Bradberry, coauthor of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, revealed that 90% of top performers are high in EQ, with just 20% of
bottom performers having high EQ. Further illustrating the value of employees with high EQs is another study conducted by Bradberry,
which found that people with high EQs make, on average, $29,000 more per year than those without it. When considering all of these
statistics, one can understand how it makes sense to develop his/her EQ for advancing professional success.
EQ & Exploring New Career Opportunities
Recruitment has become a very impersonal process with most organizations having online processes for receiving resumes and screening
candidates. As such, it can be difficult for professionals to demonstrate their EQ when seeking new career opportunities. The key is to not
let that deter you because your EQ can be critical to getting hired, and there are ways to accomplish this through resumes, cover letters,
and of course during interviews.
As recruitment professionals, Helbling’s consultants are frequently asked by candidates if they should outline their soft skills (EQ) on
resumes. Our advice is that resumes should only include factual information about technical skills and highlight quantifiable achievements.
Cover letters are where candidates can show their soft skills and EQ.
With advanced technology-oriented recruitment tools and practices, there are many who think cover letters are “out of style”. However,
for those of us who are directly involved in recruitment, we disagree. Cover letters are the key to differentiating yourself from other
prospective candidates early in a recruitment process. It’s where you can convey your personality, your strengths, and why you are
interested in a position and organization.
An interview is the ideal time to show your EQ by demonstrating your communication and presentation skills. Our advice is to make
frequent eye contact with the interviewer, listen intently, and answer questions thoughtfully. Keep in mind that high performers will often
speak of their accomplishments in first person language (I, me, we), will use past tense about previous experiences, and will be direct,
factual, and personal in their responses.
All of these suggestions also hold true when working with an executive recruiter or search consultant. Lee Grandovic, a Managing
Consultant with Helbling, says, “In my role, I contact numerous individuals throughout a day, review their resumes, and talk to them in
depth to learn more about their skills, qualifications, and motivations as they relate to the executive searches I’m recruiting on. My
definition of emotional intelligence is a person’s ability to think beyond the technical functions of a role, and to consider the potential
changes and initiatives that can be implemented to expand a role and enhance an organization; and their ability to deal with different
personalities, environments, and situations beyond the bullet points of a job description.”
“To uncover this attribute in candidates, I look for them to talk openly about their positions, organizations, and achievements, what they
are ideally seeking in potential new roles, and their long-term career aspirations,” Grandovic says. “I focus on what they’re saying and how
they say it, and I try to read between the lines. If they don’t elaborate much on these things, and don’t communicate well, that’s a sign that
they may lack a high EQ. So therefore, in my mind, they may not be the high performers that I’m looking for to present to my clients.”
Grandovic reiterates, “It’s imperative for candidates to show their soft skills when exploring new career opportunities. As a search
consultant, I know how critical soft skills are for success and how important they are to our clients. That is why it’s worth the time for
professionals to develop their EQ, and to demonstrate it during interviews. It’s one of the keys to progressing one’s career and becoming a
valuable asset to an organization.”
EQ is a significant principle within recruitment and talent management, and is therefore a critical trait for success in any organization. It can
differentiate high performers from low performers, and as such, it is a skill that all professionals who are career-driven should give
attention to and build upon. By doing so, they will build strong and meaningful relationships with others; earn trust and respect; and
enhance their personal lives and careers, as well as the future of their organizations.
To learn more about how and why hiring managers and organizations value EQ, read our article ‘The Value of High Emotional Intelligence &
How to Assess It in Prospective Employees’, which can be found in the Talent Management section of our Knowledge Center.
Sami L. Barry is Director of Marketing for Helbling & Associates. She has been with the firm for more than 20 years, and creates articles,
blogs, and other content that focuses on the A|E|C, facilities management, real estate industries, as well as talent management and
career development.
Helbling & Associates is a retained executive search firm specializing exclusively in construction, engineering, facilities
management, and real estate. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, we represent domestic and Canadian organizations.
Website:
www.helblingsearch.com
Blog:
Blog.helblingsearch.com
Contact:
(724) 935-7500
[email protected]