3 Ways to Demonstrate Emotional Intelligence in a Job Interview

Emotional Intelligence is defined as a person's ability to identify, assess and control emotions of themselves, others and groups of people. In today's highly stressed work environments where people are impacted by recession woes, you can see why employers might be interested in hiring and promoting people who appear to demonstrate higher levels of Emotional Intelligence.

A recent Career Builder survey of 2600 employers showed that 61% of employers are more likely to promote workers with high Emotional Intelligence over candidates with high IQ.

Here is how Rosemary Haefner, VP of Human Resources at Career Builder summarizes it for their press release, "The competitive job market allows employers to look more closely at the intangible qualities that pay dividends down the road - like skilled communicators and perceptive team players. Technical competency and intelligence are important assets for every worker, but when it's down to you and another candidate for a promotion or new job, dynamic interpersonal skills will set you apart. In a recovering economy, employers want people who can effectively make decisions in stressful situations and can empathize with the needs of their colleagues and clients to deliver the best results."

The better developed one's interpersonal skills, the more success one might experience in the workplace. It makes sense therefore that if you are looking for work or looking for a promotion, you should be aware of what employers and recruiters might be doing to evaluate the level of emotional intelligence you will bring into the workplace.

Consider these 3 ways to demonstrate strong interpersonal skills in the job search process:

• Speak convincingly about team work and collaborative work in former assignments. Share how you interacted with team members and discuss successful outcomes of projects. The ability to work effectively with other people and resolve conflicts may be an indicator of your Emotional Intelligence.
• Speak positively about working effectively with former supervisors. Using the interview or the hiring process to bash former supervisors or companies, may be an indicator of the fact that you did not fit in well with the last company and that your relationships were not successful.
• Speak directly about your decision making processes in the workplace and what empathetic behaviors might drive your actions.

Employers want to have a certain level of confidence in a worker's ability to handle working relationships in positive, productive ways that will be an asset, not a detriment, to the organization.

Resources:
Career Builder survey - Seventy-One Percent Employers Say they Value Emotional Intelligence over IQ
What to Do When Your Boss Drives you Nuts
5 Job Interview Questions to Learn if a Job Seeker is an Exceptional Team Player