Does EQ outweigh IQ when it comes to success in the workplace? Nearly all Human Resources (HR) managers (95 percent) and workers (99 percent) surveyed by staffing firm OfficeTeam said it’s important for employees to have a high emotional quotient, or EQ, because it helps them manage their own emotions and understand and react to the emotions of others.

OfficeTeam has developed a research guide, Emotional Intelligence at Work: What It Is and Why You Should Care, which provides advice for boosting EQ and recognizing it in potential hires. There’s also a quiz for individuals to test how emotionally intelligent they are.

The research describes how professionals can rely on their emotional intelligence to deal with various types of personalities and challenging situations they encounter at work. When employees take emotions into account, they make better decisions, communicate more diplomatically and resolve issues faster regardless of who or what comes their way.

“The value of emotional intelligence in the workplace shouldn’t be underestimated — it’s vital to companies and teams,” said Brandi Britton, a district president for OfficeTeam. “When organizations take EQ into consideration when hiring and also help existing staff improve in this area, the result is more adaptable, collaborative and empathetic employees.”

Key findings from the research are:

• More than one in five employees (21 percent) believes EQ is more valuable in the workplace than IQ. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) said the two are equally important.
• Most workers (92 percent) think they have strong emotional intelligence; slightly fewer (74 percent) believe their bosses do.
• Three in 10 HR managers (30 percent) feel most employers put too little emphasis on emotional intelligence during the hiring process.

See: Is Developing Emotional Intelligence Harder than You Think?

• HR managers identified increased motivation and morale (43 percent) as the greatest benefit of having emotionally intelligent staff.
• Reference checks (70 percent) were cited by HR managers as the most common way companies gauge job applicants’ EQ, followed by behavioural-based interview questions (55 percent).
• Forty percent of HR managers said soft skills, such as communication, problem-solving and adaptability are more difficult to teach workers than technical abilities.
• More than six in 10 employees (61 percent) admitted that they’ve let emotions get the better of them in the office.
• 86 percent workers said when a colleague doesn’t control his or her emotions, it affects their perception of that person’s level of professionalism.

Britton added, “There’s more to emotional intelligence than just keeping your emotions in check. It’s equally important to focus on what others are saying with their words and nonverbal cues, and identify with their feelings to build effective working relationships.”

Also read: Women Outperform Men in 11 of 12 Key Emotional Intelligence Competencies: Research Shows

Feature image credit: Freepik