Emotional Intelligence Assessments: A Growing Recruitment Tool

It is reported that high performers have high emotional intelligence. More organisations are now looking into emotional intelligence assessment in recruitment of staff.

Emotional intelligence (EQ is the common abbreviation) involves the ability to monitor and discern one's own and others' emotions, and to use this information to guide one's thinking, actions, and interactions with others.

According to an early pioneer of EQ, Daniel Goleman (1995) proposed five main traits: self-awareness, empathy, self-control, social skills and motivation.

EQ concepts have now extended to include optimism and problem solving. Recently the US military included assertiveness as a necessary trait, particularly for managers and supervisors.

As the concept progresses, EQ assessments now form a key component within recruitment across many professional sectors. Within the US security industry the issue of consistent self-control is considered integral to successful work relationships and operational effectiveness.

More information about EQ is available in the current issue of Security Management (September 2015).