In my last blogpost  I talked about EI and IQ in general. Now is time to talk how to be successful and survive in today’s society.
To be successful and survive in today’s society, individuals need to have the necessary communication and organizational skills to make sound decisions and interact with each other. Goleman argues that an individual’s success at work is 80 percent dependent on the emotional quotient and only 20 percent dependent on intelligence quotient. This is because EQ components are useful in assisting employees with decision-making in areas like teamwork, inclusion, productivity, and communication.
Furthermore, good listening habits and skills are integral components of EQ, and carry the elements of self-awareness and control, empathy and social expertness. When a manager at AT&T Bell Labs was asked to rank his top performing engineers, high IQ was not the deciding factor, but instead how the person performed regarding the answering of e-mails, how good they were at collaborating and networking with colleagues, and their popularity with others in order to achieve the cooperation required to attain the goals. This is just one example of the benefits of high EQ regarding communication skills, time management, teamwork, leadership skills and business acumen. After all, we’ve often heard of the “genius” with no personality, and the brilliant surgeon with a horrible bed-side manner.
CareerBuilder’s latest survey conducted among more than 2600 hiring managers and human resource professionals nationwide reveals that EQ is a critical characteristic for landing a job and advancing one’s career. According to the survey:
- 34 percent of hiring managers said they are placing greater emphasis on emotional intelligence when hiring and promoting employees post-recession;
- 71 percent said they value emotional intelligence in an employee more than IQ;
- 59 percent of employers would not hire someone who has a high IQ but low EQ;
- 75 percent are more likely to promote an employee with a high EQ over one with a high IQ.
Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder, cites today’s competitive job market as a reason employers are focusing more on emotional intelligence when it comes to hiring.
“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,” Haefner says in a statement for the survey’s press release.
What do you think of these findings? Do you place a higher emphasis on emotional intelligence than on IQ? What is the X factor for professional success?
