Emotional Intelligence Testing for Employment

Emotional intelligence testing for employment.

Build an emotionally intelligent team

Companies are increasing their use of the emotional intelligence test early in the hiring process to measure job candidates' soft skills in communication, managing emotions, resolving conflict, and taking responsibility.

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What is an emotional quotient (EQ) test?

An EQ test measures a job candidate's ability to understand, manage, and express their own emotions and to deal with the emotions of others. These skills are invaluable for employees who want to work well in teams, handle leadership roles, and thrive in customer-facing jobs.

What does EQ testing tell you about job candidates?

More than an integrity test for hiring, testing for EQ uncovers important information about job candidates, such as their:

  • Self-awareness and ability to regulate their emotions and handle work stresses

  • Empathy towards others and interpersonal skills

  • Communication skills and ability to manage relationships appropriately

  • Ability to positively express feelings and opinions

  • Adaptability and approach to change and uncertainty

  • Strategies for managing stress and job pressure

  • Decision-making and problem-solving under stress

  • Approach to conflict resolution

  • Level of maturity and responsibility

  • Work ethic and job dedication

Why to test job candidates for emotional intelligence.

The importance of testing emotional intelligence in the workplace

Testing for emotional intelligence is important as it helps assess candidates' ability to control their emotions and empathetically interact with other workers.

It's not enough to be smart or skilled. You must get along well with others, whether contributing to or leading a team. Testing for emotional intelligence characteristics can help companies and hiring managers identify skills in areas of leadership, teamwork, calmness under pressure, conflict resolution and empathy towards others. You can also create your own test to fit your company and culture.

Without figuring out how to measure emotional intelligence, you might risk hiring someone who seems competent but is not a fit or even a disruptive force in your company.

Which characteristics of emotional intelligence can you measure?

You need to ask effective job interview questions to uncover emotional intelligence characteristics. You may face problems with your job interview process if you don’t know how to measure emotional intelligence in a consistent and statistically valid way. A well-designed and properly administered pre-employment emotional intelligence testing program makes it possible to share reports that are comparable, even if different people conduct the interviews.

Which characteristics of emotional intelligence can you measure?

By testing for emotional intelligence, you can measure some of the traits most likely to create a great team member or leader:

  • Good communicator

  • Empathetic

  • Self-aware

  • Values progress over perfection

  • Apply other skills into their role

  • More receptive to feedback

  • Adaptable to change

You might be wondering which test measures the emotional ability of a candidate. Try our workplace personality test to help you truly understand your applicants.

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Traits of employees with high EQ vs. low EQ

A high-performance team will have a mix of personalities and will often be composed of people with high EQs. Comparing high vs. low EQs can reveal which traits are more valuable, positive, and productive.

Traits of employees with High EQ

  • Make informed decisions
  • Problem solvers
  • Do well under pressure
  • Better at conflict resolution
  • Have empathy towards co-workers

Traits of employees with Low EQ

  • Avoid taking responsibility
  • Passive-aggressive
  • Bad in team settings
  • Overly critical

Did you know? Assessing emotional intelligence begins with identifying and quantifying personality traits for particular roles. These hiring profiles are the first critical step in measuring emotional intelligence.

Measuring employee emotional intelligence.

Job roles that benefit from higher levels of emotional intelligence

While employees with a high EQ are an asset in any role, they're particularly suited to certain jobs and positions. Members of your staff who are dealing with people and getting people to work well together towards achieving a goal will be more effective with a high EQ. Some examples of job roles that benefit from higher levels of emotional intelligence include:

How did emotional intelligence become a critical skill for employees?

Awareness and understanding of emotional intelligence took off in the early 1990s. Companies have become more complex, and effective teamwork is now a bigger success factor than charismatic leadership. High-performance companies need a healthy culture infused throughout the organization. EQ plays a major role in creating and nurturing that kind of culture.

Intelligence is more than cognitive abilities and skills. People-savvy interpersonal skills and self-control are major components that go beyond traditional ideas of intelligence.

Do emotionally-intelligent hires benefit company culture?

Emotional intelligence in the workplace is key to a high-performing organization. Finding employees with a high EQ benefits company culture in multiple ways. That is why adding an emotional intelligence assessment to your hiring process supports better hiring decisions.

Testing emotional quotient gives insight into the kind of person you're hiring and how they will mesh with teams and contribute to your corporate culture. Signs of high emotional intelligence include the ability to give and take constructive criticism. They work together to make improvements without friction. They're motivated, resilient and empathetic.

Using pre-employment personality tests in your interview process helps you identify candidates with the characteristics of emotional intelligence that make them great hires.

Testing candidates for emotional intelligence.

Start hiring people with the right interpersonal skills

Testing candidates for emotional intelligence improves your hiring campaigns and preserves your company's culture. The Hire Success® Personality Test will help you assess the EQ of your candidates. You can spot potential red flags and find the superstars in a way that's compliant with regulations and reduces risk.

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