How can you screen for emotional intelligence in global talent acquisition?

Emotional Intelligence (EI) competency also encompasses social skills, which involve navigating social situations, building and maintaining relationships, and collaborating with others effectively. Individuals with high EI competency often demonstrate resilience in the face of challenges, adaptability to change, and a keen awareness of the emotional dynamics within a given context. Developing EI can lead to improved interpersonal relationships, better teamwork, and enhanced overall well-being.

To screen for emotional intelligence in global talent acquisition, incorporate behavioral questions in interviews, use situational judgment tests, and assess cultural awareness. Additionally, consider 360-degree feedback and reference checks to gain insights into a candidate's ability to collaborate, adapt to diverse environments, and manage emotions effectively.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a set of skills and abilities that involves the recognition, understanding, and management of one's own emotions, as well as the ability to perceive, comprehend, and influence the emotions of others. 1= Self-Awareness 2= Self-Regulation 3= Motivation 4= Empathy 5= Social Skills These competencies were popularized by psychologist Daniel Goleman, who outlined them in his influential book "Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ." These skills collectively contribute to effective interpersonal relationships, leadership, and overall well-being in personal and professional contexts.

Prior to candidate screening, it's crucial to define key Emotional Intelligence competencies, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skills, and motivation. Utilize established frameworks like ESCI or EQ-i to identify and measure these qualities, aligning them with both the position requirements and organizational culture.

In global talent acquisition, screening for emotional intelligence (EI) is vital. Use behavioral questions, situational tests, and reference checks to assess interpersonal skills and cultural adaptability. Psychometric assessments offer insights into social awareness. Evaluate communication skills and hold diverse panel interviews for a comprehensive assessment. Continuous training for interviewers maintains consistency. Encouraging self-assessment by candidates and seeking feedback from existing employees provide additional insights. These strategies ensure candidates possess both technical skills and essential interpersonal qualities for success in a diverse global work environment.

SBI - Situation Behavior and Impact is the best way to access the candidates in this part or you can even use STAR - situation Task Action and REsult. it will become easy for both interviewer and interviewee.

A good question to ask would be: "Describe a time when you worked on a global team with members from diverse cultural backgrounds. How did you navigate cultural differences to ensure effective collaboration, and how did you handle any emotional challenges within the team during this project?" This question prompts the candidate to share a specific experience, highlighting their ability to manage both cultural diversity and emotional dynamics within a global team context, providing insights into their emotional intelligence.

Be sure to train line managers, not only need to be able to ask the questions but to be able to score them equitably and fairly.

Effectively screen for Emotional Intelligence (EI) by posing behavioral questions that prompt candidates to recount past experiences requiring EI. For example, inquire about a situation involving collaboration with someone from a different cultural background and how they adjusted their communication style. Ask about instances of receiving negative feedback and their response, or how they resolved conflicts or disagreements. These questions provide insights into candidates' practical application of EI, self-awareness, and ability to learn from experiences.

- Use behavioral interview questions that focus on past experiences requiring emotional intelligence. Ask candidates to provide examples of situations where they demonstrated empathy, conflict resolution, or effective teamwork.

The traits and behaviors associated with high emotional intelligence (EI) share a common theme: the ability to act effectively and appropriately in various situations, especially those involving social interactions and personal decision-making. In addition to assessing past experiences and reflective insights, a crucial interview technique involves presenting candidates with scenario-based, real-life situations they are likely to encounter in the job they are being considered for. Authentic, spontaneous responses to these scenarios can be highly revealing of true EI, a vital factor for thriving in a diverse and dynamic work environment.

In an Era of AI where chat GPT can easily craft questions and answers … can be quite easy for less experienced professionals to face challenges assessing emotional intelligence. I always like to ask behavioural questions and create specific scenarios. Challenge the candidates to come out of the box and use real life examples or even look at their examples from a different angle and ask them for a different opinion. Make sure you don’t follow a script and allow the genuine curiosity about people to be the driving force is the conversation. Spotting red flex and making sure you remain alert.

Screening for Emotional Intelligence (EI) can involve situational questions that assess candidates' hypothetical responses to scenarios requiring EI. For example, ask questions like: "Imagine you're interviewing a candidate with a strong accent - how would you ensure effective communication?" or "Leading a virtual team from different countries, how would you foster collaboration?" Additionally, inquire about their approach to delivering challenging news to a candidate or client. Situational questions gauge candidates' critical thinking, problem-solving in complex situations, empathy, and social skills.

Develop scenario-based assessments that simulate real work situations. Evaluate how candidates respond to scenarios requiring empathy, conflict resolution, and effective communication.

Create role-specific scenarios that mimic challenges candidates may encounter in the workplace. Evaluate how candidates respond to these scenarios, paying attention to their ability to manage emotions, adapt to change, and navigate interpersonal dynamics.

When screening for emotional intelligence (EI), it's crucial to tailor your evaluation to the specific requirements of the position. For instance, in international hiring, where employees interact with diverse cultures, social skills and empathy are essential competencies. To assess these qualities, incorporate behavioral questions that present hypothetical scenarios or require candidates to describe past experiences. Additionally, utilize personality tests or simulations to gauge their EI traits. Background checks can also provide valuable insights into their EI competencies.

Screening for Emotional Intelligence (EI) in global talent acquisition involves utilizing standardized assessments and simulations like MSCEIT for abilities, EIA for self-reported skills, and VRP for real-world scenario simulations. These tools allow for comparing candidates' EI levels, assessing performance, and identifying strengths and areas for improvement. This comprehensive approach helps select candidates adept in diverse environments, cross-cultural communication, and contributing to organizational goals. The combination of questions, assessments, and simulations ensures a thorough evaluation of candidates' EI competencies, aiding in informed hiring decisions.

A thoughtful EI screening question should be centered around eliciting a candidate’s inner-pathos. Past experiences, stories, anecdotes, how they handled it and under what environments? If they could redo anything about it, what would they change? The goal is for the candidate to recall an evocative experience and the relating circumstances under a professional lens, which allows for emotional IQ to be better assessed.

There are some more ways excluding above mentioned: - We can include diverse interview panels to screen the candidates - Use scenario based interview questions to assess EI - Also, ensure to prepare questions accordingly which can help recruiter to effectively assess the EI for a candidate.

- Inquire about situations where candidates had to adapt to change or overcome challenges. Candidates with high emotional intelligence tend to be more adaptable and resilient in the face of unforeseen circumstances. - Explore how candidates approach and resolve conflicts. Ask for examples of times when they successfully navigated conflicts within a team or with clients, demonstrating their ability to manage emotions and find constructive solutions. - Assess a candidate's motivation and drive by asking about their long-term career goals and what motivates them professionally. Individuals with high emotional intelligence often have a strong sense of purpose and motivation.

Having a real conversation as an interview. Using various interview techniques can be helpful, but spend 2-3 hours with a candidate, take them to lunch, or have them spend time with multiple colleagues and you will be able to effectively assess emotional intelligence, culture, and leadership potential.

Research into the effectiveness into EI testing actually shows that it often lacks validity. There are plenty of discussions around whether it suits its purpose or it simply appears to do so because of its overlap with personality testing based on the big five. It has also been proven that autistic job seekers perform significantly lower in EI tests compared to their neurotypical counterparts, even though they outperform neurotypical job seekers on cognitive ability tests. Therefore, it's important that careful consideration is given to EI testing in the workplace, especially if you consider yourself an equal opportunities employer.