The Situation

A national survey of 2,600+ hiring managers and HR professionals revealed that Emotional Intelligence (E.I.) is a critical characteristic for landing a job and advancing one’s career. 59% of employers would not hire someone who has a high IQ, but low EQ. promote the high E.I. worker. Why?

E.I. predicts performance. People with strong emotional intelligence are more likely to succeed than those with high IQs or relevant experience.

People with a high degree of emotional intelligence earn more money an average of $29,000 more per year than those with a low E.I. The link is so direct that every one point increase in E.I. adds $1,300 to an annual salary. These findings hold true for people in all industries, at all levels, in every region of the world.

For instance, a national insurance company study showed that agents weak in emotional areas, such as self-confidence, initiative, and empathy sold policies with an average $54,000 premium, while those strong in 5 of 8 E.I. competencies sold policies on average worth $114,000. After supervisors in a manufacturing plant received training in emotional competencies, lost-time accidents decreased 50% and grievances went down from 15 per year to three. The plant itself exceeded productivity goals by $250,000.

It’s quite simple really: people would rather work and do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don’t, even if that that person is offering a better product at a lower price. And the higher up in the organisation, the more crucial emotional intelligence abilities are, as the impacts are greater and felt wider throughout the entire organization. These principles apply to all areas and relationships, at work and home.

So how can you improve staff potential, team performance, workplace harmony and business results?