How to Demonstrate Emotional Intelligence in an Interview?

If asked to write a recipe for a successful interview, what would you include? Practically, a stellar CV, ability to relate to past experiences, formal fits, demonstration of technical skills, and soft skills. Or maybe a few closer choices, right?

With that said, there’s an important ingredient that you missed – Your Emotional Capability.

Emotional Intelligence (known as EQ or Emotional Quotient) is a key factor that helps a recruiter decide whether you are a good fit for the role.

This article will cover everything you need to know- from tackling emotional intelligence questions in an interview to showcasing emotional Intelligence on the job.

What is Emotional Intelligence: Up and Close 

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to understand, recognize and manage your emotions effectively, along with recognizing and influencing the emotions of others. A superpower, as you may call it, EQ encompasses a set of skills such as self-motivation, empathy, interpersonal skills, and controlled responsiveness.

Simply put, an emotionally intelligent person will have answers for ‘Why do I feel that way?’ or ‘What made me behave like that?’ or ‘How can I mend my behavior?’.

Importance of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

A survey by Career Builder showed that 71% of hiring managers preferred emotional Intelligence in an employee over IQ. The presence of emotional maturity in the workplace can help work on the following lines:

• Resolve conflicts
• Provide support and motivate others
• Build trust within the teams
• Accept constructive criticism
• Collaborate and adapt to workplace demands

These days, hiring managers are outsmarting candidates by judging their EQ during interviews. They quickly assess the EQ level through interactions, so the candidates must learn the art of attending EQ interview questions.

Tips to Demonstrate Emotional Intelligence in an Interview 

Since there aren’t any objective tests to measure EQ, you must stay vigilant about your responses and interactions throughout the interview. Here are 7 tips that will come to your rescue.

1. Listen Attentively 

Usually, when the interviewer is putting questions, candidates jump off into the thinking process and start framing their answers. This, consequently, gives a big red flag from your end. To demonstrate your level of emotional Intelligence, you must start by listening to the panel actively. If you want them to hear and understand your response fully, allow them to finish their questions. 

Instead of repeating your mugged-up answer, take a moment to gather your thoughts, pick the keywords from the interviewer’s questions and then speak your part. It will create a positive image of you being a good listener.

2. Stay Present and Natural 

Emotional Intelligence is also a measure of how present you are in the moment. The best way to defend your EQ is to maintain an eye-contact throughout the interview. That goes without saying, do not stare so much that the other person becomes uncomfortable. Moreover, interviewers are quick to catch the pretentiousness of candidates. 

So, whatever you say or do during the interview, must reflect your originality. Since the panel will assess your ability to socialize naturally, be enthusiastic and authentic with your interactions.

3. Be Open About Your Emotions

Hiring managers often gauge a candidate’s emotional strength by asking questions on emotional Intelligence. They are laser-focused when a candidate responds to their situation-based prompts. Therefore, as a candidate, you must not adopt a rigid or robotic approach while interacting with the panel. 

Whether you need a smile, a grin, or enthusiasm to support your stance, be smart enough to drive the conversation with positive emotions. It will enable you to build a connection with the interview, thereby securing your chances of passing on the EQ test.

4. Share Your Strengths and Weaknesses

“What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

Although it is a generic question, it can make or break it. Hiring managers often test a candidate’s level of self-awareness with similar questions. When you talk about your strengths and weakness, support them with real-life incidents. It will not only convince the interviewer of your cognizance, but you will also get brownie points for your confidence. 

We understand you might not be comfortable talking about your weaknesses; however, an emotionally intelligent person can spot the red flags and consciously tries to improve them. Therefore, you can cite examples where your weaknesses were a hurdle, followed by your strategy to overcome them.

5. Give Due Credit to Your Achievements

Achievements are a reflection of your capability to take over the job position that you are eyeing. However, emphasizing too much on your accomplishments will make you sound haughty and over-confident. Your CV is enough to do that job unless the hiring panel wants you to highlight some specific instances of your achievements. 

Having said that, a great move to prove your emotional intelligence will be sharing the credit for your success. Be it your family, peers, colleagues, office team, or a prominent personality, recognize the people working behind your success. It will portray you as a competent team member and an empathetic human.

6. Talk About Your Growth

Another common EQ interview question, “Tell me about the time you experienced failure.”, holds a lot of importance. Hurdles like poor work-life balance, frustration, exhaustion, etc., are part and parcel of life. Hiring managers are more interested to know how you tackled a professional shortcoming with a positive spin. 

You can even share experiences where you resolved the conflict between two parties, bringing your rectification strategy to the fore. Growth is inclusive of wins and failures, and an emotionally intelligent person should be able to assess the impact and learn equally from both situations.

7. Ask About Culture and Values 

At the end of the interview, the hiring panel throws the floor open for you to ask any queries or doubts. It can be a great opportunity to demonstrate your EQ. You can ask the interviewer about the inclusivity, work culture, and values in the company. Frame your questions in advance that must revolve around how success is tied to workplace values in the company.

Moreover, you may also ask how much weight is given to individual employee stances during a tense environment. These questions will show that you are aware of your needs and hence, finding the right pieces to complete the puzzle.

Summing Up!

Emotional Intelligence is everything that you do for yourself and others. It is a necessary workplace trait to manage difficult situations while keeping your emotions in check. Now that you know the strategies to ace the EQ test in your interview, give yourself enough practice and put your best foot forward. Show the recruiters that your emotions are ready to roll in!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. How can I improve my EQ?

Answer:

Emotional Quotient is not an inborn trait. Rather, it is learned with experience and practice. The best way to strengthen your EQ is to give time to yourself and understand your emotions in the first place. Being self-aware is the first rung of the ladder in achieving emotional Intelligence. After that, you may work on your resilience, communication skills, and people skills.

Q2. Do all jobs require high emotional Intelligence?

Answer:

Due to cross-cultural companies taking the lead, emotional Intelligence is the most commonly looked at factor while hiring. It becomes crucial to gauge the emotional state of every employee in the company. However, industries like healthcare, customer service, mental health, hospitality, transportation, law enforcement, and emergency response roles demonstrate the greater need to have emotionally intelligent employees.

Q3. Being a fresher, how can I demonstrate emotional intelligence?

Answer:

While in the interview, you may use the incidents from your college and internships to show your emotional intelligence such as teamwork, empathy, leadership, and confidence should be the main themes running through your story. However, once you secure a job in the company, you must be observant about the world around you. Introspect, jot down the positive cues from the behavior of people around you and bring them to the fore when the situation warrants it.