EQ and IQ are terms that are often confused and lumped together. However, there are some important distinctions between EQ and IQ that a hiring manager must know before attempting to utilize them as hiring evidence.
- IQ, “Intelligence Quotient,” measures a person’s relative intelligence or general cognitive aptitude.
- EQ, “Emotional Quotient,” is the ability to identify, evaluate, and manage your emotions and the emotions of others.
Those who are strong in both measures present a powerful skill set.
What is Intelligence Quotient?
Merriam-Webster defines IQ as “a number used to express the apparent relative intelligence of a person. Determined by either the ratio of the mental age (as reported on a standardized test) to the chronological age multiplied by 100—or a score determined by one’s performance on a standardized intelligence test relative to the average performance of others of the same age.”
A person scoring below 70 is typically considered to have an intellectual disability, while those scoring over 145 are considered genius or near-genius. While it’s technically possible to score at or above 180, two-thirds of the population have an IQ somewhere between 85-115. IQ can change over time depending on a person’s propensity to learn new concepts.
What is Emotional Quotient?
EQ is an individual’s ability to sense, understand and apply emotional power to facilitate higher levels of collaboration and productivity, a trait which can prove useful in most work environments.
Research shows successful leaders and superior performers have well-developed emotional intelligence skills. This makes it possible for them to work well with a wide variety of people and to respond to changing conditions in the business world. In fact, a person’s emotional intelligence may be a better predictor of performance success than intelligence.
Some assessments can measure Emotional Intelligence. A person answers a series of questions, and in doing so, earns a score for each of the five individual sub-categories that make up EQ, as well as an overall score. Although difficult, a person may be able to focus on specific areas of EQ and work to improve his or her scores.
5 Components of Emotional Quotient
When considering emotional intelligence, we look both internally and externally. EQ considers how we think about ourselves (internal) and how we think about and act toward others (external).
The stronger a person is in each of these areas, the better chances he or she will succeed in most situations.
There are 3 internal signs and 2 external signs of emotional intelligence that comprise the 5 components of EQ.
The three internal signs of emotional intelligence
1: Self-awareness
The ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions and drives, as well as their effect on others.
2: Self-regulation
The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods and the propensity to suspend judgment and think before acting. In practice, it is your ability to manage your emotions.
3: Motivation
A passion to work for reasons that go beyond the external drive for knowledge, utility, power or methodology and are based on an internal drive or likeliness to pursue goals with energy and persistence.
The two external signs of emotional intelligence
1: Social-awareness
The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people and how your words and actions affect others. Summed up, it’s all about assessing others.
2: Social-regulation
The ability to influence the emotional engagement of others by managing relationships and building networks.
How to Gauge EQ
Unlike observable behavioral styles, EQ is best measured through the use of assessments. Based on the answers to questions, a person will score somewhere between 0 and 100. The higher the score, the higher the EQ.
Understanding a person’s EQ, along with knowing their natural behavioral style and what drives them can help paint a clearer picture of how a person tends to behave in certain situations.
Conclusion
The good news for job candidates and hiring managers is that EQ is changeable. An employee may have areas in which they struggle, but with effort they can improve those scores. Doing so will help a person succeed in many situations, especially in business or social interactions.
Emotional intelligence is part knowledge, part restraint and part wisdom. As we spend years going to school to build our IQ, we need to spend time working on our EQ. Having a high IQ without an equally high EQ may only take someone so far. However, the combination of the two working in tandem can create limitless opportunities for those proficient in both areas.
