In recruiting, there’s long been an emphasis on hiring highly intelligent individuals. But there’s more distinction now between IQ, which refers to a person’s cognitive ability, and emotional intelligence (EQ), which is a person’s ability to manage themselves and adapt to social situations. In recent years, hiring for EQ over IQ has grown in popularity, especially on marketing teams. It makes sense — being able to navigate the workplace socially and interpersonally is often just as important to job performance as having a high IQ. Ultimately though, striking a balance between EQ and IQ can be critical when adding new team members. Both are beneficial to the workplace and to marketing teams. When you consider both types of intelligence as equally important, you can create a more well-rounded, efficient and productive team.
I hear a lot that hiring managers should focus on a candidate’s EQ even more than their IQ during the interview process. This is because some of the fundamental features of EQ are self-regulation and social skills, both of which are crucial for successful team collaboration and project management. And because marketing, in particular, can require a deep understanding of customer behaviors, you may want everyone on your team to have a high EQ. But in my experience, IQ is equally important to the cause. It’s important for everyone on your marketing team to be able to learn the skills necessary for their job, regardless of which vertical they’re in.
So when you’re interviewing, it’s important to be able to assess both types of a candidate’s intelligence. Here are some of the ways I approach the hiring process.
Home In On How They Think
What we’re really looking at when we’re trying to figure out where someone falls on the EQ/IQ spectrum is how they think. To do this, I focus on how they communicate as a whole and on what their responses tell me rather than seeking a specific answer. Are they more analytical, or are they big-picture thinkers? Pay attention to moments when you feel your question may have been misunderstood because it might give you some insight about this. For example, I’ve found that people who are higher in IQ often respond to culture-based questions in a methodical way. They’ll talk about job functions and working with a results-oriented team when you may be interested in learning about their communication style.
Conversely, those on the EQ side may answer specific job-related questions more conceptually, meaning they might focus on more general things like their overall approach to problem-solving or how team dynamics contribute to success. Both of these answers can be valuable, of course, but if it’s not the answer you’re looking for, think about what that tells you about how the candidate thinks and communicates.
Figure Out How They Approach Problem-Solving
Assessing for both EQ and IQ can give you a good sense of candidates’ problem-solving styles. When you interview them, ask questions to gauge how the candidate approaches problem-solving and how often they consider others’ viewpoints. Asking how they measure success is a good way to determine how they approach goal-setting and conflict resolution and, ultimately, where they likely fall on the EQ/IQ spectrum. Present them with examples of situations they may find themselves in to determine whether they get down to the nitty-gritty of the best way to deal with an issue right away. It’s often more difficult to train people on communication habits because they’re often inherent to their personalities. But it’s not insurmountable, and as you interview, it can be helpful to get to know how candidates communicate to better understand how you would manage each person.
Don’t Worry Too Much About EQ/IQ fit
EQ and IQ are a good gauge for understanding how a candidate might approach a role, but it’s important to look at them holistically. It’s important to be able to understand how a potential hire thinks and solves problems, but focusing too much on where someone falls on the EQ/IQ spectrum can be limiting.
In some cases, you may want to emphasize a certain type of intelligence in the hiring process to fit certain roles. But I’ve found that many people generally lean toward having either a higher IQ or EQ, and they tend to seek out roles that allow them to apply those strengths. I see this happen a lot in marketing. People higher on the IQ side who are numbers-focused often apply for digital marketing roles because they tend to deal directly with numbers and key performance indicators as measures of success, and roles in content and communications are often filled by people who fall on the EQ side because these roles put a heavy focus on appealing to people through words and emotional resonance.
People can have both a high IQ and EQ, of course — they often just gravitate toward roles that may require a higher level of one or the other based on where their strengths lie. So if you’re concerned about finding an exact fit for a certain role based on EQ or IQ, know that it will likely sort itself out naturally. Consider a candidate from several angles rather than through one lens. It wasn’t until I started to take this approach to hiring new candidates that I found that it really is the best way to get the most from everyone on my team.
