Awareness in oneself, others and the surroundings could assist further improvement of this process. Positive professional relationships help improve production output, but it would also require smart teamwork. Knowing how to hire appropriate manpower is the task of the manager’s guideline to the human resource department. Like the coach in a basketball team, it is necessary to find complimentary talents rather than players that share similar traits. The starting five should be a mixture of players that each specialize in a field and are fully capable of handling the pressure and fulfilling their roles. After that, there is the bench and staff, but it is unnecessary to hire people who are incapable of (or unwilling to) work together or people who have little emotional intelligence to care for others in their team; Sometimes losing a talent while acquiring a glue-piece is the better option.

Leaders with high EQ are better able to work in teams, adjust to change and be flexible. No matter how many degrees or other on-paper qualifications a person has, if he or she doesn’t have certain emotional qualities, he or she is unlikely to succeed. As the workplace continues to evolve, making room for new technologies and innovations, these qualities may become increasingly important.

In his books, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ and Working With Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman presents five categories of emotional intelligence. 

To hire candidates who will thrive in your workplace, look for those who have a handle on these five pillars.

1. Self-awareness: If a person has a healthy sense of self-awareness, he understands his own strengths and weaknesses, as well as how his actions affect others. A person who is self-aware is usually better able to handle and learn from constructive criticism than one who is not.
2. Self-regulation: A person with a high EQ can maturely reveal her emotions and exercise restraint when needed. Instead of squelching her feelings, she expresses them with restraint and control.
3. Motivation: Emotionally intelligent people are self-motivated. They’re not motivated simply by money or a title. They are usually resilient and optimistic when they encounter disappointment and driven by an inner ambition.
4. Empathy: A person who has empathy has compassion and an understanding of human nature that allows him to connect with other people on an emotional level. The ability to empathize allows a person to provide great service and respond genuinely to others’ concerns.
5. People skills: People who are emotionally intelligent are able to build rapport and trust quickly with others on their teams. They avoid power struggles and backstabbing. They usually enjoy other people and have the respect of others around them.

The Quiz

Here’s how you can gain a deeper understanding of your own emotional intelligence: 

First, respond to the statements as honestly as possible, and you’ll be shown how you rated yourself on five critical dimensions of EI. Reflecting on your strengths and where you can improve is important, but don’t stop there. Other people’s perspectives matter too. After reviewing your scores, ask one or two trusted friends to evaluate you using the same statements, to learn whether your own insights match what others see in you.

Take the quiz by clicking here. Good luck!

Reading List

Rather than create an exhaustive list of references, I suggest you checkout this recommendation from HBR.