8 Emotional intelligence interview questions to accurately assess your candidate

Emotional intelligence is known by its shortcut, EQ (Emotional Quotient). We all feel emotions, but people with high EQ can manage them well. Traditionally the office is not the place for emotions, but EQ plays a big role in performance and productivity. High EQ employees thrive in teams, building lasting relationships. They adapt better to change and the mixed feelings it creates.

EQ is reading people, knowing how emotions—especially unspoken ones—influence the workplace, and being able to manage those emotions for a positive business outcome.

EQ is not about education or seniority, but it’s especially needed in leaders who manage conflicts and make decisions affecting not just themselves but their teams and colleagues.

If a candidate is new to management, or from a workplace where EQ isn’t respected, they may not be able to describe it well. Asking these questions which are easy to understand and related to work will help you assess their EQ levels.

Resume credentials are easy to verify, but EQ is not. Give candidates time to tell their stories and cite their experiences. If you get generic and glib answers, dig deeper with follow-up questions.

What this tells you: This shows you what value they place on positive working relationships – not as personal friendships, but as an ingredient in the workplace. What to look for: A practical understanding of working relationships that affect productivity; sincere interest in other people and talent for building genuine connections; positive statements about past colleagues.

What this tells you: Low-EQ people proudly say they don’t get emotional, but high-EQ people know that individual and team emotions affect work, whether we admit it or not. They work hard to achieve a positive, productive mindset. What to look for: A substantial answer; accepting the connection between mood and work output; strategies to deal with and overcome negativity.

What this tells you: How the candidate tunes in to others, recognizing that they’re stressed or upset without being told. What to look for: Empathy for others; capacity to read people and adjust their response to the individual; techniques to support colleagues and keep work moving.

What this tells you: How quickly they recover from setbacks, learn from them and help others do the same. What to look for: Accepting responsibility without blaming others; emotional resilience and objectivity; a forward-looking attitude.

What this tells you: A candidate’s priorities outside of technical skills. Do the core values include being a good place to work? Ask this if your own company is serious about mission statements and values. What to look for: Values that match those of your company; an emphasis on accountability; an agreement that a company’s values do affect its employees.

What this tells you: How the candidate handles constructive criticism, and whether they can provide it to others. What to look for: Their first instinct is to improve, not blame; maturity to use feedback as input, and not take it personally. Watch for uncomfortable body language as they answer; this may be a sign that they’re still angry and not actually past the negative feedback.

What this tells you: This question sounds simple. But high-EQ individuals know that relating to colleagues isn’t one-size-fits-all. What to look for: Different strategies for different people; concern for team members’ well-being, not just their output; desire for team success.

What this tells you: This is a textbook EQ situation, where managing emotions will decide a good or bad result. What to look for: Concern for the colleague and the team, as well as the project’s success; ideas to help the underperformer and rally support from others.

Tough times are inevitable. A smart company prepares by hiring people whose emotional intelligence brings out the best in others. When you include EQ in the job requirements and ask the right questions, you can balance technical credibility with people skills that teams recognize and respect.

Aside from assessing a candidate’s EQ, you may also want to check if they share the same values as your company. Read our guide to values-based interview questions.