“Remote work brings all these new and unique challenges,” says Josh Millet, Criteria’s CEO and co-founder. One of the most important qualities for adapting to the many challenges of the modern workplace, Josh says, is emotional intelligence.
In the latest episode of the Human Capital Innovations (HCI) podcast, Josh Millet joins host Dr. Westover to discuss the role of emotional intelligence at work today.
They discuss what emotional intelligence really is, which most academic researchers agree is composed of four factors including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. According to Josh, “half of it is about knowing yourself and your own emotions, and the second is being aware and helping to manage the emotions of those around you.”
The discussion then turns to why it might be useful to think about emotional intelligence in the hiring process, and assessing for this ability in job candidates. Josh notes that “there’s a growing body of evidence about managerial positions, the roles where you’re managing people, that EI can really be a helpful predictor of outcomes.” Beyond just management and leadership roles, he also mentions the powerful role EI can play in customer-facing roles such as sales and customer service.
Finally, they explore the role of emotional intelligence in leading a remote workforce. According to Josh, “so many of the ingredients that inform someone’s EI come from subtle social clues, like body language, mannerisms that are harder to pick up over Zoom or in a remote work setting. Some people will thrive in those remote settings, and others will struggle.
“And especially for managers, it’s more important than ever, I think, for managers to have high EI in order that they can recognize that people are having different reactions in this new environment, to better support those who are struggling or need help.”
Check out the Human Capital Innovations (HCI) podcast to listen to the whole episode.
