Why are HR Professionals’ Emotional Intelligence Levels Dropping?

According to a recent article “Critical slump in HR’s emotional intelligence”, a study by a UK psychology consultancy found that while HR professionals typically still score higher in emotional intelligence (EQ), than most other occupations, “HR professionals’ scores for characteristics such as self-confidence, emotional resilience, assertiveness and goal directedness have fallen year-on-year since 2012.”

Working in HR requires an immense range of Emotional Intelligence skills, so why is this happening? The article says; “We interpret this particular slump as meaning that the HR sector is good at relationships but less strong at dealing with set-backs, coping when times get tough…”

This research highlights the disconnect between historical EQ measures and effectiveness in the workplace. It’s what led TRACOM to develop its Behavioral EQ Model, a 3rd generation approach to applying EQ at work.

TRACOM’s Behavioral EQ Model differentiates between Emotional Intelligence and Behavioral Intelligence. Emotional Intelligence encompasses competencies including; Emotion Awareness, Emotion Perception, Self-Insight, and Empathy.

Behavioral Intelligence on the other hand focuses on other competencies such as stress management, flexibility and conscientiousness or the capacity to take personal responsibility for performance. In order to be successful and able to fully utilize EQ skills you need Behavioral EQ.

According to the article, “The study stated that lower emotional intelligence in HR impacts the whole company. It reported that although emotional intelligence is widely accepted as crucial to organizational performance, less than a third (30%) of companies implement it in their development strategies or selection processes.”

“HR executives should work on the EQ both for their own performance and for their organization,” says TRACOM’s Dr. Casey Mulqueen. “They have a unique opportunity to accelerate performance by developing EQ skills throughout their organization. “

Learn more about Emotional Intelligence Training here.