Looking for the best emotional intelligence interview questions to ask job candidates? You’re in the right place!

Hiring for emotional intelligence has become more popular in recent years. Many people believe that emotional intelligence is essential for teams to function well.

Whether this is true or not, there’s no denying that EQ can be a valuable trait in employees. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best emotional intelligence interview questions to help you evaluate candidates.

These questions will help you get an idea of how candidates perceive their emotions and those of others. With this information, you’ll be able to decide whether or not a candidate is right for the job.

Emotional Intelligence Interview Questions

Before we dig in, let’s take a quick look at what emotional intelligence is.

What is Emotional Intelligence Really? (And Why You Should Care)

Emotional intelligence is the ability to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, to recognize other people’s emotions and your own, and to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately.

You should care about emotional intelligence because it’s a strong predictor of job performance. In fact, one study found that EQ was twice as important as IQ in predicting success.

Why Test Candidates For Emotional Intelligence?

High levels of emotional intelligence have been associated with better job performance, lower levels of stress, and greater overall satisfaction with life. Emotional intelligence can also be a predictor of success in leadership roles.

Candidates with strong emotional intelligence skills are typically more self-aware, adaptable, and good at managing relationships. These are all qualities that can make for successful employees.

What Questions Should You Consider Asking?

Recruiters and hiring managers should assess emotional intelligence by asking questions that are relevant to the position they’re looking for. Questions need to be both job-related and specific to emotional intelligence.

For example, let’s say you’re hiring for a customer service position.

Customer service requires strong people skills, so you would want to ask questions that assess a candidate’s ability to interact with others. This might include questions about how the candidate deals with difficult customers or handles conflict within a team.

On the other hand, if you’re hiring for a position that doesn’t require as much interaction with others, you might want to ask questions that assess a candidate’s ability to deal with stress or handle difficult emotions.

So, if you are hiring an engineer, you would want to ask questions about how the candidate copes with stress since engineers often have to work long hours under pressure.

25 Best Emotional Intelligence Interview Questions You Might Want to Consider

In no particular order, here are 25 emotional intelligence interview questions that you might want to consider asking candidates.

1 How do you deal with stress?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to cope with difficult emotions. It’s important to find out how candidates deal with stress since this is a common emotion in the workplace. Stress is common in every workplace, so it’s important to find out how candidates deal with it. And, everyone handles stress differently.

2 How do you deal with difficult customers?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to interact with others. It’s important to find out how candidates deal with difficult customers since this is a common situation in customer service. This question will help you gauge a candidate’s people skills.

3 What are your strengths and weaknesses?

This question assesses a candidate’s self-awareness. It’s important to know what a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses are so you can determine whether or not they’re a good fit for the job. Again, this is especially important if the job requires working closely with others, such as a customer service representative, or a sales position.

4 What makes you angry?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to deal with difficult emotions. It’s important to know what makes candidates angry so you can avoid potential conflict in the workplace. This is a difficult question to answer, but it can be telling of a candidate’s emotional intelligence.

5 How do you handle conflict?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to manage relationships. This is important if this job requires working closely with others. This is a great question if you are building a product or working on a project together. Product designs are subjective and there are a lot of different ways to approach problem-solving so it’s important that your team is able to work together and communicate openly.

6 What are your goals?

This question assesses a candidate’s motivation. It’s important to know what drives candidates so you can determine whether or not they’ll be motivated to achieve their goals in this job. The candidates who are the most successful in their roles are usually those who are driven by a sense of purpose.

7 What are your values?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to align with the company’s values. It’s important to know what candidates value so you can determine whether or not they’ll be a good fit for the organization. Remember, the candidates’ values should align with the company’s values.

8 What makes you happy?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to deal with positive emotions. It’s important to know what makes candidates happy so you can create a positive work environment. Happy employees are more productive employees.

9 What do you do when you’re feeling overwhelmed?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to cope with difficult emotions. Being overwhelmed is okay, it happens to everyone. But, it’s important to find out how candidates deal with this emotion so you can gauge their emotional intelligence.

10 Do you have any experience with (insert relevant work experience)?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to relate their previous experiences to the job they’re applying for. It’s important to find out if candidates have any relevant work experience so you can gauge their qualifications.

11 If you were in a leadership position, how would you handle (insert relevant task or situation)?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to think on their feet and make decisions. It’s important to find out how candidates would handle a leadership position so you can gauge their ability to lead.

12 What would you do if (insert relevant task or situation)?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to think on their feet and make decisions. It’s important to find out how candidates would handle a difficult situation so you can gauge their decision-making skills.

13 Can you think of a time when you were faced with an ethical dilemma at work? How did you handle it and what was the outcome?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to make ethical decisions. It’s important to find out how candidates would handle an ethical dilemma so you can gauge their moral compass. For example, if a candidate is faced with the dilemma of whether or not to report a coworker for sexual harassment, how would they handle it?

14 Tell me about a time when someone criticized your work. What did you say and learn as a result?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to handle constructive criticism. It’s important to find out how candidates would respond to criticism so you can gauge their emotional intelligence. For example, if a candidate is criticized for their work, how do they react? Do they take it personally or see it as an opportunity to improve?

15 How would you resolve a dispute between two colleagues?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to resolve conflict. It’s important to find out how candidates would handle a disagreement between two colleagues so you can gauge their mediation skills. For example, if two colleagues are arguing about the best way to approach a project, how would the candidate step in and resolve the issue?

16 If a customer called and said that our product/service was too expensive, how would you deal with it?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to handle customer complaints. It’s important to find out how candidates would deal with a disgruntled customer so you can gauge their customer service skills. For example, if a customer calls to complain about the price of our product/service, how would the candidate handle it? Would they try to upsell the customer or offer a discount? Would they be able to diffuse the situation and calm the customer down?

17 What do you think are the most important qualities for a successful team?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to identify the qualities that are necessary for a team to be successful. It’s important to find out what candidates think are the most important qualities for a team so you can gauge their ability to lead and collaborate. For example, if a candidate believes that trust and communication are the most important qualities for a successful team, that would be a good indication that they would be a good leader.

18 What do you think is the most important quality for a successful leader?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to identify the qualities that are necessary for a leader to be successful. It’s important to find out what candidates think are the most important qualities for a leader so you can gauge their ability to lead. For example, if a candidate believes that the most important quality for a successful leader is empathy, that would be a good indication that they would be a good leader.

19 What do you think is the most important quality for a successful team member?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to identify the qualities that are necessary for a team member to be successful. It’s important to find out what candidates think are the most important qualities for a team member so you can gauge their ability to collaborate. For example, if a candidate believes that the most important quality for a successful team member is a willingness to compromise, that would be a good indication that they would be a good collaborator.

20 What do you think are the most important qualities for a successful relationship?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to identify the qualities that are necessary for a successful relationship. It’s important to find out what candidates think are the most important qualities for a successful relationship so you can gauge their ability to communicate and collaborate. For example, if a candidate believes that the most important qualities for a successful relationship are trust and communication, that would be a good indication that they would be a good communicator.

21 What do you think is the most important quality for successful communication?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to identify the qualities that are necessary for successful communication. It’s important to find out what candidates think are the most important qualities for successful communication so you can gauge their ability to communicate. For example, if a candidate believes that the most important quality for successful communication is empathy, that would be a good indication that they would be a good communicator.

22 What do you think is the most important quality for a successful collaboration?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to identify the qualities that are necessary for successful collaboration. It’s important to find out what candidates think are the most important qualities for successful collaboration so you can gauge their ability to collaborate. For example, if a candidate believes that the most important quality for successful collaboration is a willingness to compromise, that would be a good indication that they would be a good collaborator.

23 What do you think are the most important qualities for a successful job?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to identify the qualities that are necessary for a successful job. It’s important to find out what candidates think are the most important qualities for a successful job so you can gauge their ability to perform well in the role. For example, if a candidate believes that the most important qualities for a successful job are motivation and dedication, that would be a good indication that they would be a good performer.

24 What do you think is the most important quality for a successful career?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to identify the qualities that are necessary for a successful career. It’s important to find out what candidates think are the most important qualities for a successful career so you can gauge their ability to advance in their career. For example, if a candidate believes that the most important quality for a successful career is networking, that would be a good indication that they would be a good networker.

25 What do you think are the most important qualities for a successful life?

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to identify the qualities that are necessary for a successful life. It’s important to find out what candidates think are the most important qualities for a successful life so you can gauge their ability to manage different aspects of their life. For example, if a candidate believes that the most important qualities for a successful life are balance and perspective, that would be a good indication that they would be able to manage different aspects of their life.

How To Assess Emotional Intelligence In Candidates

When interviewing candidates, it is important to assess their emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, to recognize other people’s emotions and your own, and to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately.

There are a few different ways that you can assess emotional intelligence in candidates. One way is to ask them questions about their ability to handle emotions. For example, you can ask them what they think is the most important quality for successful communication or collaboration. This will help you gauge their ability to identify and understand emotions.

Another way to assess emotional intelligence is to observe the candidate’s behavior during the interview. For example, you can pay attention to their body language and see if they are able to maintain eye contact and keep a relaxed posture. This will help you gauge their ability to regulate their emotions.

Finally, you can ask the candidate questions about hypothetical situations that require them to use emotional intelligence. For example, you can ask them how they would handle a situation where they received negative feedback from a client. This will help you gauge their ability to use emotional information to make decisions.

Asking the right questions and paying attention to the candidate’s behavior during the interview are both great ways to assess emotional intelligence. By doing so, you can get a better understanding of whether or not the candidate has the ability to use emotional information to guide their thinking and behavior.

What Are Red Flags When Assessing Emotional Intelligence?

There are a few red flags that you should be aware of when assessing emotional intelligence. One red flag is if the candidate has difficulty identifying their own emotions. This can be a sign that the candidate struggles with self-awareness, which is an important part of emotional intelligence.

Another red flag is if the candidate has difficulty understanding the emotions of others. This can be a sign that the candidate struggles with empathy, which is another important part of emotional intelligence.

Finally, a red flag is if the candidate has difficulty regulating their emotions. This can be a sign that the candidate struggles with self-regulation, which is yet another important part of emotional intelligence.

If you see any of these red flags when assessing emotional intelligence, it may be best to move on to another candidate. These red flags can indicate that the candidate struggles with some of the key aspects of emotional intelligence, which can make it difficult for them to use emotional information to guide their thinking and behavior.

The Bottom Line

Emotional intelligence is an important trait to look for in candidates. By asking the right questions and paying attention to the candidate’s behavior, you can assess emotional intelligence and get a better understanding of whether or not the candidate has the ability to use emotional information to guide their thinking and behavior. If you see any red flags, it may be best to move on to another candidate.

It all comes down to the roles that emotional intelligence can play in the workplace. When used correctly, EQ can help individuals foster better relationships, navigate difficult conversations, and provide support during times of stress.

Not all questions need to be serious in order to assess someone’s emotional intelligence. You could ask a lighthearted question like, “What are three words your friends would use to describe you?” or “What animal do you feel most like?” Candidates’ answers will give you some insight into their self-perception and how they interact with the world around them.

The most important thing to remember when assessing emotional intelligence is that there is no one perfect answer. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to EQ. The goal is to find a candidate whose strengths align with the needs of the role they’re interviewing for.

Good luck!