Att sätta fingret på emotionell intelligens - En kvalitativ studie om användningen av EQ-test i rekryteringsprocesser

Sammanfattning: Emotional intelligence (EQ) has been claimed to be the most critical factor in determining a person's success in life, both personal and professional. EQ highly affects academic and job performance, leadership, stress, and well-being but is still not widely accounted for in recruitment processes. During the last 20 years a large number of researchers have shown interest in the concept of emotional intelligence, but few have studied its practical implications and how EQ-tests are used as a selection tool in recruitment processes. To create an understanding of the motivation for using the test, as well as its role in recruitment decisions, qualitative interviews have been conducted with recruiters at companies in Stockholm, Sweden. All interviewed companies use the self-assessment test EQ:i 2.0. The study finds that there is a large difference in how EQ tests are used compared to IQ tests. The main motivation for using the EQ test is to get a second opinion and thereby decrease the large uncertainty that characterizes the recruitment decision. However, the EQ test rarely provides new information; instead it confirms what is already known about the candidate and therefore facilitates the decision making by distinguishing the favored candidate from other applicants. The emphasis on the test result in the final evaluation of a candidate varies depending on whether other prerequisites, such as a certain IQ level, are already reached. It also depends on the company's amount of resources available for employee development and how well the test result fits with the prevailing perception of the candidate.