Human Assets

 

 

Much has been made over the last few years of the importance of emotional intelligence. Indeed, some writers suggest that it is more important or even much more important than intellectual intelligence. For example, by counting the number of emotional competencies, Daniel Goleman has suggested EI accounts for 85% of outstanding performance in top leaders. 

 

This seems analogous to saying that your arms and legs add up to being four times as important as your head. Indeed, any claim that EI/EQ is more important than IQ defies commonsense as well as scientific fact. Clearly, it is true that some people are impossible to work with and so otherwise bright people might not be great assets at work because they alienate colleagues and customers. However, these are the exceptions who fall below a threshold of acceptability. Surely, most people are above that threshold. In other words, most people are acceptable to most other people, most of the time, as work colleagues. For people above the threshold level, a huge body of research suggests that, for typical jobs, it is the possession of intellectual intelligence as much as the qualities grouped under the 'emotional intelligence' heading, that determine whether someone is truly high potential. 

 

This is the subject of a special issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology - the leading American journal in its field - in a series of articles that establish or re-assert the importance of intellectual intelligence. In particular, a contribution by Frank Schmidt and John Hunter describes a vast array of research data that show that General Mental Ability (GMA) or the 'g' factor "predicts both occupational level attained and performance within one's chosen occupation and does so better than any other ability, trait or disposition and better than job experience" (abstract, page 162). A complete range of jobs was included in the research from accountants and lawyer to cooks and bakers (but not candle-stick makers!).

 

What is the HR practitioner to make of this. They are given two versions of reality:

Either argument, of course will allow for the threshold to vary for different jobs. Presumably the EI proponents would agree that nuclear scientists need a higher level of intellect than chimney sweeps. Proponents of intellect would agree that prime ministers need a higher level of emotional intelligence than delivery drivers and then cognitive intelligence makes the difference. 

 

How Can Human Assets Help?

 

It is critical to ensure you have properly considered the extent to which the roles in your organisation require intellectual or emotional intelligence for genuine high potential. You must then set the thresholds at the right level and ensure that your selection methods assess accurately the qualities that really need to be measured to choose the best people.

 

We design selection processes that are based on careful analysis of what is needed to be a superior performer in the roles in your organisation. Our systems measure whether candidates meet the threshold on threshold qualities and how strong they are on the high potential qualities. We advise you on the most appropriate way of making a decision on each candidate's suitability and of choosing the best from the good. If you would like to find out more, please contact our consultants on +44(0)20 7434 2122 or by email enquiries@humanassets.co.uk

 

 

Frank L Schmidt and John Hunter. General mental ability in the world of work: Occupational attainment and job performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, January 2004, Vol 86 No 1, pps 162-173.

 

Newsletter: 2004