Assessing Emotional Intelligence Using EQ-i 2.0®
What is Emotional Intelligence?
One definition is that emotional intelligence is a set of emotional and social skills that influence the way we:
- perceive and express ourselves;
- develop and maintain social relationships;
- cope with challenges, and;
- use emotional information in an effective and meaningful way¹.
Emotional intelligence can change over time and be developed, and has been proven to be a key indicator of performance and development potential.
How can we measure Emotional Intelligence?
Most of the research in this field has been based on either the EQ-i, or the MSCEIT¹.
The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) is an abilities based test designed to measure Emotional Intelligence. Once you have completed the questionnaire you receive a report and a debrief and, as it is abilities based, development suggestions for improving your ability to recognise, use, understand and manage emotions.
The EQ-i 2.0® is a self-report measure and can generate:
- an individual report; or
- an individual leadership report; or
- as a 360 by inviting others to also rate you (this is the EQ360® report).
If individuals within a team are undergoing the EQ-i 2.0®, a Group report of consolidated team data can also be generated and used within a team to raise understanding and performance.
Dr Rueven Bar-On created the EQ-i instrument and it was first published and distributed in 1997, and has since become one of the world’s most widely used Emotional Intelligence instruments.
At Amplify HR, we use EQ-i 2.0® and EQ360® because of the flexibility of being able to use the results individually, within a team and/or as a 360. The reports are comprehensive and full of practical development ideas.
Why is Measuring Emotional Intelligence Important?
Measuring emotional intelligence can be useful for a variety of workplace practices including:
Recruitment – as a screening tool as part of your overall recruitment process to reduce costs associated with poor hiring decisions such as low productivity, high turnover and low engagement.
Development – To increase individual performance, interaction with others, and leadership potential.
Team Building – Using the group report to provide the team with an understanding of the team’s overall EI strengths and development areas.
Leadership Development and Coaching – Using the EQ360® report to provide a comprehensive view of the individual’s emotional intelligence as viewed by themselves and those around them.
The EQ-i 2.0® and EQ-360® instruments measure emotional intelligence and how it can impact people and the workplace by giving one overarching EI score, and then breaking it down into five composite scores which, in turn, are broken down into a total of 15 subscales.
Process
The EQ-i 2.0® assessment is done online by the individual and up to 45 minutes should be set aside to complete the questionnaire.
Following the completion of this, a report is generated and we need around an hour (for the EQ360® an hour and a half) together to go through the results.
If doing it as part of a team exercise, then a separate workshop is conducted with the team using the Group report (which does not provide individual results – all individual reports are confidential)
Would you like to know more?
Why not contact us for a free confidential discussion!
Karen Kirton, Director of Amplify HR, is a certified practitioner of EQ-i 2.0® and EQ-360®
¹ SJ Stein & HE Book, 2011, The EQ Edge, Multi-Health Systems Inc.
