Enhance employee wellbeing by developing EI

Consultancy PSI Talent Management has produced a white paper which accumulates 30 years of research on how EI works and how best to apply it in assessment and development.

The Economic Times defines EI as the capability of a person to manage and control their emotions and possess the ability to control the emotions of others.

Findings of the white paper include:

• A significant correlation between EI and job performance, particularly in roles with high emotional labour such as customer service, sales and management.
• Individuals with high EI experience more job satisfaction and organisational commitment, as well as lower turnover intentions.
• EI is strongly linked to agile leadership and the EI of leaders has a significant influence on the job satisfaction of their people.
• Using EI for development is an effective method to build resilience, reduce stress and enhance wellbeing.

PSI Talent Management said that the last two decades have seen an exponential growth in the need for EI, driven by an increasing demand from organisations struggling to cope with instability, digitalisation, increased competition and information overload.

The research also finds that EI increases the prediction of multiple dimensions of performance important for the modern workplace - such as adapting, initiating, managing and interacting - over and above other assessment methods.

Jo Maddocks, chief psychologist at PSI Talent Management, said: “The first, and often most challenging, step for many talent management and HR professionals is to convince others of the value of EI. This report presents organisations already applying EI assessment and development programmes, and those thinking about introducing them, with a solid evidence base to support the impact of EI in the workplace.

"According to current predictions, EI will continue to be a priority for organisations for many years to come. The question now needs to be less about whether EI adds value, and more about where and how EI can add the most value."