The Perspectives on Emotional Intelligence and its Integration in the Hiring Process as Perceived by HR Practitioners

Abstract

The study aims to study the perspective of hiring managers and human resource practitioners on emotional intelligence (EI) to evaluate the effectiveness of EI in recruitment assessments and to explore the integration of EI in accelerating recruitment. Qualitative, descriptive, survey, and interview research methods were utilized to examine the assumptions. Purposive sampling technique was used (n=226) to obtain respondents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research used a thematic analysis to ascertain the responses of the participants. Their EI perspectives were harmonized through the components of EI, and their response to the importance of EI was analyzed through the effectiveness of EI in the work settings and the EI application on hiring. The research has proven the following assumptions: EI is important in work settings, high EI employees are good leaders and better performers compared to high IQ employees, and high EI workers stay with the company for a longer period. Hiring managers and HR practitioners have recommended the integration of EI in the recruitment and practices in United Arab Emirates (UAE) business settings through specific technology-based interventions.