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What is More Valuable: IQ or EQ?

What is More Valuable: IQ or EQ

As a business owner, you know how important it is to make sure you are selecting the best candidates to join your team. But how much weight should you be putting into finding someone with a high IQ versus a high EQ? Here is a look at the benefits of each and from there you can decide how to best apply this information for your own business.

What is IQ?

IQ is short for intelligence quotient, a term that was invented in 1912 by German psychologist William Stern, who also developed the first known IQ test. The IQ tests given these days focus mostly on logical reasoning and cognitive ability, and scores can range from 70-140. The average person will have an IQ somewhere between 90-110.

Many business owners tend to lean more towards hiring a candidate with a higher IQ because they have excellent reasoning skills. These types of individuals do very well in tasks relating to financing or data analysis.

What is EQ?

A person’s EQ, or emotional quotient, is their ability to empathize with others. It focuses more on a person’s humanity rather than intelligence. Since there is not a standardized test for measuring, it is not so easy to gauge a person’s emotional quotient. There are personality tests, however, that can give you a better idea of how well a person can adapt to their environment.

The things you will learn about a person from these types of assessments include how well they control their urges, their ability to maintain relationships, their self-awareness, and how they manage stress. The EQ is an important factor when a position requires a person to interact with others on a continual basis, like customers or team members.

What types of jobs are best for high IQ/EQ?

People with higher IQs tend to do very well in such professions as:

  • Doctor
  • Scientist
  • Engineer
  • Lawyer/Judge
  • Professional academic

Those who have a higher EQ are well-suited for a career as:

  • Nurse
  • Teacher
  • Manager
  • Counselor
  • Spokesperson
  • Customer service

So, which type of employee is the most valuable for your business? This depends on what role they will play in your company. Are they going to be working as part of a team, interacting regularly with your clients? Then you will want someone who can connect easily with people, so find someone with a high EQ. If you are looking for someone to be your data person, the one who handles the numbers or the nuts and bolts of the operation, find someone with a higher IQ.

Remember, it is easy to teach someone to be competent, but people skills are more intuitive. You want your team to be a balanced mix of high IQ and EQ people. A strong and diverse team will help strengthen your business.