Emotional Intelligence at Work
Research finds a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance, particularly in roles involving relationships, conflict, and employee support. The strength of that relationship also depends on the assessment method. Some assessments score how people respond to emotional situations. Others ask people to rate their own emotional habits and tendencies. Understanding what an assessment measures helps you interpret the results and choose where to focus development.
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For employers using emotional intelligence in leadership development, coaching, and competency models.
What the research shows
Research finds a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance. The strength of that relationship varies by role and assessment method.
Seven peer-reviewed sources, including five meta-analyses.
- Ability-based emotional intelligence Scenario questions
- Measures how people recognize emotions and respond to emotional situations. Ability-based measures overlap less with personality and generally show a more modest relationship with job performance.
- Trait emotional intelligence Self-rating questions
- People rate their own emotional habits, reactions, and tendencies. These scores overlap considerably with established personality traits.
- Mixed models Self-rating questions
- Combines questions about emotional skills with traits such as motivation and social skills. These scores often have a stronger relationship with job performance, although they also overlap substantially with personality.
Common questions
Does emotional intelligence predict job performance?
Yes. Research finds a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance across many roles, particularly those involving conflict, employee support, and difficult conversations.
The assessment method matters too. Scenario-based questions and self-ratings measure different aspects of emotional intelligence, which helps explain differences in their relationships with job performance.
How is emotional intelligence measured?
Three approaches are commonly used to measure emotional intelligence.
Ability-based assessments use scored questions to evaluate how people recognize emotions and respond to emotional situations. Trait assessments ask people to describe their emotional habits and tendencies. Mixed-model assessments, commonly used in the workplace, combine self-reported emotional skills with qualities such as motivation and social skills.
The method shapes what each score tells you.
How does emotional intelligence differ from personality?
The overlap between emotional intelligence and personality depends on the assessment. Self-report and mixed-model assessments often show stronger relationships with job performance. Research finds that established personality traits and related measures explain much of that connection. Ability-based assessments are more distinct from personality, but their relationship with performance is generally smaller. Interpret each result based on what the assessment measures.
How can employers use emotional intelligence in development?
Emotional intelligence gives managers a way to discuss listening, responses under pressure, and difficult conversations.
Research finds that structured training can improve emotional intelligence. Assessments are particularly useful for guiding development rather than making selection decisions.
Choose one coaching priority from the results and identify specific behaviors to practice at work.
EQ at Work Assessment | Free
Answer 48 workplace scenario questions and 18 self-rating questions in about 20 minutes. Your results show how your scenario responses compare with your self-ratings of emotional skills.
Research and sources
Seven peer-reviewed references, verified 21 July 2026.
- Ashkanasy, N. M., and Daus, C. S. (2005). Rumors of the death of emotional intelligence in organizational behavior are vastly exaggerated. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 441-452. Explains three common approaches to measuring emotional intelligence: ability-based, trait, and mixed models. doi.org
- O’Boyle, E. H., Humphrey, R. H., Pollack, J. M., Hawver, T. H., and Story, P. A. (2011). The relation between emotional intelligence and job performance: A meta-analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(5), 788-818. Finds a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance across three assessment approaches, with important differences in the strength of the relationship and overlap with personality. doi.org
- Joseph, D. L., and Newman, D. A. (2010). Emotional intelligence: An integrative meta-analysis and cascading model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(1), 54-78. Examines how emotional intelligence relates to job performance, particularly in roles with substantial emotional demands. doi.org
- Joseph, D. L., Jin, J., Newman, D. A., and O’Boyle, E. H. (2015). Why does self-reported emotional intelligence predict job performance? A meta-analytic investigation of mixed EI. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(2), 298-342. Finds that established personality traits and related measures, including the Big Five, explain much of the relationship between mixed-model emotional intelligence scores and job performance. doi.org
- Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., and Caruso, D. R. (2008). Emotional intelligence: New ability or eclectic traits? American Psychologist, 63(6), 503-517. Explains the ability-based model of emotional intelligence and how it differs from personality traits. doi.org
- Miao, C., Humphrey, R. H., and Qian, S. (2017). Are the emotionally intelligent good citizens or counterproductive? A meta-analysis of emotional intelligence and its relationships with organizational citizenship behavior and counterproductive work behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 116, 144-156. Examines relationships between emotional intelligence, helpful workplace behavior, and behavior that can harm a team or organization. doi.org
- Mattingly, V., and Kraiger, K. (2019). Can emotional intelligence be trained? A meta-analytical investigation. Human Resource Management Review, 29(2), 140-155. Reviews structured emotional intelligence training and reports moderate positive improvements. doi.org
Tools for the next step
Turn your assessment results into a development plan with exercises focused on your priorities.
$69Complete three scored scenario sections and a separate self-rating section. See how your scenario results compare with your view of your own emotional skills.
FreeLearn how the Five-Factor Model relates to emotional intelligence measures and how the IPIP-NEO-120 forms the basis of the Work Style Profile.
FreeCompare your work-related personality tendencies with normative data through a free Five-Factor Model profile.
FreeSee how emotional skills support feedback, conflict management, and difficult management conversations.
FreeDiscuss your results with a senior HR practitioner and identify specific development priorities in a $99 Results Debrief.
$99
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