As Layla prepares to leave the organization, the time approaches for her 1:00 PM exit interview. This is the time when human resource managers start wondering what went wrong. A year ago, this employee completed the entire selection process and passed all the criteria to be hired.  

The human resource staff issued an official stamp of approval- We think this is the best person to work in this position for our company. 

A year later, here she sits, ready for her exit interview, to share the reasons for her departure.  

Is it because of personal reasons, such as family or health issues? Did someone say or do something to offend her? Did the employee not like the work involved in her role?  

Several employees leave a company because they are not satisfied with their experience, or they do not feel committed to the organization. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment make up an employee’s work attitude.  

Work attitude has become a top focus for companies such as Southwest Airlines, which has a “hire for attitude, train for skills” approach to hiring.

This approach highlights the idea that if a person has all the right skills but does not have the right attitude, they might not be a valuable part of the company. At some point, their commitment will drop or their satisfaction will fade. 

As companies stretch and grow, continuously innovating and adapting, employees with the wrong work attitudes will bring the company down or eventually leave. Employees with the right work attitudes want to learn and grow with the company.  

Why Work Attitude Is Important?

Work attitude includes an employee’s higher job satisfaction, higher organizational commitment, and lower turnover intention. 

When companies have employees with positive work attitudes, the employees are more engaged and the company thrives.  

A person’s attitude is shaped from childhood, and it includes their enthusiasm, their confidence, and their social skills. 

Think of Henry, a hotel front desk clerk whose personal approach is negative and “just trying to get by”. Henry will work for the money, but he might be easily dissatisfied and less engaged, eventually leaving the company. 

His co-worker Alice is positive and enthusiastic, presenting herself with motivated energy and a solution-finding mindset. 

An employee with the right work attitude is valuable to the organization.  

Higher Job Satisfaction 

Job satisfaction reflects the feelings that employees have about their jobs and their roles in the company. When employees feel a sense of fulfillment from the daily tasks and activities of their job, they have higher job satisfaction. 

Learning something new and taking on challenges in the workplace also offer a sense of satisfaction in the job.   

Compare two new employees: George has a can-do attitude, and Julia has a fear-oriented attitude. After the first week of training, George will feel exhilarated by the new skills he has just learned. He might even be excited to practice the new skills the following week. Julia might feel overwhelmed and anxious about these unfamiliar activities. She is afraid she will make a mistake in the next week of work. 

Which of these two new employees has higher job satisfaction? Attitude is a vital component in the satisfaction and success of an employee. 

Higher Organizational Commitment 

Organizational commitment in the work environment occurs when employees feel in line with the organization and experience a connection. When employees are proud to tell others where they work, and they feel they are valuable, they become ambassadors for the company. 

An example of commitment: When a university employee Jose has a logo keychain or a sticker on his car. Jose has taken the university name as part of his identity. The company’s goals are part of who he is as a person. This kind of commitment fuels Jose to be a powerful force for the company’s success.  

Lower Turnover Intention 

Turnover intention is an employee’s voluntary intention to quit the organization. People choose to leave companies because of a reason that has a deep impact on their lives. Examples may include a negative feeling about the tasks they perform at work.

The tasks may not be utilizing the employee’s skills and offering opportunities for growth. The employee might also be experiencing conflict with co-workers or supervisors. Lower turnover is an important goal for leading enterprises.  

How Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Boosts Work Attitudes ?

Research shows that employees with better emotional intelligence have higher job satisfaction, higher organizational commitment, and lower turnover intention (Miao, Humphrey, & Qian, 2016).

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and manage emotions in oneself and others.    

Emotional intelligence affects job satisfaction because it equips employees with the ability to recognize situations as positive or negative and behave accordingly.  

Here is an example of how EQ can help increase job satisfaction:

Jamal, a coffee barista, does a great job handling a rush of orders, and identifies his positive achievement. Jamal’s job satisfaction is higher than that of an employee with lower EQ.  

Emotional intelligence contributes to a person’s higher organizational commitment.

People with high EQ can recognize when emotions are occurring within themselves. When they feel appreciated or accomplished in their work, they feel in line with the company’s goals, and they want to do more for the company. Their proactive behavior and strong work ethic result in higher profitability for the company.  

When employees have high organizational commitment, they work above and beyond what is expected of them. They understand the company goals, and they do what it takes to accomplish those goals. Employees with high emotional intelligence become an asset to the company as they exhibit their organizational commitment.  

Emotional intelligence decreases turnover intention. Rather than leaving the company because of negative experiences, employees with high emotional intelligence process their negative feelings into seeking solutions. They also increase positive feelings and emotions in order to improve job performance.    

Since there is no guarantee for a perfect situation at all times, employees must be able to adapt when there is change rather than make plans to leave because this job is not what they expected it to be.    

Anna, a sales professional with low emotional intelligence, would be upset by unrealistic sales quotas from supervisors, or by unprofessional treatment from co-workers. With high emotional intelligence, she recognizes her supervisor’s state of mind when sales are low, and she might brainstorm for innovative ways to reach the quotas. 

When dealing with the immature behavior of unprofessional coworkers, she would choose an appropriate way to communicate with those coworkers. Emotional intelligence keeps employees firm and sensible through situations so they do not feel need to leave a company.  

Why EQ is an Essential Part of Recruiting?

The job of a human resource manager or a hiring professional is not easy. There is no crystal ball to show them which candidates are the best for the company. 

In the short process of resume review and interview screening, the hiring manager chooses the top candidate, who enters the workspace, completes the training, and experiences a disconnect, eventually leading to a departure.  

Research shows that emotional intelligence leads to higher job satisfaction, higher organizational commitment, lower turnover retention; and higher job performance,

Human resource managers, therefore, can see the value of EQ assessment as part of the interview process.  

Changes and flexibility are required in dealing with other employees as well as in work-related issues.    

An employee with high emotional intelligence can not only survive the changes but also become part of the solution. This employee is an asset to the organization.  

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) assessment is an essential and effective recruiting tool to help human resource professionals and hiring managers find quality candidates who can have a positive impact on organizational growth and success.