We all know that emotional intelligence is a critical part of healthcare leadership. Effective hospital leaders must have an ability to manage not only their own emotions, but also the emotions of staff and patients, with compassion, empathy, and care.
For this reason, it’s critical to keep emotional intelligence in mind when you’re searching for a new healthcare executive. Yes, core qualifications and experience are a must, but it’s also important to get a sense of how a potential hire will affect your hospital culture. What is their leadership style? How do they interact with colleagues and patients? Will they be a good match for the level of service and care your hospital hopes to provide?
You may learn some of this information from interacting with the candidate and observing their behavior. Some of it, however, may need to be gleaned during the interview process. Each of the five questions below assess a different but vital part of emotional intelligence. Read them over, and consider calling upon them during your next interview:
5 Questions to Ask to Measure Emotional Intelligence
#1 – Tell me about a time you failed at work and how you responded.
The way a leader handles failure speaks volumes about emotional intelligence. A positive story about failure may involve regulating difficult emotions (anger, frustration, fear), humbly asking for support from others, and learning from mistakes to improve future performance. Listen for signs of self-awareness, self-regulation, and a willingness to grow.
#2 – Tell me about a time you’ve had to deliver difficult feedback to a colleague or direct report. How did you approach the situation? How do you think it went?
This question will tell you a lot about a candidate’s social skills, empathy, and ability to appropriately handle conflict. Listen for signs that the candidate took the other person’s point of view into consideration — were they mindful to deliver the feedback in a kind and respectful way? Were they thoughtful about their tone, wording, and delivery? It’s also important to listen for a certain level of confidence around handling difficult conversations – make sure the candidate feels comfortable delivering tough information in a clear but respectful way.
#3 – What impression would you most like to leave with colleagues and patients? How often do you think you’re successful in leaving this impression?
This pair of questions assesses personal values and self-awareness. The candidate’s answer to the first question will indicate their leadership style and the qualities that are most important to them. For example, one candidate may say they most want to leave an impression of care, while another may want to leave an impression of authority — both acceptable, but very different, approaches. The second question focuses on self-awareness — if the candidate is able to share a thoughtful response about the difference between their intentions and their impact, it’s a good indicator that they are aware of themselves and their impact on others.
#4 – Tell me about a time you had to modify a behavior or habit at work. How did you approach the change?
This question tells you about a candidate’s ability to stay open and curious in the face of setbacks. As you listen to their answer, consider — does it sound like they are aware of their shortcomings and willing to work on them? Does it seem like they respond to other people’s requests with kindness and compassion? And — does it seem like they are willing to change their behavior when it serves the best interest of the team?
#5 – Tell me about one of the most meaningful moments in your career so far.
The answer to this question will tell you a lot about someone’s values — what’s important to them, what drives them, and where their passion lies. It may also indicate whether or not emotional intelligence is integral to their work. For example, a meaningful moment that’s focused on others (patients, colleagues) is different from a meaningful moment that’s focused on achievement. Both are acceptable, but the candidate whose meaning comes from people is probably a bit more oriented toward emotional intelligence.
Assessing a Leader’s Future Impact on Your Team
These are just a few of the many interview questions that can assess emotional intelligence. When used together, however, they are very effective at gathering a wide range of emotional intelligence information about a candidate. When you’re preparing for your next candidate interview, make sure to have them handy — they will help you assess not only whether the candidate is qualified, but what kind of cultural impact they’ll have on your team and your organization.
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