The first ever test to measure emotional competence at work

A group of researchers from the Universities of Geneva and Berne, Switzerland, have developed an emotional intelligence test that can be used to assess every employee’s interpersonal relations abilities — Geneva Emotional Competence Test (GECO).

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A new study, recently published in the Journal of Applied Psychology states that emotional intelligence can be an extremely effective factor for personal development, in hiring a perfect candidate for the job, and in giving the right job to the person.

As explained in the news release of the project, researchers believe, that intellect, experience, and qualifications of the candidates are not quite enough to determine if they are the best fit for the position. The scientists state, that the individual’s level of emotional intelligence, that is, her ability to “understand, regulate, recognize and manage emotions in the specific context of the work environment” must be factored in.

The Geneva Emotional Competence Test (GECO) consists of four sections, each evaluating a person’s emotional intelligence:

1. recognizing emotions
2. understanding emotions
3. the ability to regulate emotions
4. managing other people’s emotions

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In order to develop comprehensive questions for the test, researchers conducted interviews with 40 managers working in Swiss-based firms. Participants were asked to explain situations when they experienced fear, sadness, anger or inappropriate happiness (the last concept is a word specific to the German language “Schadenfreude”, that means “pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune”). The answers received were validated by the emotion experts, other managers and representatives of the general public.

Before concluding their research, scientists tested it on around 1000 participants between the ages of 20 and 60. In the process they have discovered several interesting facts about the role of emotional intelligence in the workplace:

• People can behave completely differently in different contexts (for example, in the family or at work), that’s why it’s crucial to develop an emotional intelligence test focusing specifically on the professional environment.
• The more emotional intelligence skills person has and the better those skills are, the better her work outcomes are, irrespective of cognitive intelligence or personality.
• The superior ability to regulate one’s own emotions is linked to earning a slightly higher salary.
• Emotional intelligence increases with age and experience (this means that it can be developed and improved).
• Women, on the whole, demonstrate higher levels of emotional intelligence than men, especially in interpreting nonverbal emotional expressions.
• Emotional intelligence is closely connected with a person’s well-being.
• Managers who perform well on GECO have better results in standardized leadership tasks.

The test isn’t wholly available to the general public yet, but there are shortened versions available online. You can choose from a number of tests that assess emotional competence, each having three short demo options.

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