Why Emotional Intelligence is Becoming a Make-or-Break Factor in Hiring

By Catherine Farley, CEO, Talent Higher

Hiring the right person has always required a balance of skills, experience, and potential. But across the UAE, we’re seeing a clear shift in what sets top performers apart. It’s not just what they know, it’s how they operate.

And increasingly, emotional intelligence is the factor that turns a good hire into a great one.

It doesn’t show up on a CV. You can’t always assess it in the first ten minutes of an interview. But over time, it’s often the clearest predictor of whether someone will perform well, manage pressure, lead others, and build lasting relationships.

Why it matters in the UAE market

The hiring landscape in the UAE is fast-paced, high-growth, and increasingly nuanced. With cross-cultural teams, hybrid work environments, and expanding regional operations, many businesses are facing more complexity than ever before.

In this environment, technical skills are still vital, but they’re no longer the differentiator. Most candidates shortlisted for key roles will already have the right experience. What employers need to understand is how these candidates show up under pressure, how they adapt when things change, and how they build trust and alignment across diverse teams.

Emotional intelligence underpins all of that

According to a 2024 MENA-wide survey reported by HRO Today, 67% of professionals said emotional intelligence is more important in leadership now than it was a decade ago. Another study conducted by Six Seconds in collaboration with Dubai Knowledge Village found that emotional intelligence predicted more than 58% of performance variation among leaders in the Middle East.

This reflects a growing realisation: emotional intelligence is no longer a nice-to-have. In many roles, it’s a key part of the value someone brings to the table.

What emotional intelligence looks like in hiring conversations

Emotional intelligence can be hard to spot if you’re not deliberately looking for it. But once you start paying attention, it shows up in clear, observable ways.

Here are some of the signs we advise clients to look for during interviews and informal conversations:

Self-awareness

Do they reflect on their own behaviour and decisions without becoming defensive? Can they speak openly about their growth areas and what they’ve learnt from past experiences?

Empathy

How do they talk about colleagues, clients, or managers, especially when things didn’t go to plan? Is there an ability to see other perspectives and show understanding?

Composure under pressure

When asked about high-stress situations, do they describe staying solutions-focused? Do they acknowledge emotion while showing how they managed it constructively?

Feedback culture

Are they comfortable talking about receiving (and giving) feedback? Do they describe it as part of how they grow, or as something that’s uncomfortable or avoided?

Collaboration and influence

When they speak about team success, do they highlight others as well as themselves? Are they tuned into how to get the best from people?

These are subtle cues, but they tell you a lot. In our experience, emotionally intelligent candidates tend to give thoughtful answers, listen actively, and bring a level of presence that stands out.

It’s not about being polished. In fact, the most emotionally intelligent people often show humility, humour, and vulnerability in ways that are both authentic and constructive.

Why this matters commercially

When emotional intelligence is present, it enhances every aspect of performance.

These are the people who:

• Lead with clarity, especially in times of change
• Build relationships that extend beyond their job title
• Resolve conflict before it escalates
• Influence without being forceful
• Handle pressure without creating it for others

From a commercial perspective, these qualities lead to better onboarding, smoother team dynamics, improved client satisfaction, and stronger leadership pipelines.

On the flip side, when EQ is low, even in someone technically capable, you often see slower ramp-up time, interpersonal friction, missed signals in client conversations, and in some cases, early attrition.

How to make emotional intelligence part of your hiring process

This doesn’t mean adding another formal test or layer of complexity to your process. It just means shifting the lens slightly.

Here are a few ways to build this into your next round of interviews:

1. Ask real-world scenario questions

Instead of generic strengths/weaknesses questions, ask:

“Tell me about a time you disagreed with a manager. How did you handle it?”

“How do you tend to respond to feedback you don’t agree with immediately?”

“What’s a time you felt pressure at work, how did you deal with it, and what did you learn?”

You’re listening for emotional language, self-awareness, and reflection, not just surface-level answers.

2. Pay attention to tone, not just content

How someone answers matters as much as what they say. Do they show ownership? Humility? Or are they quick to shift blame?

3. Use reference calls to explore EQ

Ask previous managers how the candidate handled team dynamics, dealt with conflict, or supported others under stress. You’ll often get a clearer picture than from a CV or interview alone.

4. Brief your internal stakeholders

If multiple people are interviewing, make sure they’re aligned on what emotional intelligence looks like, and how it ties to performance in the role. This ensures consistent feedback and better decision-making.

The bottom line

You can’t teach emotional intelligence overnight. It’s developed through experience, reflection, and self-awareness over time. That’s exactly why it’s so valuable.

In roles where the stakes are high, whether it’s client-facing, team leadership, or business-critical delivery, it’s emotional intelligence that often separates the people who simply meet expectations from those who exceed them.

Hiring with that in mind doesn’t mean abandoning technical criteria. It means building a fuller, more accurate picture of what makes someone successful in the real world.

And in the UAE market where business moves fast and people need to adapt quickly, that’s the edge you want to have.