The Need for Human EQ in an Age of Digital-Only Hiring

Although I recently lost a steady writing-and-editing gig for a nonprofit organization, an official there indicated that I may still get occasional projects in the future.

With other book and article projects to keep me fairly busy, not all was lost. Not so for three other friends or acquaintances who were recently downsized; at last report, only one had found a new position.

Even then, he had to endure several weeks of nail-biting—mainly waiting to learn about his application to the company he contacted online about an opening.

From what I hear, this is the modern job-search process: get in line online, twiddle your thumbs, and see if anyone responds. Radio silence is an indication that they aren’t interested.

Facts are Flexible

This kind of “just the facts” approach to hiring strikes me as the absolute worst way to screen potential employees.

I say that because judging prospective employees or management staff members on the basis of words on paper (or screen) leaves out a crucial factor: the person’s EQ—emotional intelligence.

This came to mind after recently working on a chapter about EQ in a book I’ve been editing.

The author talked about how exposure to EQ research helped him appreciate the need to develop a sensitivity to others. He needed to learn to listen more closely to what others say, pay attention to others’ feelings, and respond to their emotions in a healthy way.

“The most successful people I know aren’t the smartest,” he wrote. “They’re the most emotionally grounded. They know how to listen. They know how to read between the lines.

“They know how to speak and when to remain silent. They know how to handle failure without spiraling into gloom and depression. They know how to enjoy success without becoming arrogant.”

Those words are one reason this author’s writing deserves exposure. I hope his book reaches executive suites, where it appears many CEOs are making the same kind of poor decisions that created 2020’s disastrous lockdown policies. The kind still creating havoc.

Just as children need to be in school and the rest of us need ongoing social contact, companies should “press the flesh” when deciding who to bring on board.

Digital Screening

Curious as to whether or not my impression that online practices represent the primary hiring method, I did some research.

I found one report that said digital-only hiring is the standard for large and medium-sized organizations. According to a 2024 article in the Journal of Human Resource Management, digital-only hiring has been institutionalized by large and medium-sized organizations.

“Online recruitment is no longer just an option – it’s now one of the main backbones of today’s hiring process,” began this recent article. Among the findings cited in the piece: two-thirds of recruiters use social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook for hiring.

Additionally, 86% of hiring processes globally use virtual interviews, and 65% of job applications are submitted via mobile devices.

Yet, this story contains a highly ironic finding: employee referrals generate four times as many high-quality candidates as traditional job boards.

In other words, relying on folks who know prospects is a better method of finding employees than the high-tech-screened variety.

Superior Interviews

Not only do personal connections represent a superior method of finding employees, I think personal interviews are better than virtual ones.

In such settings, a candidate’s EQ becomes more apparent. What’s more, so do those who have created an AI-driven persona, one that can’t stand the light of day. I see ignoring this reality as an ill-advised decision.