Emotional regulation is the tendency to stay calm and controlled in various situations. It’s one of the ten attributes we measure through the Echovate assessment, and it’s one that we often talk about interpreting with our clients. For many roles, we’ve actually proven that individuals who have less emotional regulation are better performers than those who have more regulation. It might seem counterintuitive, but if you think about it, it actually makes sense!
For example, you might want someone who gets excited easily, is very passionate, and isn’t afraid to share when they disagree with someone. Sometimes, these employees are your biggest cheerleaders. They’re your hype person who inspires their teammates to go the extra mile. And, they can be great sounding boards when you need honest and unbiased feedback.
So, if you are interviewing someone, how do you determine if they are an explosive hot head or their passion is exactly what you are looking for? Try this question…
Interview Question #2
Describe a time when you became angry or upset at work.
What did you learn and how has it changed or affected your ability to deal with different situations?
We love this question because it can help you understand the types of situations that make the candidate angry, but also, how they handle their emotions and the situation.
Maybe they became angry because they saw a coworker being treated unfairly. Or, perhaps they worked really hard on a deal only to be beaten out by a competitor. There are plenty of valid reasons for anger in the workplace. Sometimes you actually want your team to get a little angry!
However, it’s important to note how they handle their anger. No one wants to work with someone who is constantly raising their voice or taking out their frustrations on others. This question is a great opportunity to discuss how they channel those emotions into positive change or opportunities!