EQ: Social Skills Better Predictor of Earnings than Test Scores
Adding weight to the argument that the Emotional Quotient (EQ) is a valid predictor of professional success, recent research from the University of Illinois suggests that social acumen is potentially as important as cognitive skills in determining a person’s success in the work place:
“… findings show that the most successful students are those who have not only high achievement test scores but also the kinds of social skills and behaviors that are highly rewarded by employers in the workplace.”
The University of Illinois study based its findings on data from 11,000 10th graders followed over a ten year period. The data crossed referenced test scores with teachers’ reviews and activities taken part in by the students. Even after corrections were made for economic, ethnic and educational influences, researchers found that social skills such as conscientiousness, cooperativeness and motivation were as important as test scores at determining professional success.
The research appears in the September issue of Social Science Research. A review can be found here.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2008, October 16). “10 Years On, High-school Social Skills Predict Better Earnings Than Test Scores.”