Social Intelligence Hiring | The Enneagram in Business

Social Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence
Social Intelligence (SI) and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) are often used interchangeably because both are critical to a person’s ability to function effectively in a world of work. EQ more often refers to an individual’s self: self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-management; SI connotes the social interaction aspect of EQ: empathy and reading social cues and being able to respond to them effectively. Without high EQ, it is near impossible to have high SI and vice versa.

Why do SI and EQ matter at work? Research has shown for over three decades that the ability to know and accept yourself and to be self-managing and developing (EQ), as well as the ability to work effectively with a wide variety of other people (SI) are greater predictors of success at work across the globe, no matter what the occupation, industry or organizational level, than are traditional IQ or prior experience.

Skills versus SI and EQ
Skills also matter, but without SI and EQ, most skilled employees fail. Research by author Mark Murphy (“Hiring for Attitude”) using 20,000 new hires showed that 46% failed within 18 months; 89% failed due to “attitude,” while only 11% failed due to lack of skill.

The Enneagram and SI and EQ
The Enneagram is an insightful way to assess SI and EQ, as a well as remarkable approach for increasing both. Prior to Social Intelligence Hiring (SIH) assessment days, we train the organization’s managers in the Enneagram, an ancient and powerful 9-type system, each with its own worldview, motivational drives, and patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. During Social Intelligence Hiring, all candidates are given a basic introduction to the Enneagram so they can do an initial identification of their own types, and throughout this self-typing process and for the rest of the day, candidates are observed by managers.

Candidates’ types are not used as a basis for hiring because type has no correlation to skills. However, candidates are observed for their level of self-awareness, self-disclosure, listening skills, and level of self-mastery within their self-identified type. Even if the Enneagram isn’t to their liking – and there is no penalty for this – candidates are asked to discuss what they do use for their self-development!

THE 9 ENNEAGRAM TYPESOnesSeek a perfect world and work diligently to improve both themselves and everyone and everything around them.TwosWant to be liked, try to meet the needs of others, and attempt to orchestrate the people and events in their lives.ThreesOrganize their lives to achieve specific goals and to appear successful in order to gain the respect and admiration of others.FoursDesire deep connections both with self and others, and they feel most alive when they authentically express their feelings.FivesThirst for information and knowledge and use emotional detachment as a way of keeping involvement with others to a minimum.SixesHave insightful minds, are prone to worry, and create anticipatory scenarios to feel prepared in case something goes wrong.SevensCrave stimulation (ideas, people, and experiences), avoid pain, and create elaborate future plans to keep all their options open.EightsPursue the truth, like to keep situations under control, want to make important things happen, and try to hide their vulnerability.NinesSeek peace, harmony, and positive mutual regard and dislike conflict, tension, and ill will.

The Wall Street Journal | CIO Journal | Deloitte | March 31, 2014
A summary of the Social Intelligence Hiring Process and the results achieved.
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YouTube | Salesforce.com # dreamjob: Social Intelligence Recruiting
View Salesforce leaders discussing Social Intelligence Hiring.
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Next Round of Hiring a Dream Team for Our Portland Office
Read a Salesforce blog about the Social Hiring Process, one that includes abundant comments from the candidates themselves.
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Deloitte Review | Issue 13 2013 | Courting the Customer-Candidate
A special report overviewing best practices in innovative hiring done by Deloitte Touche that highlights Social Intelligence Hiring and the use of the Enneagram on pages 15-17.
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