Google used to originally hire for hard skills or STEM skills. That was always their priority, and it makes sense because they ARE a tech company.
Some time ago they decided to research their hiring process and see if this process was a successful one or not. They went through their most successful and productive teams to see what made them so. Surprisingly, hard skills came in dead last. The top three reasons for the success of these teams were: Emotional Safety, Emotional Intelligence, and Empathy.
This observation made them change their hiring process to also give priority to these soft skills. The logic is that when people feel heard, when others’ ideas are championed, and when people work in unison, they are more successful.
Makes one wonder why we still don’t pay enough emphasis on emotional intelligence as we do on educational intelligence. Isn’t it so?