Sarah entered the conference room spotting five other candidates already seated. They were waiting to face the final round of the group interview for the marketing manager role. The mood in the room felt heavy. Everyone seemed to understand that one of them would get the job.
Mark stood out during the presentations. He often cut in while others were speaking shutting down their ideas with remarks like “That’s just wrong” or “I’ve handled this way better in my other job.” His behavior was hard to miss. When Lisa, a quieter candidate struggled to find her words during her turn, he didn’t even try to hide his annoyance—instead, he rolled his eyes.
In contrast, Jennifer noticed Lisa looked nervous and decided to lend a hand. During the break, she handed Lisa a glass of water without making a fuss. As the other candidates gave their presentations, Jennifer showed quiet support by maintaining eye contact and nodding, which seemed to encourage them.
When they asked Robert about working with tough clients, he told a story. He shared how he once “put a demanding customer in their place” by being “honest about their unreasonable expectations.”
David, on the other hand, talked about a different approach. He explained how he took the time to understand a frustrated client’s deeper concerns. He shared how this effort turned that client into one of the company’s biggest supporters. He highlighted how important it is to view things from more than one angle.
Later in the conversation, the interviewer posed a tricky question. They set up a scenario: “One of your team members misses deadlines but gets defensive when approached. How would you handle this?”
The candidates answered in different ways. Each response seemed to change the mood of the room. The interviewers appeared to pay close attention, not to the answers themselves but also to the way they were said and how everyone else responded.
Your Turn: Imagine you were one of the candidates in this scenario. How would you approach:
- The tense vibe created by Mark’s dismissive attitude?
- Lisa’s difficult moment while she gave her presentation?
- The tricky question about the defensive team member?
What would your main strategy be to prove you are the right fit for the job?
View the answer
Ideas for Reader Reactions and Emotional Awareness
Reaction to Mark’s Dismissive Attitude:
- Low EQ Behavior: Start a public argument with Mark, call out his rude attitude in front of others, or try to prove you are better by mentioning your own big successes.
- Problem with EQ: Struggles with controlling emotions, lacks awareness of social dynamics, and fails to handle conflicts in a productive way.
- Moderate EQ Behavior: Ignore Mark and worry about how well you are doing.
- What’s good about it: Shows discipline and the ability to stay focused.
- What’s lacking: Misses the chance to lead by example and show teamwork skills.
- High EQ Behavior: Give credit to others in a positive way, steer conversations into better directions, and set an example of respectfulness without calling Mark out.
- EQ Strength: Awareness of others’ emotions, control over one’s feelings, leadership skills, and capacity to have a positive effect on group interactions
How to Handle Lisa’s Situation:
- Low EQ Reaction: Exploiting her weakness to boost your own reputation or avoiding her altogether
- EQ Problem: Showing no care for others, missing awareness of social dynamics choosing competition over teamwork
- High EQ Reaction: Giving quiet encouragement fostering inclusivity in the group, or adding to her ideas
- EQ Skill: Feeling for others, getting along with people working well as a group offering emotional backing
Handling the Defensive Team Member Scenario:
- Low EQ Reaction: “Fire them,” “Give them an ultimatum,” or “Point out everything they’re doing wrong.”
- EQ Problem: Struggles with managing relationships, shows little empathy, and ignores what might be causing the behavior.
- Average EQ Reaction: “Talk about expectations and what will happen if improvement doesn’t happen.”
- EQ Strength: Communicates in a straightforward way.
- EQ Limitation: Overlooks deeper reasons behind behavior and lacks much emotional insight.
- High EQ Reaction: “Figure out first why they’re acting defensive—maybe they feel stressed, lack the needed skills, or have personal struggles. Foster open dialogue, provide helpful support, and work together on creating a plan to improve.”
- EQ Strength: Understanding emotions building relationships to solve problems recognizing feelings motivating others
Overall Strategy Indicators:
High EQ Approach: Showing leadership by helping others working well with teammates while also showcasing your own skills, and adjusting actions based on the situation.
Low EQ Approach: A focus on self-promotion treating others like competition, and aiming to succeed .