What is Cultural Intelligence?

What is Cultural Intelligence?

Cultural intelligence: an outsider’s seemingly natural ability to interpret someone’s unfamiliar and ambiguous gestures the way that person’s compatriots would (Earley & Mosakowski, 2004).

Companies also have cultures that are often distinctive.  Employees learn how to decipher the cultural code of their company over time through historical stories, environmental clues, geographic regions, meetings, etc.   Organizational departments can also have their unique culture as well.

“Cultural intelligence is related to emotional intelligence, but it picks up where emotional intelligence leaves off. A person with high emotional intelligence grasps what makes us human and at the same time what makes each of us different from one another. A person with high cultural intelligence can somehow comprehend a person’s or group’s behavior those features that would be true of all people and all groups, those peculiar to this person or this group, and those that are neither universal nor idiosyncratic (Earley & Masakowski, 2004)”. One critical element that cultural intelligence and emotional intelligence do share is, in psychologist Daniel Goleman’s words, “a propensity to suspend judgment—to think before acting.” People who are somewhat detached from their culture can more easily adopt the mores and even the body language of an unfamiliar host.

Do you ask the right questions during a reference check?

Do you ask the right questions during a reference check?

Reference checking is an important step in the hiring process.  Organizations that conduct reference checks should tailor questions to the job being filled for and ask open-ended questions.  Supervisors of the applicant are the best sources for information on the candidate because of their past daily interaction.  Human Resources will only give you information on the date of hire, date of termination and if the applicant is rehireable.

Common questions asked of references include:

  • What were the individual’s job responsibilities and salary?
  • Was the individual successful in his or her role at your organization? Why or why not?
  • What was it like to supervise the person?
  • Was the person a valuable member of the team? Why or why not?
  • What unique skills did the individual bring to your organization?
  • What were his or her strengths?
  • What were his or her weaknesses or areas that needed improvement?
  • Was the person ever disciplined, and what were the circumstances?
  • Do you think the individual is suitable for the job being applied for?
  • Why did the person leave your organization?
  • Would you rehire the person? Why or why not?
Survey Says…Pay Raises Are Flat but Promotional Raises are Up for 2016

Survey Says…Pay Raises Are Flat but Promotional Raises are Up for 2016

According to Mercer’s 2015/2016 U.S. Compensation Planning Survey, the average salary increase budget is expected to be 2.9 percent in 2016, up slightly from the average increase budget of 2.8 percent in 2015.

The survey includes responses from 1,504 midsize and large employers across the U.S. and reflects pay practices for more than 17 million employees.