Managing social intelligence from the perspective of optimising labour market pricing

Abstract

The objective assessment of their labour value by future employers is a pressing concern for all students and graduates of higher education institutions. Young people frequently overestimate their salary expectations, leading to substandard service provision, or conversely, accept low-paying jobs resulting in emotional burnout due to lack of motivation. The purpose of this study was to identify how students with developed social intelligence assess their earnings prospects during their studies, in the first years after graduation and in adulthood. For this, a survey of students was conducted using the TROMSØ test and specially designed questions that helped to identify the respondents’ subjective assessment of the value of their working time. The study found a statistically significant relationship between social intelligence and labour market pricing. This dependence is particularly pronounced for wage expectations immediately after the graduation (p≤0.01**). However, no correlation was found between social intelligence or its components and ambitions for the level of pay during study. It was found that students are willing to look for part-time work for any financial motivation. As for the level of salary that would fully satisfy them in adulthood, the average salary is three times higher than the minimum wage in Ukraine and equals USD 580. By understanding the level of a person’s social intelligence, one can build an effective hiring system, gaining an additional tool for assessing possible salary ambitions. This will help to optimise the work of the HR department and understand the range of financial incentives needed required to stimulate a particular employee