Abstract Organizations have shown an interest in socio-emotional competencies due to the current knowledge that they are as important as technical competencies for the best personal and professional development. However, there is no consensus in the literature regarding the conceptual definition of these competencies. Accordingly, this narrative review aimed at characterizing the concept of socio-emotional competencies and the instruments used in Brazilian and international studies in the context of organizations and work. The Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Biblioteca Brasileira de Teses e Dissertações databases were consulted, resulting in 26 articles composing the sample. The results show that there is a myriad of concepts about socio-emotional competencies, and that the instruments used evaluate mainly emotional intelligence, personality and other more consolidated constructs in the literature. The impacts of the multiple possibilities of conceptualizing and measuring socio-emotional competences are discussed.