E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Carlos Davila / Getty
While narcissists are good at landing the job, they ultimately tend to bring a toxic component into the office environment.
While most of us are careful to avoid over-advertising our talents, that may not be the best way to land a job, a new study shows. Researchers have determined that when it comes to interviews, narcissists do it better because they’re not at all shy about self-promoting, according to the study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology.
“The point is that these guys – and girls – are very successful in interview settings,” said the study’s lead author, Peter Harms, an assistant professor of management at the University of Nebraska. “Under high pressure they increase their self- promotion. They talk a lot and they talk fast. And people tend to mistake that fast talking as a sign of competence and intelligence. They think that fast talkers have a lot to say and know the material so well that they don’t need to pause and think about it.”
While narcissists are good at landing the job, they ultimately tend to bring a toxic component into the office environment, Harms said. “It’s a terrible strategy long term to behave the way they do,” he added. “They have shorter relationships. And people rate them more negatively.”
To look at how well narcissists score in job interviews, Harms and his colleagues rounded up 72 college students and asked them to do a simulated job interview for a position as a research assistant. Before the interviews, however, the students were given IQ tests and a survey designed to ferret out the narcissists among them.
The study volunteers were told that the simulated job application was a way to hone their interviewing skills – and some probably assumed their performance might eventually turn into an actual job, Harms explained.
All of the simulated interviews were videotaped so that they could be reviewed later. Some of the interviewees were told that their interviewer was a lowly assistant, while others were told that the interviewer was an expert in the field.
Most of the volunteers were comfortable doing some self-promoting – except when they were talking to an “expert” interviewer who challenged them. The “normal” volunteers backed down when they felt they were being held accountable, but the narcissists just turned up the heat.
“When they feel challenged, they tend to double down,” Harms said. “It’s as if they say, ‘Oh, you’re going to challenge me? Then I’m not just great, I’m fantastic.’ ”
And that strategy, apparently works. In the second part of the study , 222 raters – some students and some experts in psychology – judged the competence of the videotaped job-seekers.
Sure enough, most people were more impressed by the narcissists than the “normal,” applicants. Harms was surprised to see that the experts, graduate students and faculty from the psychology department who were well versed in narcissistic behaviors, were just as impressed with the narcissists performance in interviews as everyone else.
The study should be a lesson to us all, Harms said. If we can learn to be a narcissist for just the day of the job interview we might manage to level the playing field, he added. Until then, “they’re going to beat us.”
Leave a Comment:
And one narcissist--at the top--can destroy an entire country.
That person being of course Obama.
Don't you mean George W. Bush? Obama is the one trying to fix the narcissist's mess.
I think anyone who becomes President would have narcissist tendencies. Most likely in a "healthy" way however.
Topic. Try to focus on the topic. (hint: this thread isn't about politics)
Everything is about politics.
A person has to know their self before they could contribute to others. Discussing knowledge on a subject, is not narcissistic, it's being human. If we could not see outside ourselves, to communicate with others, we would simply be an animal.
Maybe the animals who cannot communicate and exchange ideas are disguised as humans, and they are jealous of our expressive language skills.
I find it unlikely that one test could say a person is a Narcissist's and anyone putting forth such a thing is themselves arrogant. This isn't a long term test, doesn't seem thorough, and is on MSNBC like its fact?
I find Obama and Bush Jr as self centered and believing they are doing what is best for the country in some blind ideology. Giving them a name doesn't help.
What does it say about us that we don't look closer at the life and credentials of the person we put in the Presidency?
MSNBC needs to stop pushing this hidden agenda they have going on and focus on what matters in this world.... Print truthful, relevant articles. Not some half way done, skewed report that sounds like what a preschooler would write.
Concerning the article...I agree with the main point. In my experience, self-confidence is good, but when it goes over to narcissism, it does create a toxic work environment. However, narcissistic people do seem to do well in interviews (and often make good sales people).
more2bits, that's got to be the douche bag award winning comment of the day. Get a life.
MadTown, I hope you were just being sarcastic. When I eat my bowl of cheerios in the morning I have a hard time seeing the political connection from spoonful to spoonful.
when it comes to politics they are all narcissist's, you would have to be to think you can repair what another narcissist @!$%#ed up. only a narcissist would sell you a dead (dying) horse and feel good about it afterwords. take a good long hard look at them and you will see that they in fact are Narcissists, they are at the center of their very own universe and nothing will ever change that and when two universes collide the @!$%# flies.
A narcissistic personality never admits they made any mistakes.
President Obama has publicly admitted to making mistakes. President Bush has never accepted any mistakes.
Interesting that President Obama is self confident while President Bush is a narcissist. That could explain why the public's reaction to both of them has been so different.
Nobody has done more destruction to this country than Rupert Murdoch.
Curious that the country is in better shape than it was 3 years ago. You must have really hated Bush.
There are some really big blowhards in conservative media. Narcissists every one. As this article discusses, some people are really taken in by these cretins. You must be one of them.
I always have the best comments for these threads. Damn, I typed that fast!
This in good part explains the mess the financial world is in today. It also explains why most CEOs of large corporations couldn't tell the difference between a dinner roll and a doorknob.
UDunno, you're right. I once worked at a doorknob factory. The CEO gobbled up everything until he and the company went belly up.
I think this article is confusing self confidence with narcissism. Someone who is self confident and sure of their abilities will do well in interviews. This self assurance does not make the person a narcissist. I question whether the brief nature of this study and the limited interaction with the participants was sufficient to uncover which participants were truly narcissists and which were simply very self confident.
@JS in SD -- The article is not saying that self confidence is narcissistic.
A self confident person tries to show that they measure up to the expectations and requirements for a job. A narcissistic person tries to show that any attempt to measure them is inadequate.
As the article points out, the difference is when confronted with an 'expert' interviewer. A self confident person understands they have both strengths and flaws. A narcissistic person does not accept that they have any flaws.
I find the world split into "doers" and "talkers". Talkers are great in interviews. With all the downsizing today, top management at many companies literally has no idea what is going on and who is doing what.
Talkers/narcissists do very well in this environment. The quietly competent workers that do their jobs and are not comfortable with self promotion, tend to get hosed. Talkers/narcissists often take credit for things they did not do. That's the problem with "teams". A few people do all the work and others glom onto the accomplishments of the team.
This does partially explain the dot com meltdown, the real estate meltdown, the practice of giving mortgages to dolts, lack of basic quality control at many companies, etc.
Better managed companies have better hiring and evaluation practices. But for every IBM, Procter & Gamble and McDonald's, there is a Tyco, Enron, or Lehman Brothers, where people run wild.
Ultimately the market sorts things out, but narcissists can make life miserable for everyone.
Nerm, I have never heard anyone explain my son-in-law's personality so concisely. Thanks for letting me understand why he is so horribly annoying. I thought it was just because he was overpaid, but now I know he is overpaid because he is horribly annoying!
Gary is right--but the odd thing is that (as we see in this thread), narcissists don't consider themselves narcissists. They consider themselves "self-confident." They truly do not understand the distinction between competence and confidence.
There isn't a lot one can do with a narcissist--as they really think that they are perfect and the problem is the rest of the world. They don't plan to change--they are confident in their abilities regardless of their level of competence. They live in a fantasy world in which their confidence makes them competent.
What bothers me is that this is known--and it's been known for a long time--and yet businesses do not alter their hiring practices so as to screen out the narcissists. This despite the fact that it is very easy to target them, and it is widely known that they perform badly (for the most part--if I met a really competent narcissist, I wouldn't object to working with him/her).
I think this is because narcissists are already in corporations--in HR and in the position to hire people. So, they aren't going to start screening out narcissists. One can find entire organizational types--higher education, public education administration, insurance agencies--which are packed with this type of individual. Little wonder higher education, for example, doesn't actually educate people . . . it just gives them the "opportunity" to become "enlightened global citizens."
Managers and business owners who are not narcissists should now realize that they can get rid of those toxic employees who seem so great in interviews but then ruin the atmosphere in the company--and who have a high tendency to file lawsuits if they are ever fired--are narcissists, easily identified and easily screened out.
Rather than teaching the rest of us to act like narcissists--this study should cause those who do the hiring and who train to do hiring to screen such people out. I find it an absolute joke that the author of this article is suggesting that we all work hard at making it more difficult to detect narcissists rather than utilizing this obvious trick to screen them out.
Narcissistic leaders conduct perpetual witch hunts - searching for scapegoats - to avoid accountability. An organization that scapegoats every problem - instead of solving the problems - are typically run by narcissistic individuals.
The interesting thing is that the real productivity in those types of organizations seem to come from the bottom up instead of from the top down. And the rewards from that productivity go to the top instead of to the bottom. Only a narcissist can believe they can succeed in that type of organization.
Which is why so many American companies are run by narcissists.
Explains a lot, doesn't it?
Many astute people consider our president highly narcissistic, such as psychiatrist Charles Krauthammer. I tend to agree, as Obama's behavior, manner, and thin-skinned defensiveness seem classic for this label. Yesterday he was dribbling a basketball with his image on it! Do you consider Obama a "talker" since he is primarily know for his eloquence, not substance, or is he a fantasy type who considers himself so perfect that his false confidence makes him competent? Is he neither, or do you not want to touch this issue with a 10 foot pole? You seem to know a lot on the topic.
I used to interview people for middle and upper mgnt positions. One of the questions I would ask is: Please describe to me one of your professional mistakes that you would "do-over". The narcissist would provide great detail of this mistake - and in greater detail tell me it was some elses' fault. My dad was a narcissist - no one in the family ever did anything right, and it wasn't until all of the kids left home that we realized how damaging this was.
"A man's got to know his limitations."
-- "Dirty" Harry Callahan :-D
Egotistical con artists.
Save your business environment's management and labor pool a lot of grief, and invest a little time to weed them out with a proper psych evaluation for everyone, from top, to bottom.
The U.S. has a business culture predicated on salesmanship and self-promotion. This tends to focus the culture toward people who are narcissistic. If you look at the CEOs of our biggest companies, most of them come from two departments: accounting/finance or sales. It is rare outside of companies where the founder remains in charge to find people from other disciplines.
In other cultures, countervailing expectations about authority and respect for technical and organizational ability tend to tamp down the destructive effects. I suspect that this is the reason that American government and businesses can no longer negotiate practical, effective, long-term solutions to major national problems; all of the narcissists are too busy beating on each other and shouting around each other. Everyone else is caught in the middle.
The media's focus on the loudest people in the room also does not help. They become enablers of destructive/self-destructive behavior. Wonder what would happen to the country if "reality" TV were banned.
It's not about being narcissistic....it's all about Self-Confidence. People love talking to someone that is very confident....Period. It's almost intoxicating to them. Regardless of the subject matter, someone that displays that confidence will garner respect and even more important, time. Try it, and watch them all nod their heads in agreement.
I am fine talking to someone who is confident, but people who are narcissistic are totally annoying and I avoid them as much as possible. If we interviewed someone for work in our business I would totally want someone competent and confident, but in a quieter sort of way. I deal with people fairly often who are busy telling me all about how wonderful they are while they insist I fix something they broke due to their lack of insight about their abilities.
There is a difference between being confident and narcissistic, and while one is wonderful to work with, the other can be a nightmare and run a company into the ground.
There, corrected that for you. In the past, I always made the mistake of telling people the uncertainly of a specific situation...which always led them to someone else who obviously knew more than me. Now days, I'm the go to guy...
There are catch questions that can help someone differentiate between someone who is confident and someone who is a narcissist. Usually, it's pretty obvious. But, I guess some people have trouble telling the difference. Especially other narcissists.
Actually, even when I'm not self-aware about my narcissism, I can still spot it in others quite easily. Makes me feel even more feline-like superiority than usual ;-)
Radical Centrist, I am proud to present you with the 'most profound answer of the day' award. Seriously, you're dead on. It amuses me how 'confident' some people are in the face of a completely unpredictable 'certainty'. The word 'predict' should be stricken from the English language, but I prefer to look at it this way.
We are an ignorant species typically unaware of the depths of our ignorance. Our fears push us to try to control and predict future outcomes. When we consider the statistical evidence, that all likely predictable outcomes become less predictable over a greater timeline, then we realize that predictions and long-term controls are really just empty rituals. Thus, those 'confident' of their success are really walking Nostradamus's, and should be considered malicious or ignorant through their perspective and dismissal of these facts. My hope is that over time the general level of intelligence among our species will grow to a point where we may recognize these charlatans and fools, but I don't see it happening in my lifetime.
"There, corrected that for you. In the past, I always made the mistake of telling people [about] the uncertainty of a specific situation . . . which always led them to someone else who obviously knew more than I [did]. Nowadays, I'm the go-to guy."
You're welcome.
the trial of time is the only truth teller.
Beanathome... I am still trying to figure out who he was correcting... I don't see the comment that he corrected, or was it in the article? Me = confused
There's something wrong with making it a "bad thing" to be willing to admit your weaknesses though. Too many people have the mentality of "We only want the best of the best of the best." Somewhere in the back of their minds, they know that there are not enough of those people to go around, but they will listen to people who "promise the moon" and believe them over the people who are more realistic, and say "I'm really good, but I'm not a 'miracle worker'." Too many people will almost blindly trust the grandiose claims of those who profess to be "miracle workers", while the reality is that very few, if any, truly live up to those promises. We want "yes men/women". We want those who will tell us what we want to hear. We may not admit it, but we prefer to hear the person who tells us they will make our wildest dreams come true, to the person who (more truthfully) says, "I can't promise miracles, or that everything will work out 'exactly as you planned', but I am very good, and I can promise to do everything I can to try and make it happen."
Dolphster - It all depends on who you're talking to. True, many people love hearing a confident person talk - as long as they tell you what you want to hear. However, if that same "confident" person disagrees with you about something, that "confidence" is no longer "intoxicating" - now it's "extremely irratating". Suddenly this person is no longer "confident", but rather "obnoxious, obstinate, and opinionated".
This is the most obvious problem with our society.
The narcissistic syndrome projects traits that are so impressive to the SHEEPLE, who are easily duped by their B.S.
These people care nothing about anything or anybody and will step on all in order to rise to the top of the heap and stay in the limelight.
I am willing to bet that most of those who are currently in positions of power and authority are narcissists who feel that they are above the law and any form of moral behavior or sense of decency.
So many people are so quick to jump on Obama and blame him for everything without even considering the fact that we had - and continue to have - those same crooks in the financial sector that robbed the American people blind long before Obama came in to office.
If you get a chance, try to see the documentary, "Inside Job".
It is a real eye-opener to the narcissists who will stop at nothing - even enact laws to avoid prosecution and perpetuate their frauds against the people.
See how many narcissists that you can find in this mob that were doing the dirty work long before Obama took office.
They are still among us, laughing that we got duped by their criminal mischief.
They are laughing at the SHEEPLE who allowed this to happen - being herded and intimidated into believing that they were right and that they will continue to be innocent of all wrongdoing.
SHEEPLE, WAKE UP!
Unfortunately, I think you can make the same comments about many politicians today. They write the laws so they cannot be prosecuted for doing things the rest of us would spend years in jail for.
Ron-1861300,
I totally agree with you.
If you can get a chance to see that documentary, "Inside Job", I would like to see if you agree with me that some of the politicians shown, there, and were clearly complicit in this entire fraud, are narcissists.
Narcissism is all-pervasive in all walks-of-life.
Sometimes, it has a positive effect when it is used in some cases in the entertainment industry. However, and unfortunately, some of these celebrities self-destruct because of it.
Anyone who uses the phrase 'sheeple' needs to be voted off the island. I move to vote RFBS to a 4'x4' patch of sand in the Pacific with one coconut tree in the middle. Any objectors?
Hahahaha
thats very ignorant for you to try to silence someone because they are a woman and they "dare" to comment against you.
How does anybody know who is a woman and who is not in this thread?
For some reason the people who don't have their own special icons next to their names have all, suddenly become women. Look at the orange "girly" icon next to their names.
It looks like some of them got sex changes.
That's what makes these guys' comments REALLY so amusing.
Narcissism is a behaviorial/mental disorder... why would you want someone with a behavioral problem/mental disorder working for your company?
You wouldn't, but they come off in a way that doesn't suggest behavioral problems/mental disorders at the first interview (as suggested in the article when they mentioned that even psych professionals interviewing the subjects rated the narcissists positively). I should know, I've got a mental health disorder and narcissism is unfortunately one component (narcissists usually are somewhat aware of it, although often not in control of it, and they don't necessarily like being the way they are). I've reached a point now in the course of my counseling where I understand that I am not an asset to a potential employer or my potential co-workers the way I am right now, so I'm not working right now (why take a job away from someone who will do it better and with fewer problems and probably less overall expense), although hopefully in a year or two I might be ready to start working part-time again. But when I used to go out and apply for jobs, I aced interviews like it was nothing, even for jobs I was nowhere near qualified for. And it was usually because I'm a fast talker, I know plenty of big words and can pepper conversations with them, and I'm full of random bits of knowledge on many different subjects that I was able to work into conversations in a way that made me seem well-read and well-rounded, and very interesting. I came off as potentially a great asset to a company in most of my interviews, and many employers were willing to take chances hiring me even with a lack of experience in the field, because it seemed like I'd probably pick it up in no time.
Exactly. Normal people need therapy dealing with this disorder on a daily basis as they keep chaos/drama aroused.
Try being married to a narcissist! I was and it was HORRIBLE! They tell you everything you want to hear and then suddenly, they aren't the same person you married. They get mean and abusive very quickly, especially if you do something positive. They run you down until their is nothing left.
Kitty, I remember your interview clearly. You said, 'Nuclear Meltdown Schnuclear Meltdown! I'll have this place up to standards within weeks and for the same amount of money you would spend hiring a goat farmer to make a ball of Feta', or some odd analogy to that effect. I must admit, you were so charming that the goat farmer comment should have put me on my guard but I was smitten. I recommended you to the board and they gave the thumbs up. Did we at Chernobyl Energy know you had no experience whatsoever running a nuclear plant? Nope. But by the same token our fish have never been more fluorescent which makes night fishing much easier, so I guess you weren't THAT bad.
This is exactly what my Mom went through for 10 years, and when she finally ended it, he murdered her. Then, after spending over 3 years in the county jail, all the while maintaining his innocence until two weeks before the trial was to begin, he commented that he was "highly respected at the jail" at his sentencing. Narcissism is just another form of self-delusion.
mheyize, I thought that was you, sweetheart. I must admit, I was a little overbearing way back when I left you at the Grand Canyon because you wanted to help that three-legged dog. I was wrong and I want you back. I would do anything to make you mine again.
By the way, I have this client who's business could really help our company go in new directions you and I could only dream of. Only thing, he's a little up tight since his wife left him. Do you think you might be able to meet him for a few casual drinks this Friday? You know, to help me out? No funny business, just a good time for everyone. If you can, just let me know and I'll give you a key to his hotel room. He'll be at the Motel 6 just off I-44.
Sociopaths rule Wall Street ... what more needs to be said ? ... I'll take a narcissist anyday over that!
@MovingOut: It's pronounced "Schnucular."
@JamesDeanMartin: it's spelled 'your tits' today, and chances are 60%.
@flbikerchick: my spellcheck button broke. I blame it on the government.
@Steve Winnicki: If you could tone down the narcissistic pic a little, who knows. Perhaps I'd give you that job here at Bear-Stearns. We're bullish on 'sociopath' bearish on 'narcissistic' these days.
Movingout
I didn’t want to be that forward , I was trying the softer
approach
Yah Steve, how did you decide on that pic? “No I like the one
looking over my shoulder mom, it makes me look tougher “
@JamesDeanMartin re: Steve's pic: I'm glad I wasn't drinking milk when I read your comment. It would have ejected out of my nose. A Gold star by your name for the funniest comment of the day.
MovingOut
Thanks , looks like we are the only ones out
here today with a sense of humor , Oh and along is Steve and his choice of
photo’s
It's sometimes tough to get "just the right balance" of confidence and humility in an interview. I've followed this kind of advice and "played up my confidence and strengths" and gotten offers for jobs, that further along in the interview I realized I was not "truly" qualified for, and would likely get let go rather quickly once they found out. I had to admit that I was able to land jobs I was not qualified for, and nowadays, it's hard because I don't want to waste anyone's time, so I try to be very honest up front about my strengths, weaknesses and capabilities. Unfortunately, it seems as though being "honest" instead of "overly confident" is not a desirable trait. It seems that people want a "TV preacher" kind of person (who can confidently make all kinds of promises), instead of a more honest person who will tell you what they can and can't / will and won't do.
As far as leadership goes, I've learned (from being on both sides of the leader/worker field) that I trust "leaders" who don't necessarily "want" or "desire" the position (because they are well aware of the difficulties and the responsibility/accountability that goes along with the position) but are competent enough and willing to do the job, and are more concerned about "getting the job done", than whether or not it makes them look good. A "leader" jumps into the mud first and says, "follow me." A "supervisor" stands at the edge of the pit, and tells people to get down in the mud and work before he throws them in. A "leader" looks out for his people, and is willing to put himself "in the line of fire" rather than simply "throw his people under the bus" in order to save himself (like a mere "supervisor" would do).
Aren't most confident sucessful people narcissists to some degree?
There is a difference between confidence based on competence/accomplishment and an unhealthy irrational ego built on air.
Rick,
Yes, they are VERY successful - at the cost of everyone else - and then they self-destruct when they think that they are so above the law, they can do anything with impunity.
Then they trip up.
Look what happened to the former NY Governor, Elliot Spitzer.
Narcissism is common among Gays ( homosexuals, Lesbians ) .
And the basis for this assumption is what, again? Did I miss a scientific study? I have about a dozen gay friends and close acquaintances and only one of them is a narcissist.
Raymond is basing this on his own experience... as a confident self-made Gay man.
We all appreciate your confident, brave stance in a world so full of hate and misunderstanding. Wave your freak flag high, Raymond. Wave your freak flag high!
bigots like yourself.
Are people that steer conversations to politics to start conflict narcissists?
No--they tend to be sociopaths. People who intentionally stir up trouble are more likely to be sociopaths, because they enjoy breaking the rules (bringing up politics in situations in which it is gauche to bring up politics). Or, rather, they think that the rules do not apply to them and "break" them simply to prove that the rules don't apply to them.
Narcissists are the people who are never at fault when things go wrong--they are the ones who are always right, and if people just listened to them, nothing would ever go wrong. When people do list, and things go wrong, something else is to blame--a person who intentionally undermined them, fate, etc.
They are the people who insist on having their own way and yet never take responsibility when something goes wrong. Toxic.
Sounds a lot like law enforcement to me.
Those people who think they know it all are very annoying to those of us that do.
I thought I was wrong once; but I was mistaken.
Yup and that's all they do as they are mostly BS heh heh. All talk and no performance, I know many like them LOL. Sad as the good potential workers get nowhere and low life jerks get the jobs heh heh.
If you are not a narcissist, than you are either a robot or animal. Humans are social creatures, that try to intellectually make sense out of the world. If we do not ask questions and look for answers, to explore our existence on earth, than we are similar to animals. Exchanging thoughts and ideas and working to improve our world requires knowledge and self awareness. Testing humans in a contrived environment proves nothing, except that some academic is so full of himself, that he convinced others to fund some nonsense experiment on humans. What will they think of next?
People all their lives are told at their jobs not to think, just do. What would any perspective employer do otherwise heh heh. They don't want thinking employees LOL
davincinow, Why do you only see three options: primal animal behavior, rote robotic behavior or narcissism? Narcissism is not an equivalent to self-awareness. It's actually a skewed perception of the self.
everbody has traces of narcissism. it becomes a problem when it has manifested into narcissistic personalty disorder. npd for short. this is the toxic side.
Not if they don't want to grow. Successful, far-thinking companies search for employees who can think.
THAT'S why I'm not appreciated!
Well yeah, but can they actually do the job?
Knowing some of those types of people, I doubt very much they could do any job heh heh. Haven't met one yet LOL
I've worked with a couple. They have the same potential for talent as anyone else, but they are super-toxic to the work environment. They will stop at nothing to promote themselves, even spreading rumors and outright lies about their coworkers to make themselves look better. Once they get the promotion, then their ego becomes intolerable.
They can do the job, but I wouldn't want them anywhere near me...
I just hired an individual last month who reflects what is being discussed in this article. Comes across as talented, gave all the "right" resonses to designed interview questions with various people...and I, among them, still didn't see it. This employee is exhibiting too much "flamboyance" and not enough "common sense" to adequately perform the job functions. Employee seems unable to "hear" and implement redirective feedback during supervisory meetings. "Knows-it-all" but is exercising terrible judgment at crucial times. I am currently considering termination. Oh, for "ordinary people" with good common sense!
@Sarcasticus1: "I" got the "job" with my "SkilZ" and not just "Fast-talk". Just because "you" misinterpret my "sayings" during management "meetings" doesn't mean I am doing a "poor" "job". And last I "recall" you need to lay "off" the jelly "doughnuts", stop "picking" your "nose" and try to comb that hair "once in" a while. And if "anyone" will ever "be" ter"minated" it "will" likely be "you".
Sarcasticus1--the ordinary person with good common sense interviewed right alongside flamboyant current employee.
Ordinary person with good work ethics and good common sense might have been older, obese, shy, or simply wasn't willing to lie to you to make him/herself sound better than s/he is. You did not hire ordinary person with good common sense because you were bamboozled by flamboyant current employee.
I've sat with managers like you and interviewed--I could have done the job but am older and shy and overweight. I could have done a good job (having done the same job in the past and excelled). I did not get picked--the thinner, more social, young person got the job . . . and then drove everyone in that department nuts (I happen to know people in that company).
And, yet, the managers do not blame themselves--nor do they think that they should have hired that old, ugly person whom they thought shouldn't have wasted their time by applying. They just blame the thin, young, social butterfly for not having a good work ethic.
Look in the mirror--therein lies your problem. Next time, ask people if they will temp for you for a week (pay your usual rate) and evaluate people by what they can do rather than by how they appear. Or, just test them.
My shy, non-assertive, introverted daughter applied for job after job at her university and never got one until she hit the department that had a test of skills as part of the interview. She typed faster and problem-solved faster than any of the other candidates--solving math problems in her head before they could even walk away to let her work on them with a calculator. Now that they have hired her, she does jobs three times faster than any of the others hired at the same time--turning in projects, perfectly accomplished, before her supervisor has even thought of anything else for her to do.
You are overlooking the good candidates--stop blaming the candidate pool and look in the mirror and realize that you are too blinkered to see them.
@beanathome....bitter much??
beanathome:
I hear you! Ready for this? (NO lie!) The person I hired was a 51 year divorced female who happens to be less than average looking, over weight (220lbs?), with "early" diabetes, and possible high blood pressure, and has a male child (17) in high school still living at home with her. I saw the "red flags" but I did not listen to my gut. I screwed up in more ways than one, let me tell you. The other "common sense" people were not really that much different.
Beanathome - That's the whole point of the article. Talking to someone for an hour doesn't give you enough of a sample of the person to make a truly informed decision, and the people who have the narcissistic tendencies can make an overall better impression in that hour than a normal person can. I'm shy, overweight, and somewhat imposing. The thing that sets me apart is that I interview 100% as myself (maybe 99% after I exclude the casual cursing that I might bring back depending on the work environment). I've been passed over for some opportunities, but I figure if they don't like me as I interview, they won't like me in the position anyway.
Temp to hire works for some companies, but not all of them. The logistics behind that are problematic (to put it mildly). I was part of something like that, and it worked out well for me because I could do the job. The company went to a temp agency and had them find the heads, and then paid them the inflated rate for us for about 2 months at which point they made about half of us full time and the other half got cut. The practice was unsustainable for the company, so they reverted to direct hires after doing that a few times (the quality of candidates understandably went down).
I've sat on both sides of the table, and only a very select few times have I thought it was a waste of my time. I can't weed out all the jerks because typically in an interview, people are on their best behavior. But in every interview I'm looking for not only capacity to do the job, but would I want to spend 40+ hours a week with this person, and do I want them representing the company I'm hiring for.
Finally, consider the working conditions. Some people might not react well to the company environment, and may perform sub-optimally as a result. This is something else you can't plan for. In a high stress job I was interviewing people for, I tried to give people the benefit of the doubt if they were nervous, sometimes even stopping and asking if they had interview jitters to try to weed out the people who freeze when things get hectic.
Honestly, there have been a lot of reasons that I have made the choice not to accept an offer, and not to extend an offer. Personality plays into that just as much as qualifications do. I wouldn't want to hire a narcissistic person for some situations, nor would I want to hire a shy person for others. It's all about fit in the position you're hiring/applying for. As I was reviewing a person who applied for a highly collaborative role and had tremendous skill, but severe lack of communications skills, the quote from one of the other members of the hiring team was "You may be able to cure cancer, but if you can't communicate the cure to others, it's worthless."
Btw, most of these people are in politics heh heh.
I wouldn't say "most." Go to a university and look at the professors and administrators--you'll see plenty.
Tell me about it. I've worked with more than a handful of them. It's a real shame because it does nothing for the students.
The article just perfectly described our current president, and the people who elected him. And I can't think of a better word ( toxic) to describe what he has done to our nation.
Ummmm, Bill? Another characteristic of narcissists is that when they do not get their way 100% of the time, they start calling other people names and refusing to look at the things they have done.
Our current president has flaws--the chief one is that he tries too hard to get consensus. The health care package, for example, centers on a Republican idea--that of the individual mandate--which he mistakenly thought would help to make the whole package more palateable for everyone.
However, the minute that Republican-individual-mandate-to-use-the-free-market-system-rather-than-government-control idea was included, it suddenly morphed into "Obamacare" and the people who used to like it, suddenly hated it.
No--somebody who tries that hard to rule by consensus and to avoid offending others is not a narcissist. Someone who would call him one, however, simply because he is on the opposing side probably is, however.
Obama has done so many things that are simply continuations of the policies of the previous administration--heck, he to this day has continued major administration figures from the Bush years--in order to try and appease the masses. It's sad that people are so oppositional now that they cannot even remember that the things they critique about him were their own side's proposals. Really sad.
Actually, and I say this as a fourth-generation Republican, the behavior of Republicans in Congress ("do things OUR way or we won't pass any legislation, even if it throws the country into default") is pure narcissism.
I just hope this sort of article doesn't lead to a backlash against people who DO know their stuff AND work hard, and ARE team-players, but just happen to be fast-talking and confident in their abilities. I'd like to also point out that speaking quickly is partly a regional variation, and people from larger families may speak quickly because they learned early on that it was the only way to get a word in edge-wise. For that matter, confidence (or the appearance of it) may come from positive early social experiences, or instead be part of hard-won survival skills.
Kathy,
I believe that there are obvious distinctions between authentic, honest hard workers - the TEAM PLAYERS - that you refer to, and the narcissist.
A narcissist will stick out - sooner or later - like a sore thumb.
He/she will quickly drop you as a friend or a member of that team when it is convenient, and when it is to their advantage.
The sooner we consider this to be a more serious problem - perhaps a psychosis - in people, the sooner they can be treated before they harm others - and even themselves.
@RFBS: weren't you voted off the island earlier for overuse of the word "sheeple"?
Also, how could you type that last line and not laugh at yourself? Treatment? What is an organization supposed to do? Identify potentials, hold them down and send them to a psychiatrist or looney bin on the company dime? Psychiatric help is typically a voluntary thing these days, in case you haven't heard. Again, this is a pretty laughable comment.
Ok Take it easy "Movingout", before we start judging people we'll need to see RFBS boobs , I mean tits as well. If we are going to see any today , we need to be nice
@JamesDeanMartin: boobs are funnier. Just wish I'd said it first.
if they are a team player their coworkers will rate them highly. a person with npd is not a team player. a person with npd often misses deadlines and would blame the team, when they are the actual problem.
try reading www.winning-teams.com they have a lot of npd info. go read and see if you can recoginize someone you know personally. the light bulb will go on and you will say so that was the problem.
Interviewing is nerve-wracking, but I find that if I treat the interviewers like new acquaintances (as opposed to "PLEASE GIVE ME THE JOB!!), it makes it a lot easier for me to engage and self-promote. You could do just as well as a narcissist in an interview with a little self-control (breathing) and change of perspective (I refuse to feel intimidated). Besides, the interviewer typically already has an idea of who they want to hire in the interview process anyway.
I can't believe we aren't all talking about me right now!
Now hire me.
Bill-1789099
As if your party can do no wrong heh heh. You must be one of these people described in the article LOL. I've met people like you heh heh
Interesting that even trained psychologists didn't peg narcissistic personalities on first interview. From that, I conclude that many of us can learn something from narcissists on how to get a job (or a sexual partner). The trouble with these people is that they are the ultimate in "It's All About ME, Baby!" and having no empathy for other people, they become next to impossible to keep working or personal relationships with. We are attracted to the flash and bang, but then repelled by the lack of interest in our own needs.
It's true that you do have to appear narcissistic, but it's not going to help one bit if the employer doesn't think you're qualified. Plus, your still going to have to answer those famous interview questions like "Tell me about a time when you were faced with a situation that was new to you and how you handled it."
Narcissism may help a braggart to get past the interview, but it is no indication the applicant can do the job. I encountered several of them along the way. One had been a Marine some 20 years before he was hired. He constantly bragged about being a marine sergeant, even brought his sword and hung a bunch of USMC insignia in his cube. At the time, there were 7 more of us who had been marines, but seldom made mention of it, as it had no bearing upon our ability to program computers. The would-be hero wasn't there very long, because he couldn't complete any assignment he was given. He never knew when he was bragging to me that he was talking to a former Major in the Marine Corps because I never mentioned it. But he got another job when he left. Then another. Then another. His only skill was interviewing.
Everytime you job hop you make a good 10-20% pay raise. The thing is, business is ruthless. Narcissists can be ruthless.
It depends upon the field, Lisa. Chronic job-hopping is a huge red flag to employers looking for new hires in many industries.
I agree 100% ... I've easily been offered 80% of the jobs I've applied for and have been called an arrogant narcissist my whole life. I disagree of course and see it as a gifted form of intelligence, as winning an interview has more to do with distracting the interviewer from the true subject and complementing their office decor and pictures of family then real job skill. ...oh and back to me ? sure, I'd love the job ... They dont call em Dr.Spin the marketing genius for nothing ya' know ?
i hope that this is sarcasism. if not you need help, but a true npd won't get help.
I totally believe this study. My husband is a big narcissist and he impresses the heck out of every interviewer he meets. He's had some very high paying jobs on very little education. But the minute he gets to work, he poisons the company moral. Then he blames everyone else because people are complaining the upper management about him.
If I gave a crap, I'd try to explain it but he wouldn't listen anyway. Narcissists don't like to be told they are wrong.
I don't see that type of individuals as narcissists - I see them as completely F.o.S.
Really - when I interview people - those who go on and on about how they know everything are shown the door faster than those who say, I may not know, but I'm willing to find out/learn"....
Unfortunately, I learned my lesson the hard way. I did hire a "narcissist" and there is not a day that goes by that I don't want to jump over my desk and beat the stupid out of her....
Does this narcissist still work for the company?
Joker - you bet your biddy she does. Because "upper" management (i.e. - those who don't have to work with her) love her smooth talking b.s.
My boss once told me that all she wants from me is for me to like her (I'm her supervisor). I told him that I would like her just fine if she would just do her job.