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That headline probably shouldn’t really surprise anyone, but it’s still terrifying. It comes from this study, which is in turn summarized here. Here’s probably the essence of what you need to know/understand:
“A job interview is one of the few social situations where narcissistic behaviors such as boasting actually create a positive impression,” said Del Paulhus, Psychology Professor at the University of British Columbia and the study’s lead author. “Normally, people are put off by such behavior, especially over repeated exposure. “ The research noted that “narcissists tended to talk about themselves, make eye contact, joke around and ask the interviewers more questions. As a result, the study found that people rated narcissists as more attractive candidates for the position.”
This is literally terrifying, and has myriad implications for the world of work and the future of work and all that. Start with the first sentence above: it’s “one of the few situations…” I’d mostly agree with that. That said, there’s other research indicating the millennials and beyond will constitute a full culture of narcissists, so maybe we’re all undeniably screwed here.
Look, I’ll make this personal — because why not, right? My job search process was miserable. Here’s one story that encapsulates it. At some level, I feel good about where I…
