A University of British Columbia study finds that narcissistic applicants are more successful in job interviews than equally qualified candidates who act more modestly.
The findings suggest that applicants from cultures that place greater emphasis on humility, including some Asian cultures, may have a harder time landing a job in North America.
"A job interview is one of the few social situations where narcissistic behaviours such as boasting actually create a positive impression," says UBC Psychology Prof. Del Paulhus, the lead author of the study. "Normally, people are put off by such behaviour, especially over repeated exposure."
Before placing participants in job interview scenarios, researchers used questionnaires to measure their levels of narcissism. The study found that people who rated as narcissists were viewed as more attractive job candidates.
Videotapes of the interviews were later scored by a team of raters. 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.
The researchers also found that participants of Japanese, Chinese and Korean heritage exhibited lower levels of narcissism, and were less likely to receive "definitely hire" ratings as a result. "The pro-narcissism bias results in an indirect cultural bias – particularly against East Asians," says Paulhus.
Paulhus says the study offers important lessons for job candidates and interviewers alike. "Candidates should engage with the interviewer while continuing to self-promote," he says. "Interviewers should look beyond cultural style and assess individual qualifications. Instead of superficial charm, interviewers must analyze candidates' potential long-term fit in the organization."
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More information:
Paulhus, D. L., Westlake, B. G., Calvez, S. S. and Harms, P. D. (2013), "Self-presentation style in job interviews: the role of personality and culture." Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 43: 2042–2059. DOI: 10.1111/jasp.12157
December 6, 2007
amordecosmos97
3 / 5 (5) Jun 16, 2014FTFY. Pretty bloody obvious in Canada, really.
What a pile of biased "journalism" crap. Equating confidence with narcissism is just faulty logic. Calling submissive cultures "modest", inferring that cultures where confidence is admired are "immodest" is just ridiculous.
If I go to a culture where submissiveness is admired, then I adapt. I learn how to bow, how to avoid eye contact, how to defer to my elders, and how to speak for and with the group.
I have lived in Japan, and China, and Thailand, and Indonesia, and that is what I did.
When I am in Canada, I expect people to shake my hand firmly, look me in the eye, and confidently speak for themselves. If you give me a limp handshake and avoid eye contact and can't speak for yourself, then no; I don't want to do business with you.
To try to frame the argument as the "narcissists" versus the "modest people"is just disingenuous...
amordecosmos97
2.3 / 5 (3) Jun 16, 2014http://en.wikiped...rcissism
Sikla
Jun 16, 2014antialias_physorg
5 / 5 (1) Jun 16, 2014At first I thought "Good idea" but then it occured to me that when you hire with a long term perspective you are hiring someone who will eventuall accumulate knowledge to the point where he/she needs to represent the company or lead a team within a company. At that point you need someone who can directly engage people.
And while a buildup in knowedge is a virtual certainty (as you NEVER find someone who is a complete fit for what you are looking for) a change in character is not.
Sikla
Jun 16, 2014Sinister1812
5 / 5 (1) Jun 16, 2014Somehow, I don't think that's what they meant here..
KBK
5 / 5 (2) Jun 16, 2014The correlation of narcissism to confidence is strong, and this is statistics, not specific single examples, so the correlation will stand, as it applies to the given average situation, as a set group.
This is not the "if, if, if..therefore" world. There is no displacement into idealism -in place of real world situations that are under analysis.
Their argument is not so easily dismissed.
jgcamero
not rated yet Jun 17, 2014Just curious, but did you actually read the article, or just the abstract?
I wanted to know what measure they used to rate narcissism. As a psych major myself, I can't stress enough how important the validity and reliability of the scales is to justify a finding. Also, what kind of job were they being interviewed for? Were the ratings of their fit for the job based off of this or other specified criteria or was it just based off of "feeling" of the raters? If you know the answer to any of these questions or can link to me where I can find the answer, please do!
Josh