Several companies advertise job openings using buzzwords like “ambitious” and “self-reliant”. These adjectives describe their ideal candidate and although sound like appealing traits, they may point towards rule-bending narcissists on job postings language.
According to a recent published study on the Management Science journal, the use of these terms attracts job applicants with narcissistic tendencies the most. The language of job postings is extremely important when hiring new staff and you can learn about it. Psychologically speaking, narcissistic profiles usually see themselves as creative and persuasive, and job postings seeking for these traits may seem directed at them.
Rule-benders and rule-followers in job postings language
A rule-bender language option may include a prompt like “creative and innovative”. It can even take the form of “communicates in a tactically and persuasively manner”. The classic “thinks outside the box” is also present in most of the job openings publications. On the other hand, a rule-follower profile tends to be more like “relies on time-tested solutions for problems”, “communicates in a straightforward and accurate manner” and other sentences in that line.
The study highlights that rule-bender language in job postings attracts individuals with higher levels of narcissism for account-specific jobs and industries. In order to measure narcissism, there’s a personality assessment that asks people whether they identify more or less with narcissistic statements. For example, you need to identify with phrases like “I always know what I am doing” or “Sometimes I don’t know what I am doing”.
Another interesting result of the study is that rule-bender terms are more often found on highly innovative, high-growth companies. In accounting positions the recruiters are more likely to use that kind of terms only when an aggressive financial reporting is beneficial for the firm.
Does language matter in job postings?
A company writes job postings and uses specific language in hopes of attracting the ideal candidate. But depending on the kind of search, they may attract narcissistic candidates whose goals and ethics may differ with the company’s values or even long-term success. Narcissistic employees have higher rates of unethical behavior and they potentially lead the company to legal issues.
On the other hand, although narcissistic traits can lead to negative outcomes, companies can take advantage of narcissistic people. For example, a salesperson with these traits tends to be very successful.
Bending the rules may seem effective on certain areas but dangerous on others. It’s important for each company to make sure they select the most useful profile for each job post. Carefully crafting the job postings language is the key for a better selection for your team.
What’s still unknown
Professional recruiters use language that attracts narcissists but we can’t be sure if it’s intentional or not. It’s also unknown if rule-bending is part of the company’s culture or a consequence of narcissistic employees.
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