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How the language of job postings can attract rule-bending narcissists
When companies advertise job openings, they often use buzzwords like “ambitious” and “self-reliant” to describe their ideal candidate. These traits sound appealing—what hiring manager wouldn’t want a driven employee?
But there’s a catch. In my latest study, published in the journal Management Science with co-authors Scott Jackson and Nick Seybert, I found that these terms may attract job applicants with more narcissistic tendencies.
As behavioral researchers in accounting, we are interested in executives who bend the rules. We decided to study job postings after noticing that the language used to describe an “ideal candidate” often included traits linked to narcissism. For example, narcissists tend to see themselves as highly creative and persuasive. Prior research also shows that narcissistic employees are more innovative and willing to take risks to get the success and admiration they crave, even if it means bending the rules.
Based on these observations, we compiled two sets of terms commonly used in job postings. We call the two sets “rule-follower” and “rule-bender” language.
| Rule-follower | Rule-bender |
|---|---|
| Grounded and collaborative | Ambitious and self-reliant |
| Thinks methodically | Thinks outside the box |
| Process-oriented, establishes and strengthens procedures | Results-oriented, establishes and strives for goals |
| Relies on time-tested solutions to problems | Develops creative and innovative solutions to problems |
| Concrete and practical mindset | Flexible and strategic mindset |
| Communicates in a straightforward and accurate manner | Communicates in a tactical and persuasive manner |
Some examples of rule-bender language include “develops creative and innovative solutions to problems,” “communicates in a tactical and persuasive manner,” and “thinks outside the box.” In contrast, the rule-follower language includes terms like “relies on time-tested solutions to problems,” “communicates in a straightforward and accurate manner,” and “thinks methodically.”
Through a series of experiments, we found that rule-bender language attracts individuals with higher levels of narcissism for accounting-specific jobs, as well as other industries. To measure narcissism, we used a personality assessment that asks people to choose whether they identify more with more narcissistic statements like, “I always know what I am doing,” or less narcissistic statements like “Sometimes I am not sure of what I am doing.”
We also found that recruiters are more likely to use rule-bender terms when hiring for highly innovative, high-growth companies. For accounting positions, recruiters are more likely to use such terms when aggressive financial reporting could benefit the firm.
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