Researchers at San Francisco State University have developed the Narcissism Interview Scale for Employment, a tool designed to help organizations identify potentially disruptive narcissistic tendencies in job candidates.
In a world where narcissism seems ubiquitous — from politics and entertainment to our own workplaces — a team of experts in organizational psychology at San Francisco State University (SFSU) has developed an innovative tool to help organizations weed out potential “bad apples” during the hiring process.
A collaborative effort led by Kevin Eschleman, an associate professor of psychology, and Chris Wright, professor and chair of psychology, along with four student researchers, has culminated in the Narcissism Interview Scale for Employment (NISE). Published in the Journal of Personality Assessment, this tool employs a series of behavioral and situational questions aimed at uncovering narcissistic grandiosity among job candidates.
“We focused on narcissism because it’s one of the most commonly talked about characteristics of people. Really, it represents a lot of things that can go bad in terms of a team,” Eschleman said in a news release. “But it’s a characteristic that is very attractive in the short-term. [Narcissists] often have tendencies to be very goal-oriented and are often very successful. There’s a lure to somebody who is high in narcissism.”
A Robust Assessment Tool
The NISE incorporates specific questions tailored to reveal narcissistic traits without being overtly direct. For example, candidates are asked to describe their approach to leading a team or how they would handle a situation where their opinion differs from a unanimous team decision. These questions support interviewers in scientifically assessing candidates’ propensity for narcissistic behaviors.
The initiative began four years ago when Eschleman observed a surge in organizational requests for better strategies to build effective teams and avoid troublesome hires. Recognizing that conventional hiring processes often neglect critical personality factors, Eschleman and his team set out to create a reliable, easy-to-use assessment tool adaptable to various work environments.
Real-World Applications
One of the study’s co-authors, Sharon Pidakala, now a people & development manager at Lawyers On Demand in Singapore, lauds the tool’s practicality.
“I’ve been grateful to put my research into daily use. It’s really important to make sure that these questions are not outrightly direct because you don’t want it to look like you’re asking someone, ‘Are you a narcissist?’” Pidakala said in the news release. “These questions are raised in a way to make it look favorable for the candidate.”
Her involvement in the project underscores the global applicability and relevance of specialized training in organizational psychology.
Potential Impact and Future Directions
While the NISE is not a definitive diagnostic tool, it offers a more structured way of assessing personality traits that could potentially harm organizational dynamics.
“This isn’t a categorical diagnosis,” Eschleman added. “What we’re looking at are people’s consistencies over time. It’s how they view themselves or how others view them consistently over time. Do they engage in these actions consistently?”
The researchers acknowledge that building a successful team involves multiple factors, but they hope their tool will increase the odds of success and help organizations avoid the pitfalls of hiring individuals with destructive narcissistic traits.
The release of the NISE tool marks a significant advancement in hiring practices, offering organizations a proactive way to screen for potentially harmful narcissistic traits. As the business world continues to seek effective team-building strategies, this tool represents a promising step forward in creating more cohesive and productive workplaces.