Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work [Hardcover]

Psychopaths are described as incapable of empathy, guilt, or loyalty to anyone but themselves; still, spotting a psychopath isn't easy. Babiak, an industrial and organizational psychologist, and Hare (Without Conscience), creator of the standard tool for diagnosing psychopathology, present a study of the psychopath in the corporate landscape. A common description of psychopathology states that subjects "know the words but not the music;" Babiak and Hare state that "a clever psychopath can present such a well-rounded picture of a perfect job candidate that even seasoned interviewers" can be fooled. In between a disposable series of narrative acts that follow a psychopath's progress ("Act I, Scene I - Grand Entrance;" "Act III, Scene II - An Honest Mistake?" "Act V, Scene I - Circle the wagons"), thorough research and anecdotes from a number of sources-current literature, news media, and showbiz among them-to illuminate the power of the psychopath to manipulate those around him, as well as what strategies can be used to identify and disarm him. Clear and complete, this is a handy overview for managers and HR, with enough "self-defense" techniques to help coworkers from getting bit.
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Babiak, an industrial and organizational psychologist, and Hare, the creator of the standard tool for diagnosing psychopathy, explore the infiltration into today's corporations by psychopaths, or those with destructive personality characteristics that are invisible to many with whom they interact. Their skilled manipulation begins with a perfect interview, as they are attractive job applicants who are confident and charming. They often flourish in fast-paced, changing industries with widespread uncertainty and can inflict considerable damage. Babiak and Hare explain in nontechnical language and real-world case studies how to protect employees and the company from these individuals who take advantage of organizational systems and processes, exploit communication weaknesses, and promote interpersonal conflicts. Babiak and Hare observe, "Companies accelerate their hiring practices to attract, hire, and retain new, high-potential talent before their competitors do. Gone are the days of the painstaking vetting process. Competition is fierce and qualified candidates few." This is an important perspective in the increasingly complicated hiring challenges facing corporate America. Mary Whaley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Dr. Robert Hare has devoted more than three decades of his professional career to the investigation of the psychopath and how psychopathic behavior influences and corrupts society. Hare is the creator of the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R), a twenty item personality checklist. There is no doubt that everyone has come in contact and possibly been deceived by a psychotic personality. In fact, most disturbingly, it's the nature of a psychopath to initially come across as very appealing and likable. How do you defend yourself against such a person in the workplace? In "Snakes in Suits", industrial and corporate psychologist Dr. Paul Babiak teams up with Dr. Hare to focus on the psychopath's role in modern corporations. Together they created the B-scan, a personality test for job candidates so that employers can identify potential psychopaths. As today's business world has perfect conditions for the psychopath, "Snakes in Suits" informs the reader how to spot him before he destroys. It reveals the psychopath's secrets, introduces the ways in which they manipulate and deceive, and helps readers see through their games. The rapid pace of today's corporate environment provides the perfect breeding ground for these employees, and "Snakes in Suits" will give readers the necessary tools to protect themselves and their companies before it's too late.

Paul Babiak, Ph.D. is a New York-based industrial and corporate psychologist, and president of HR Back Office, an executive coaching and assessment consulting firm. He is the author of some of the original research on corporate psychopaths, including a book chapter on psychopathic manipulation in organizations for practitioners. His work on the potential impact of psychopathic behavior on organizational performance was the cover story in Human Resources Executive magazine and has been featured in New York Times, Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, and Globe and Mail. Robert Hare, Ph.D. is the author of Without Conscience and the creator of the standard tool for diagnosing psychopathy. He has also appeared in the 2003 documentary The Corporation and created the P-Scan, a test used by police departments to screen new recruits for psychopathy, and worked with Babiak to create the B-Scan personality test for job candidates