WHEN PSYCHOPATHS GO TO WORK A book review by Group K: Erin, Katherine, Kittima, Michelle, Danny, Henry and Eric By: Paul Babiak and Robert D. Hare This review summarizes the content from this novel and our response to it. Who is a psychopath?How to recognize a psychopath?Why they’re bad for business?How to avoid hiring psychopaths?What to do if they are already in?Ethical Issues?Conclusion “A PERSON WITHOUT CONSCIENCE AND INCAPABLE OF EMPATHY, GUILT, OR LOYALTY TO ANYONE BUT THEMSELVES.”* “A personality disorder rooted in lying, manipulation, deceit, egocentricity, callousness, and other potentially destructive traits.” * * (Babiak & Hare, 2006, p. 19) THIS IS NOT EASY–psychopaths are “social chameleons” and adjust their personality depending on the person they are interacting with. The “Psychopathy Checklist – Revised” could be used as it showcases “a list of twenty interpersonal, emotional, and lifestyle traits and behaviours” (Babiak & Hare, 2006, p. 24) of Psychopaths. Check into the person’s history using tools like social media to see if they showcase antisocial behaviours. Note how the performance of the division they are assigned within has changed. Since they often manipulate themselves for management’s point of view but are deceitful, their rash ways can be revealed through their co-worker’s lack of motivation. Often psychopathic tendencies can be mistaken for “leadership” qualities The changing nature of business: “During the 1990’s change became a matter of business necessity and economic survival. Competing successfully now required the quick generation and movement of new information……with the need to embrace change came a switch from hiring ‘organization men and women’ who would maintain the status quo to hiring individuals who could shake the trees, rattle cages, and get things done quickly. This hiring switch inadvertently led to the selection of some individuals with psychopathic traits….”* Unfortunately, the general state of confusion that change brings to any situation can make psychopathic personality traits--- the appearance of confidence, strength, and calm.” Psychopathic individuals found the new more flexible organization structures inviting….so psychopaths are more attracted to work for businesses that offer fast- paced, high- risk, high profit environments (snakes in suits). * (Babiak & Hare, 2006, Preface) (3% in companies, compared to 1% in US) Main ProblemPsychopaths bring financial harm to the company Underlying problemsPsychopath may cause emotional distress among coworkers wasting valuable time that could be spent on defensive manoeuvres and also lowers surrounding employees morale.Psychopath’s behaviours can affect the reputation of the company in the eyes of their employees and customers Target the lack of knowledge of hiring officials on psychopathic traits and teach about the red flags that this disorder provides. Build a team of interviewers to tackle hiring procedures; .

1. WHEN PSYCHOPATHS GO TO WORK
A book review by Group K:
Erin, Katherine, Kittima, Michelle, Danny, Henry and Eric
By: Paul Babiak and Robert D. Hare
This review summarizes the content from this novel and our
response to it.
Who is a psychopath?How to recognize a psychopath?Why
they’re bad for business?How to avoid hiring psychopaths?What
to do if they are already in?Ethical Issues?Conclusion
“A PERSON WITHOUT CONSCIENCE AND INCAPABLE OF
EMPATHY, GUILT, OR LOYALTY TO ANYONE BUT
THEMSELVES.”*
“A personality disorder rooted in lying, manipulation, deceit,
egocentricity, callousness, and other potentially destructive
traits.” *
* (Babiak & Hare, 2006, p. 19)

2. THIS IS NOT EASY–psychopaths are “social chameleons” and
adjust their personality depending on the person they are
interacting with.
The “Psychopathy Checklist – Revised” could be used as it
showcases “a list of twenty interpersonal, emotional, and
lifestyle traits and behaviours” (Babiak & Hare, 2006, p. 24) of
Psychopaths.
Check into the person’s history using tools like social media to
see if they showcase antisocial behaviours.
Note how the performance of the division they are assigned
within has changed. Since they often manipulate themselves for
management’s point of view but are deceitful, their rash ways
can be revealed through their co-worker’s lack of motivation.
Often psychopathic tendencies can be mistaken for “leadership”
qualities
The changing nature of business: “During the 1990’s change
became a matter of business necessity and economic survival.
Competing successfully now required the quick generation and
movement of new information……with the need to embrace
change came a switch from hiring ‘organization men and
women’ who would maintain the status quo to hiring individuals
who could shake the trees, rattle cages, and get things done
quickly. This hiring switch inadvertently led to the selection of
some individuals with psychopathic traits….”*
Unfortunately, the general state of confusion that change brings
to any situation can make psychopathic personality traits--- the
appearance of confidence, strength, and calm.”
Psychopathic individuals found the new more flexible
organization structures inviting….so psychopaths are more
attracted to work for businesses that offer fast- paced, high-
risk, high profit environments (snakes in suits).

3. * (Babiak & Hare, 2006, Preface)
(3% in companies, compared to 1% in US)
Main ProblemPsychopaths bring financial harm to the company
Underlying problemsPsychopath may cause emotional distress
among coworkers wasting valuable time that could be spent on
defensive manoeuvres and also lowers surrounding employees
morale.Psychopath’s behaviours can affect the reputation of the
company in the eyes of their employees and customers
Target the lack of knowledge of hiring officials on psychopathic
traits and teach about the red flags that this disorder provides.
Build a team of interviewers to tackle hiring procedures; the
different perspectives of the team can help ensure the decision
to be unbiased. Check references thoroughlyIt is important to
get your company to acknowledge that manipulation occurs
within the interview processes so even after a hiring there
should be a sufficient probation period to evaluate performance
to prevent any further destruction.
Company policy
*
IndirectAvoid confrontation with the individual Have multiple
people in the room when in a meeting with them. Try not to be
left alone with them.In some severe cases, one should be
prepared to leave the workplace.

4. Documentation vs confrontation
Safety in numbers
*
Direct
Put it in writing—“any threats your boss makes should be noted
either in your date book or a ‘memo to file,’ which you should
keep.”*
Communication— Report any psychopathic behaviour to human
resource department or management
*(Babiak & Hare, 2006, p. 305)
Most likely end in a defamation law suit
* (Lyon & Ogloff, 2000, p. )
This book has a combination of business, psychology and
criminology all rolled into one.
Snakes and Suits has a refreshing viewpoint on psychopaths
within business environments rather than the majority of
research on psychopaths within prison environments.
This book easily communicates the material to everyone
through its scenario story telling while keeping the reader
interested
The main concern is how companies should tackle the problem
of psychopathic individuals within their business when these
kinds of individuals display inappropriate work behaviours.
Also, it provides methods of prevention of hiring psychopaths.

5. Furthermore, Snakes and Suits shows just how much of an
affect the people you work with can have on you, and how
important it is to avoid having a psychopath in the mix, as they
are poisonous for both the people and the business.
QUESTIONS?
References
Babiak, P. & Hare, R.D. (2006). Snakes in suits: when
psychopaths go to work. New York: Regan Books.
Lyon, D.R. & Ogloff, J.R. (2000). Legal and ethical issues in
psychopathy assessment. In C.B. Gacono (Ed.), The clinical
and forensic assessment of psychopathy: A practitioner's guide
(p.139-174). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates Publishers.
Scanned by CamScanner
Scanned by CamScanner
Snakes
in
Suits:

6. When
Psychopaths
Go
to
Work
— Paul
Babiak
and
Robert
D.
Hare
Selected
excerpts:
Psychopaths
are
without
conscience
and
incapable
of
empathy,
guilt,
or
loyalty

7. to
anyone
but
themselves.
Reviews
of
their
records
showed
them
to
be
antisocial
and
violent
for
reasons
that
often
seemed
random
and
senseless.
They
could
be
egocentric
in
the

8. extreme,
and
were
seemingly
unable
to
experience
deep
human
emotions,
especially
love
and
compassion.
They
failed
to
have
significant
or
intimate
relationships.
They
are
known
for
their
ability
to

9. don
many
masks,
change
“who
they
are”
depending
upon
the
person
with
whom
they
are
interacting,
and
make
themselves
appear
likable
to
their
intended
victim.
They
are
the
perfect

10. invisible
predator.
Like
chameleons,
psychopaths
can
hide
who
they
really
are
and
mask
their
true
intentions
from
their
victims
for
extended
periods.
The
psychopath
is
a
near-­‐perfect
invisible
human
predator.

11. Psychopaths
lack
empathy
and
possibly
even
the
most
basic
understanding
of
human
feelings.
Because
they
see
most
people
as
weak,
inferior,
and
easy
to
deceive,
psychopathic
con
artists

12. will
often
tell
you
that
their
victims
deserved
what
they
got.
Amazingly,
more
often
than
not,
victims
will
eventually
come
to
doubt
their
own
knowledge
of
the
truth
and
change

13. their
own
views
to
believe
what
the
psychopath
tells
them
rather
than
what
they
know
to
be
true.
2
Psychopaths
may
even
blame
the

14. victims
for
their
own
misfortune,
offering
convincing
reasons
why
they
got
what
they
deserved!
Your
ability
to
recognize
psychopathic
manipulation
is
increased
if
you
are
not
seen
as
valuable

15. or
a
threat
to
the
psychopath,
and
therefore
of
little
interest.
Psychopaths
invest
a
lot
of
mental
energy
in
identifying
and
manipulating
their
victims,
but
they
don’t
spend
much
energy
trying
to
uphold
a

16. mask
for
those
with
little
utility
to
them;
Because
a
psychopath—our
new
true
friend—is
an
excellent
communicator;
he
or
she
easily
picks
out
topics
that
are
important

17. to
us
and
reflects
sympathetic
points
of
view,
sometimes
complete
with
enthusiasm
or
“emotion”
to
reinforce
the
spoken
words.
For
one,
the
persona
of
the
psychopath—the
“personality”
the
person

18. is
bonding
with—does
not
really
exist.
It
was
built
on
lies,
carefully
woven
together
to
entrap
you.
It
is
a
mask,
In
summary,
the
psychopath’s
psychological
game
involves
analyzing

19. the
individual’s
expectations
and
desires,
and
then
reflecting
them
in
a
psychological
mask
that
is
so
convincing
the
person
bonds
with
him
or
her.
Psychopaths
often
are

20. cunning,
master
manipulators,
able
to
influence
individuals
into
fulfilling
their
own
selfish
ends.
They
hide
their
true
motivations
and
project
carefully
formed
personas
to
capitalize
on
the
needs,
expectations,
and
naïveté
of
individuals

21. useful
to
them.
Affinity
groups—religious,
political,
or
social
groups
in
which
all
members
share
common
values
or
beliefs—are
particularly
attractive
to
psychopaths
because
of
the
collective
trust
that
members

22. of
these
groups
have
in
one
another.
3
This
type
of
fraud
is
disturbing
because
of
the
ease
with
which
a
social
predator
infiltrates,

23. cons,
and
manipulates
affinity
groups.
Patrons
are
influential
executives
who
take
talented
employees
“under
their
wing”
and
help
them
progress
through
the
organization.
Once
this
patronage
is
established,
it

24. is
difficult
to
overcome.
With
a
patron
on
their
side,
psychopaths
could
do
almost
no
wrong.
There
are
plenty
of
coworkers
and
managers
who
have
little
to
offer
in
the

25. way
of
influence,
assets,
or
potential
support.
Being
ignored,
these
individuals
are
in
a
good
position
to
see
what
is
actually
going
on.
They
may
realize
that
the
psychopath
is
not
who
he

26. or
she
pretends
to
be,
and
may
even
witness
the
manipulation
of
others.
Two
factors
were
important:
the
extensive
use
of
clever
impression
management
techniques,
and
the
use
of
secrecy.

27. Specifically,
their
game
plans
involved
manipulating
communication
networks
to
enhance
their
own
reputation,
to
disparage
others,
and
to
create
conflicts
and
rivalries
among
organization
members,
thereby
keeping
them
from

28. sharing
information
that
might
uncover
the
deceit.
Psychopathic
workers
very
often
were
identified
as
the
source
of
departmental
conflicts,
in
many
cases,
purposely
setting
people
up
in
conflict
with

29. each
other.
“She
tells
some
people
one
story,
and
then
a
totally
different
story
to
others.
Sometimes
she’ll
tell
one
person
that
‘so-­‐and-­‐so
said
this
about
you’
and
then
do
the
same
thing

30. with
the
other,”
said
one
exasperated
peer.
Clearly,
the
detractors
despised
these
individuals,
and
the
supporters
almost
worshipped
them.
It
was
as
if
employees
were
describing
two
entirely
different

31. people.
In
a
great
number
of
these
situations,
it
seemed
that
the
psychopath
could
switch
from
warm
and
friendly
to
cold,
distant,
and
almost
hostile
depending
on
with
whom
they
were
interacting.

32. 4
This
dramatic
shift
from
friendly
coworker
to
cold,
dispassionate
stranger
is
a
consistent
element
of
psychopathic
behavior,
and
affects
victims
in
predictable
ways—ways
that

33. may
work
to
the
benefit
of
the
psychopath.
The
tables
are
turned
because
the
credibility
of
the
complaining
employee
has
already
been
“managed”
and
undermined.
Those
working

34. with
the
employee
who
was
defeated
see
the
demoralizing
effects
up
close
and
conclude
it
is
not
worth
fighting
the
psychopath.
Such
ethical
relativism
is
part
of
the
reason
psychopathic

35. and
other
unprincipled
“entrepreneurs”
find
it
so
easy
to
line
their
pockets
with
the
unwitting
contributions
of
those
whose
ethical
standards
are
more
fixed.
A
culture
of
secrecy
in
an
organization

36. makes
it
much
easier
for
pretenders
to
hide
and
much
harder
for
management
to
catch
them
in
their
lies,
Bullies
are
not
as
sophisticated
or
as
smooth
as
the
manipulative

37. type,
as
they
rely
on
coercion,
abuse,
humiliation,
harassment,
aggression,
and
fear
to
get
their
way.
psychopathic
bullies
do
not
feel
remorse,
guilt,
or
empathy.
They
lack
any
insight

38. into
their
own
behavior,
and
seem
unwilling
or
unable
to
moderate
it,
even
when
it
is
to
their
own
advantage.
They
are
adept
at
manipulating
people—pulling
the
strings—from
a
distance,

39. in
order
to
get
those
directly
under
their
control
to
abuse
or
bully
those
lower
down
in
the
organization.
To
the
puppetmaster,
both
the
intermediary
(the
“puppet”)
and
the

40. ultimate
victim
are
expendable
since
neither
is
viewed
as
a
real,
individual
person.
5
Psychopaths
do
not
understand
what
others
mean
by

41. their
“feelings,”
yet
they
will
attempt
to
mimic
them
on
demand.
This
often
leads
to
superficial
expressions
or
even
exaggerations
of
emotion
inappropriate
to
the
event
being
described.

42. The
key
is
to
look
for
emotions
appropriate
to
the
story
being
told,
and
to
be
sensitive
to
how
realistic
(as
opposed
to
superficial)
these
emotional
expressions
appear.

43. Psychopathic
responses
to
perceived
“lower-­‐status”
interviewers
may
include
condescension,
flirting,
disparaging
side
comments,
and
displays
of
entitlement,
among
other
things.
But
psychopaths
tend
to
overreact
in
response
to

44. perceived
personal
insults
or
insufficient
demonstration
of
respect
for
their
authority.
Excessive
or
incongruous
compliments
and
flattery
should
be
a
signal
for
you
to
pay
critical
attention
to
what

45. is
coming
next.
Ask
yourself,
“What
does
this
person
really
want
of
me?”
The
astute
psychopath
will
then
listen
to
you
spill
your
guts
about
things,
events,
and
people,

46. thereby
ingratiating
himself
with
you
and
providing
information
that
can
potentially
be
used
to
manipulate
you
later
on
in
the
relationship.
Psychopaths
are
adept
at
identifying
those
things
that
you

47. like
least
about
yourself,
and
at
using
them
as
currency
in
their
dealings
with
you.
Many
victims
become
racked
with
self-­‐doubt,
blaming
themselves
for
whatever
has
happened.
Others
deny

48. that
there
is
any
problem
at
all.
In
each
case,
doubts
and
concerns
about
the
psychopaths
in
their
lives
are
converted
into
doubts
about
themselves.
6

49. The
reality
is
that
there
is
no
evidence
that
psychopaths
derive
any
benefit
from
treatment
or
management
programs.
Should
you
try
to
complain
about
your
psychopathic
coworker

50. or
boss,
you
may
very
likely
find
that
the
waters
have
been
poisoned
against
you,
and
every
effort
you
make
to
remedy
the
situation
may
be
seen
as
confirmation
of
the
“problem
employee”

51. reputation
that
you
now
have.
One
psychopathic
technique
is
to
create
conflict
among
staff
members.
Claiming
that
one
person
said
something
negative
or
derogatory
about
another
is
a
common

52. approach.
Recall
that
a
successful
corporate
psychopath
will
already
have
established
a
strong
influence
network,
and
may
already
have
planted
seeds
of
doubt
about
your
competence
and
loyalty.

53. Snakes in Suits:
When Psychopaths Go to Work
Copyright 2006 by Paul Babiak, Ph.D., and
Robert D. Hare, Ph.D., Harper
Collins Publishers Inc., New York, New York
This is a book that has been a long time
coming. While investigators toss around the
term “psychopath,” this readable, non-
technical text helps us understand the
psychopathic personality and his actions in
a business environment. The authors, both
experienced in dealing with psychopaths,
use storytelling to demonstrate how these
predators might operate within a company.
Not all psychopaths are serial killers, but
they are, as a group, controlling,
aggressive, abusive, and predatory. They
also re-offend earlier and at a higher rate
than the general criminal population.
While psychopaths make up about 1
percent of the general population, they
account for about 15 percent of prison
inmates. An additional 10 percent of the
general population falls into a gray area of

54. psychopathy we should be concerned
about.
In the author’s original research of 200 high
potential executives, they found 3.5 percent
who fit the psychopathic profile.
The authors define several important terms
that are used throughout the book.
Psychopathy is a personality disorder
described by personality traits and
behaviors. Psychopaths are without
conscience and are incapable of empathy,
guilt, or loyalty to anyone but themselves.
Sociopathy is not a formal psychiatric
condition. It refers to patterns of attitudes
and behaviors considered antisocial and
criminal by society at large, but are seen as
normal or necessary by the subculture or
social environment in which they developed.
Sociopaths may have a well-developed
conscience and a normal capacity for
empathy, guilt, and loyalty, but their sense
of right and wrong is based on the norms
and expectations of their subculture or
group. Many criminals might be described
as sociopaths.
Antisocial personality disorder differs from
psychopathy because it does not require for
diagnosis the personality traits found in
psychopathy, such as lack of empathy,

55. grandiosity, and shallow emotions. APD is
three or four times more common than
being psychopathic in the general
population and in prisons. This is a broad
diagnostic category found in the American
Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
fourth edition.
Psychopaths have a propensity to break
rules and tread the extreme boundaries of
acceptable behaviors, taking advantage of
people who trust them. One of the early
researchers into psychopaths, Hervey
Cleckley, noted that psychopaths’ use of
language is different from most people.
Their sentence structure, choice of words,
and speech tempo were all different. In his
previous book about psychopaths, Without
Conscience, Dr. Hare found psychopaths
have difficulty understanding the emotional
content of words or how they might relate to
them.
According to the authors, most of us will
come into contact with a psychopath daily,
but because they are adept at reading
people and hiding their true selves they may
be difficult to identify. Psychopaths are able
and skillful communicators who deliver with
a style that is confident, filled with jargon
and clichés. Since the psychopath believes
he deserves whatever he can get, he uses

56. these skills to become a “social chameleon”
and master manipulator.
There also may be elements of narcissism
in the psychopath. Narcissists believe the
world revolves around them and as a result
they ignore the needs of others.
Unfortunately, psychopaths tell stories so
creatively and so believable many people
instinctively trust them. The listener is fooled
by the delivery over the content of what is
really being said.
The authors’ note psychopaths will lie to
people who know the truth and it will be
those people who will doubt their own
knowledge of the facts.
Psychopaths also shift the blame to avoid
responsibility for their actions. They do so
unencumbered by the guilt a normal person
would feel since they do not experience that
emotion. Once the victim has lost his or her
value or is no longer useful to the
psychopath he drops them and moves on to
the next unfortunate soul. They have no
attachment to the victim and are just as
likely to blame the victim for the misfortune
he caused them.
People often form impressions of others
very quickly, especially positive ones. To
maintain consistency with an early
impression, people will disregard
information contradicting their first sense of

57. the individual. This is especially important
for the psychopath’s success since he relies
on style over content. However, the
psychopath now moves to the second
phase, manipulation, using his considerable
charm. The conversation resonates with the
victim since the psychopath has created an
image of someone who shares the same
beliefs and values as the intended victim.
Psychopaths follow a predictable pattern,
beginning with the assessment of the
individual: “How can I use this person?” In
the initial phase the psychopath uses his
considerable skills of observation to
determine attributes of the victim’s
personality that may be manipulated. The
second phase involves the actual
manipulation of the individual: “How can I
get him to do what I want?” The relationship
is markedly one-sided, lasting only as long
as the psychopath sees value in the victim’s
ability to provide favors or other things of
value. Once the victim’s value is over, the
third and final phase, abandonment, takes
place. In this final phase the psychopath
may actually blame the victim for causing
any problems.
Ironically, the victim may seek to reestablish
the relationship with the psychopath
because she misses the closeness she felt
with him. Also, it is easier for the
psychopath to maintain a mask with one
person than it is with a group, so they often

58. select vulnerable individuals as their victims.
However, groups having a collective
predisposition to trust, such as religious or
political groups, are exceptions to this
solitary victim scenario.
The authors cite a study by Reid Meloy and
M. J. Meloy, who researched mental health
and criminal justice professionals’ reactions
to interviews with psychopaths. The
professionals’ reactions to the psychopaths
were varied and ranged from queasy
stomach, feeling ill, shaky, weakness,
pounding heart, shortness of breath, skin
crawled or Goosebumps. Others reported
being ill at ease, a sense of repulsion or
need to flee—all of which are the body’s
autonomic fight or flight response to a
predator.
Businesses pose a challenge and yet
provide incredible opportunities to the
psychopathic personality. The authors laced
the text with fictional examples of a
psychopath in a business environment.
Businesses are problematic because
psychopaths are by their nature rule
breakers, not team players, nor are they
interested in the long-term goals of the
organization. However, in rapidly growing
companies these factors may be overlooked
at the outset because the psychopath
comes across as ambitious, likable,

59. competitive, and loyal.
Once management is convinced of the
psychopath’s “value to the organization,”
their support is assured and difficult for
other employees to overcome because the
psychopath is adept at manipulating
impressions he gives others and uses
secrecy to his advantage. The downfall for
the psychopath comes when too many
people start to see through his carefully
crafted mask, although this may be delayed
because of the strong political support he
garnered early in his tenure.
The second part of the book looks at
employment strategies to weed out the
psychopath prior to hiring. As the authors
note, skilled human resource
representatives, auditors, and loss
prevention personnel are the psychopath’s
worst enemy because of their in-depth
interviewing experience and suspicious
nature.
The authors advocate a strong pre-
employment selection process using
background investigations and intensive
interviewing strategies to identify these
types of individuals. Careful interviewing to
evaluate the candidate’s real qualities and
successes will eliminate many of these
dangerous characters from consideration.
For those who are interested in hearing Dr.
Robert Hare speak on the topic of

60. psychopaths, he will be presenting at the
19th Annual Association of Certified Fraud
Examiner Fraud Conference. The
conference will take place July 13 - 18,
2008, in Boston, Mass. For additional
information, visit www.fraudconference.com
or call 800-245-3321.