Flatter, Don't Flaunt

Kissing up to a potential employer may win you more points than boasting about why she or he should hire you, according to new research.

Chad Higgins, a management professor at the University of Washington, studied college-age job applicants and the recruiters who interviewed them. Flatterers received higher ratings than flaunters because interviewers believed such applicants shared their beliefs and attitudes, indicating a potentially good fit at the company.

Higgins and study coauthor Timothy Judge, a University of Florida business professor, found that applicants who monitored an interviewer's reactions and adjusted their interview strategy accordingly also scored well with recruiters.