What HR managers see in an applicant signature and handwriting
Many companies these days use the services of handwriting analysts to know about the personality of candidates. Screening applicants with handwriting analysis is a fruitful exercise that benefits employers as well as job seekers.
Do you wonder what are the things that a graphologist looks for in a handwriting sample? Let me help you.
An employer’s first priority of course is to check an applicant’s experience, which is clearly mentioned on his CV. But beyond that what makes an applicant a better candidate than his co-applicants who have the same qualifications?
An employer that uses graphology as a screening tool chooses candidates who are not only suitable for the job, but also for the company culture and, more importantly, the team.
So, here is what traits most employers want in their employees and how the traits are identified from handwriting:
Applicant signature & handwriting
1. Can the applicant communicate effectively?
According to handwriting analysis, an individual’s ability to communicate well is shown in some middle-zone letters such as a & o. Broadly speaking, the clearer the letters, the better the communication. (Communication letter in handwriting)
2. Can the applicant be given responsibility?
A person’s willingness to accept responsibility is identified in huge initial loop in S, M & N.
3. Is the applicant honest and loyal?
Honesty is shown by clean and untouched oval letters, such as a, o and d. Presence of loops in ovals indicates the writer’s tendency to manipulate facts. (Refer to point 1 for more)
Loyalty is seen in the placement of i-dots and their shapes.
4. Is the applicant enthusiastic?
In handwriting, enthusiasm of the writer surfaces in long, sweeping t-bars. If this stroke is found along with an ascending baseline, the writer’s enthusiasm is inexhaustible.
5. Does the applicant have good energy and determination?
The energy of a writer is seen in the pressure with which he writes. Most people assume that the higher the writing pressure, the greater the energy. That’s not true. (Know more about handwriting pressure)
In handwriting analysis, a writer’s determination is shown by firm downstrokes on lower-zone letters such as g, j and y.
6. Is the applicant organised and can he prioritise work?
Graphology says a writer’s ability to be organised is shown by the balance in the size of upper and lower loops in letter f.
An individual’s ability to prioritise work is shown in the way he manages the line-spacing in his handwriting. Handwriting analysts often look at the spacing between lines to determine how well the writer can prioritise his work.
7. Can the applicant focus on his work?
This is very important. Most employers want it in their employees. A writer’s ability to focus is seen in the size of his handwriting. The smaller the size, the greater the focus. (Read more about small handwriting)
8. Can he keep personal problems out of the workplace?
To know this factor, a graphologist sees the writer’s emotional responsiveness, which is shown by the slant of his handwriting. Often, someone with a pronounced right slant is unable to keep his emotions in check, which starts interfering with his or her life at workplace.
Applicant signature and handwriting
9. Will the applicant be co-operative with fellow workers?
An individual’s ability to co-operate is shown by two things: first, how close he feels with the life around him, and secondly, how dominating or yielding he is. How much a writer feels connected with the world around him is shown by word spacing, while his dominating nature is shown by the his downhill t-bar.
10. Does the applicant have the potential to be a leader?
To determine this potential, many personality traits, such as pride, ambition and persistence come into play. Pride is shown by long t and stems, whereas ambition is shown by the way the writer places his t-bar. The higher the t-bar, the higher the self-esteem and ambition. But if the t-bar is above the stem, the writer becomes an air head.
Disclaimer: One element of handwriting may be analysed at a time, but always look at the entire handwriting sample before arriving at any conclusion.
