Interesting little piece in the Journal of Applied Psychology on the importance of the handshake in employment interviews.
It's official! First impressions count.
Who woulda thunk it?
What makes the piece interesting for me is that a 'good' handshake in a female candidate is more remarked upon and therefore can have a greater impact.
Okay, enough snarking. We all know this stuff matters and yet there are a whole lot of lousy handshakers out there - we have the wet noodle, the dead squid, the fingers-only, the phalange-crusher, the two-handed-power-pumper and the look-at-me-I'm-so-dominant palm-down-upper-hander. The non-verbal strands are so important in human communication, particularly at the outset and your handshake is one strand over which you can take conscious control. I have lost count of the number of times I have roleplayed entering the room, shaking hands and comporting oneself on the chair with clients. Your posture, your visage and your handshake speak volumes to even a casual observer. Get. It. Right!
Sheesh, how hard can it be? I had a pleasant chat on the topic with the splendid Mr Williams on Dublin's Q102 a few days back. See what you think:
So, if you meet the Donald, do one of those awkward, knock-knees teenage wave things; but for everyone else - good grip technique, firm shake, nice energy coming from you, open face, and comfortable eye contact. Go.
Related Posts:
Greeting etiquette (inc. the multicultural dimension)
Counting down to the interview
Simple Courtesies Pt.2
The full Iowa study is here (subscription required)
It's official! First impressions count.
Who woulda thunk it?
What makes the piece interesting for me is that a 'good' handshake in a female candidate is more remarked upon and therefore can have a greater impact.
"Although women received lower ratings for the handshake, they did not on average receive lower assessments of employment suitability. Exploratory analysis suggested that the relationship between a firm handshake and interview ratings may be stronger for women than for men."Also, there were five "trained raters" used in the Iowa study who evaluated the 98 participants' handshakes and whose evaluations were correlated against the hiring recommendations arising out of the mock interviews. I have helped people secure jobs all over the world and in all walks of life, but I have never come across a Handshake Expert. Sounds like a cool job, and there are bound to be openings in the current market - insolvency lawyers, accountants, career counsellors, cobblers ... and handshake experts. Do you get a badge? Is there a guild? A super-duper, super-secret handshake?
Okay, enough snarking. We all know this stuff matters and yet there are a whole lot of lousy handshakers out there - we have the wet noodle, the dead squid, the fingers-only, the phalange-crusher, the two-handed-power-pumper and the look-at-me-I'm-so-dominant palm-down-upper-hander. The non-verbal strands are so important in human communication, particularly at the outset and your handshake is one strand over which you can take conscious control. I have lost count of the number of times I have roleplayed entering the room, shaking hands and comporting oneself on the chair with clients. Your posture, your visage and your handshake speak volumes to even a casual observer. Get. It. Right!
Sheesh, how hard can it be? I had a pleasant chat on the topic with the splendid Mr Williams on Dublin's Q102 a few days back. See what you think:
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"We probably don't consciously remember a person's handshake or whether it was good or bad," George Stewart, Associate Prof of management & organizations in the Tippie College of Business said. "But the handshake is one of the first nonverbal clues we get about the person's overall personality, and that impression is what we remember." The message I take from that is that you should be conscious and aware, even if the interviewer isn't.
The Iowa study reinforced the message that came out of some research from the University of Alabama in 2001 - particularly in its findings on the value of a good handshake for women. The Alabama piece also lifted the veil upon the training that Handshake Experts undergo. Apparently they evaluate you under the following headings:
The Iowa study reinforced the message that came out of some research from the University of Alabama in 2001 - particularly in its findings on the value of a good handshake for women. The Alabama piece also lifted the veil upon the training that Handshake Experts undergo. Apparently they evaluate you under the following headings:
- The temperature or your hand
- Its dryness
- The texture of your skin
- Your grip technique
- Grip strength
- The duration of the shake
- The vigour of your shake
- And the all-important eye contact
So, if you meet the Donald, do one of those awkward, knock-knees teenage wave things; but for everyone else - good grip technique, firm shake, nice energy coming from you, open face, and comfortable eye contact. Go.
Greeting etiquette (inc. the multicultural dimension)
Counting down to the interview
Simple Courtesies Pt.2
The full Iowa study is here (subscription required)
6 comments:
Handshakes are something that provides an immediate positive feeling or repels. The cold, sweaty, 'dead fish' makes us want to run away. Warm, dry, firm hands are welcoming. And men....it's not a contest. Ease up a little, especially when you're shaking the hand of a woman wearing rings. Your power grip can be painful!
As a child my Mother taught me that I should give a firm handshake and look people in the eye.
As an adult I meet new people on a regular basis. About 25 percent of the time men (rarely women) comment on what a good handshake I have. I always thought it was odd for them to do that. But I guess not everyone know how to do it right.
Putting aside cultural differences, I feel a poor handshake says "My insecurities are more important to me than offering you a respectful greeting."
In a client company recently, a candidate asked in advance that employees not offer to shake his hand because it was not allowed by his religion. I'm interested in your thoughts and unfamiliar with a religion that disallows handshaking. Good post.
There's an age component at play here too. You'd be amazed at how much of an impression you'll make by offering a decent, firm handshake to an older man.
One of the first things I taught my toddler was to shake hands. And upon meeting a very old and dear friend - a man who most defines "grandfatherly" for me, yet is without any actual direct relation - my son eagerly thrust out his hand and did his 2 year old best to shake the large elderly man's hand.
Only a few times during my brief stint thusfar as a new father have I felt so intensely successful as I did in that moment.
I've had the misfortune to shake many a hand that barely registered its presence in mine. Horrible!
And what's the point of it - what do these people think a handshake is if they don't grip your hand lightly but firmly and - you know -
shake it?
I agree with Marsha about the power grip, it can be very painful indeed.
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