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Is it true what they say about handshakes?  Do they really signal revealing traits about candidates?  I say maybe but if you ask the opinion of recruiters and others who are actively involved in the hiring field from day to day, they’d probably throw you an audacious yes.  That’s because these guys are trained to access candidates thoroughly, not just during the interview but also during moments outside of the interview, moments like when a job applicant is nervously extending his or her hand to shake that of a more confident interviewer's or times like when an interviewer is making small talk with a job applicant as they're both standing idly and waiting for an elevator to take them up to his or her office.  Either way, the time that a job applicant spends with the hiring person outside of the actual interview is definitely time for applicants to be on guard about. 

Your Posture

Be attentive of how you stand.  Don’t slouch or lean up against the walls.  Don’t place your hands on your hips frequently.  Don’t tap your foot on the floor excessively as you’re waiting for an elevator.  The foot tapping could inadvertently signal that you’re annoyed by the elevator’s delay and trust me no one wants to work with someone who might get agitated easily.

Your Lingo

Be attentive of how you talk.  Choose appropriate words for the occasion.  Even though you might not be in the interviewer’s office yet still, but maybe waiting patiently instead with him or her for the elevator to show up or maybe you’re walking a lengthy corridor with him or her leading up to their office, watch what you say.  Leave your casual lingo at home.  Try to avoid using words like “um huh,” “yeah” or “you know what I mean” excessively around the interviewer.  You don’t want him or her to get the sad impression that you graduated from an inferior college or one perhaps that was extremely lax in handing out degrees.

Also, be sure to choose your words carefully outside of the interview period.  You don’t want to risk saying too much because what you say here could also be later used as ammunition to deny you the job later on. 

The Handshake:  What It Means

Now, getting back to the handshake and whether interviewers really judge candidates on their handshakes or not, well, all I can say about this topic is that you probably shouldn't take this area for granted.  Interviewers can start judging you the minute you extend your hand.  I can’t begin to tell you how many comments I’ve heard over the years from recruiters who were overly critical of an applicant's handshake.  I’ve heard comments ranging from, “Man, he had one of the weakest handshakes in the world.  I might as well have been shaking my grandfather's hand," to “Jesus, he almost broke my hand off during that exchange!  I bet he’s the arrogant type.  Probably wouldn’t work well on a team.”  Naturally, these types of comments are unfair and don’t have anything to do with a job applicant’s capabilities for performing a certain job well, but nonetheless, some interviewers base their initial impressions of candidates by relying partially on a handshake.

Handshake:  Good Grip vs. Bad Grip

Just to play it safe in the handshaking area, make sure yours isn't of the weak kind.  While you could just naturally be a light-handed shaker, still some recruiters believe that a feeble handshake signals a job applicant that might be timid or might possibly be afraid to take on leadership roles.  Also, make sure your handshake isn’t of the finger-breaking kind either.  While you just might be a 200 lb. football jock with a hearty handshake, still inexperienced interviewers occasionally mistake an overpowering handshake as a subtle hint of candidates who might be dominant or overbearing in dealing with others.  

Always make sure your handshake is of the quick and firm kind.  If you’re not good at shaking hands, and trust me many candidates aren’t, or if you’re not sure how weak or overpowering your handshake feels to others then practice with a friend.  Ask them to rate your handshake until you feel confident you're performing the grasp properly where you won't accidentally crush their fingers or so where they won't playfully accuse you of being cousin to a ghost.   

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This article is © 2003-2005 by Tracy Miller and may not be reposted without written permission from the author and may not be reprinted for profit.