Some job listings ask for a handwritten and signed letter in addition to a CV. If this is the case it’s very likely that a graphologist is involved in the recruitment process.
Graphology is a pseudo-science that purports to characterise personality, skills, attitudes, motivations, emotions and even pathologies through handwriting analysis.
Abate Flandrin is considered to be the father of modern graphology; he established the first rules.
Graphology has applications in many areas such as health (graphotherapy), legal (handwriting experts), education (vocational assessment and guidance) and human resources (recruitment).
If this is true, it may be useful to learn about some of the elements involved and how they are interpreted, while still remaining sceptical about the validity of the tests and analysis.
Elements assessed
The shape of the letters:
– Round conciliatory
– Angular energetic, disciplined
The size of the letters:
– Very small poor self-esteem
– Very large need for attention
The slant of the lines indicate the person’s mood:
– Upwards optimistic
– Downwards pessimistic
The spaces between the letters:
– Close together predominance of logic, social skills
– Far apart predominance of intuition
The spacial distribution of the text on the page. This indicates the person’s organizational capacity
The pressure used gives us an idea of the person’s determination and commitment
The spaces between words, lines and margins give us an indication of the person’s predisposition to accepting or rejecting established rules
The signature receives special attention. Although we are still sceptical about this pseudo-science, it certainly says a great deal from very little, which is not an easy feat. But we will address that in a future post.
Ramón Rodríguez Lago
ACCIONA S.A. Human Resources Organisation Dept.