Whether you are a trained interviewer or not, if you have done any interviewing for hiring at all you will know that some people interview better than others. You will know that some people are truthful and others lie and tell you whatever they think you want to hear.

In addition to the honesty factor, interviewing, on the part of the job applicant, is a learned skill.

Personality affects how well one interviews. A shy person will not shine in a interview the way a friendlier, outgoing type would.

Confidence affects how well one interviews. The most talented applicant without confidence will pale in comparison with the ?passable? candidate who has lots of confidence.

And training affects how well one interviews. I know ? I used to teach interview skills to unemployed! And though I say so myself, I turned out some darned good interviewees (although of course, not encourage to lie) who were not always particularly gifted for the positions for which they were applying.

All in all, the best interviewee is not necessarily the best candidate for the job.

What can help?

Trained interviewers have a battery of aids which I won?t go into here, but one of the simplest is just to have a list of questions and ask the same ones to every candidate. Also to have a checklist to mark off regarding appearance, confidence and other impressions you get during the meeting.

But one tool you may not have thought of is Handwriting Analysis. 90% or more of employers in Europe use this tool, and a growing number of North Americans.

You don?t have to be a fully trained graphologist to use this to help your interviewing. If you just learn how to identify a few traits important to the position, you can identify them right there at the interview, and direct your follow up questions accordingly.

First off, how to get a handwriting sample. This is easy ? just ask! ?Would you please write out for me why you want this job and what you consider your main qualifications for it are?, or more simply ?Please write out for me why I should hire you.? Hand them an unlined pad of paper and a pen.

Now you have a handwriting sample right in front of you.

Side note: don?t ask for the dreaded ?handwritten cover letter.? Who?s to say it?s actually the writing of the applicant and not their wife, best friend of mother who has ?nice? writing?

Let?s say organizational ability is a huge issue in this job. You have learnt, through a quick study of a beginners? book on handwriting analysis, how to identify organization, disorganization and a couple of other traits to look out for in association with this. Now,as you go through the interview, you can just glance at the writing and in a matter of seconds have the answer to your question.

If disorganization in any form shows, you can then come up with an appropriate follow up question, such as ?tell me a time when you showed excellent organizational skill? or something more creative along the same lines.

The same goes for most other qualities you are looking for. A few are more complicated traits that are more difficult to identify, and might not be suitable for a novice to identify as they go, but many are very simple to identify at a glance once you know what you are looking for.

In keeping with the old saying ?A little learning is a dangerous thing,? I emphasize that this using handwriting analysis in this way is a tool to guide your questioning, not a tool to decide finally whom to hire.

If you want to go farther with this tool and use it as part of the final decision making process, you either need to learn considerably more about it yourself, or hire a trained analyst. It can be a fantastic tool to help lower attrition and build happier, healthier teams.

A bad hire is expensive.

Isn?t it worth your while to use every tool ? especially one you can utilize yourself ? to make sure you hire the best person the first time?

Fiona MacKay Young is a Certified Handwriting Analyst with over 15 years experience, who works with individuals and employers on a wide variety of people related issues. She also is the author of several books to assist beginners make instant use of this skill as they learn it. She also offers phone consultations, reports, teleclasses, is a keynote speaker and gives lively and fun interactive presentations. Check http://www.thehirewritesite.com for business, http://www.potentiality.biz for individual, personal development and fun, and http://www.handwritinganalysisbooks.com is where her books can be found.

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