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Desiree Richmond attended the Institute of Integral Handwriting Studies, based out of Palo Alto, CA and received her certification in 1991. She has provided handwriting analysis to individuals and businesses since that time.

1) What help do you believe graphology can be in the hiring process?

Handwriting analysis is only one tool utilized by the hiring firm to assess employment suitability along with other data, observations, and an interview to determine employability with the firm.

Handwriting analysis can assist in matching desirable job traits to personality traits of the individual, such as:

When hiring an accountant, the employer would look for personality traits of precision of work, ability to focus/concentrate, analytical skills, attention to details, honesty.

When hiring a sales rep, the employer would look for personality traits of being a self-starter, persistence, extroversion, and decisiveness.

2) What specific features of the writing are analyzed?

The writing formations studied by a graphologist include:

1. Baseline Slope - does a sentence slope upward or downward on the page

2. Letter Slant - does the letter slant to the left, is it straight up and down, or slant to the right in varying degrees

3. Margins - the blank space surrounding the body of the writing on the page

4. Word Spacing - how far apart is each word

5. Letter Expansion - is each letter fat, average or thin (compressed)

6. Letter Connectedness - are all letters connected or is there space between letters

7. Pressure - does the writer press heavily or lightly on the paper when writing

8. Speed - is the writing done hastily or slowly

9. Clarity - is the writing legible

10. Beginning Strokes - do words have beginning strokes

11. Retracing - are letters retraced, looped or separated

12. Ending Strokes - where do they end, at the baseline, above or below

13. Letter Height, Width, Length, Size, Openness and Shape

14. Signature Analysis

15. The Personal Pronoun I Analysis

3) What personality traits can be identified through graphology?

Wow - what is nearly every trait human beings exhibit? Introversion, extroversion, acquisitiveness, curiosity, tactless, aloof, secretive, organized, team player, careless, honesty, wasteful, extravagant, impulsive, intolerant, rigid, generous, flexible, decisiveness, argumentative, stubborn, enterprising, resourcefulness, creativity, competitive, judgment, enthusiasm, listening skills, dependability, responsibility, integrity, concern for others.........

Things that cannot be assessed through graphology are gender, race, age, religion, and handedness (making this a great pre-employment tool).

4) Which writing features relate to which personality traits?

A few examples would be:

Narrow letters - shy, reserved, inhibited, symbolically squeezed.

Ovals open at the top (A,O) - talkative, like an open mouth

Large full upper loops (L,H,K) - thoughtful

Pointed tops (M,N,H) - curious, probing

Margins wide on all sides - aesthetic, lonely, withdrawn, aloof

Upward sentence slope - optimistic

Mild Right Slant to letters - ability to express opinions, extroverted, affectionate

Small space between words - desire to maintain close interrelationships with others

IMPORTANT NOTE: You may quote me on this,

"No handwriting trait stands alone. Each aspect of writing MUST be analyzed in reference to the whole."

A trait indicating the ability to communicate directly may mean the person is frank and honest in their conversations or in combination with other indicators the direct communication could indicate bold, tactless, brash communication.

ANOTHER QUOTE: "Handwriting analysis, long used in Europe, is quietly spreading through corporate America. More and more employers are looking for new ideas and tools for screening potential employees. Handwriting analysis is one of those tools. An in-depth analysis gives you focused information designed to shed new light on a person's values, personality traits, talents, and abilities. These traits are then mapped to common success factors for specific job responsibilities. The employer can also analyze the traits of existing employees to review compatibilities and ensure well-rounded teams are brought together to produce quality results."

You may also want to check out our employers guidelines for using graphology in the hiring process: http://www.ocampa.com/analysis/guide.html.