The Importance of your Handshake at a Job Interview
Are handshakes still relevant in today’s society; a society engrained in a hyper-virtual obsession with how one might look on Facebook or in a virtual meeting room? This will depend on who is asked, but make no mistake about it, the handshake is one of the most important ‘tells’ in a job interview. It is absolutely vital to make it count.
Why is a handshake so important? Well, to kick things off, it is the first impression. A handshake not only conveys a sense of professionalism and familiarity, it is also a fundamental part of business etiquette. Either not offering your own hand or refusing a handshake would suggest to the interviewer that you may be unapproachable, poor with clients/employees and in general, just rude.
Think of a handshake like a greeting; you wouldn’t just sit down and not even say hello to the interviewer, would you?
Of course, a good handshake is more than just any old handshake. Many, if not most interviewers will at least read a little bit into a handshake and how it is conducted. Now, this doesn’t mean that one alpha male has to ‘crush, kill and destroy’ the other alpha male’s hand with his own. A good handshake is firm, quick and is accompanied by good eye contact and an engaging greeting. Never face away from the person shaking the hand. The handshake should set the scene for a great interview and instil confidence in the interviewer; that their time won’t be wasted.
A poor handshake can give off totally the opposite impression. A weak handshake can imply weakness or lack of confidence to the interviewer. If you are male, don’t be tempted to offer a weak handshake to a female interviewer; it can come off as patronising, and if they offer a firm one back then you would feel pretty stupid! Also, from experience, a few candidates have ‘missed’ the handshake; i.e. grab the fingers, not the palm. It does happen and is forgivable, but it doesn’t really set things off on the right foot.
Although it can’t really be said that a handshake would make or break the interview, it is a vital part of the overall interviewer’s perception of the candidate. Being aware of the cultural implications of the handshake is important as well; for example, in most Western cultures, the handshake is completed with the right hand, however can be completed with the left if both parties express so. However, in certain Middle Eastern cultures, the left hand is regarded and the unclean hand and therefore not used at all for greetings. Other cultures may not use handshakes at all; substitutes to a handshake may be bowing, nodding, kissing or nothing at all. Therefore when attending interviews, always be aware of the cultural background of the people and the company; it can mean more than you think.
