Handshake key to landing a job, scientists claim

Research by the University of Iowa found applicants - especially women - with a firm handshake are far more likely to get the job than candidates with a limp grip.

A solid handshake was found to be more important than dress or physical appearance as it set off the interviewer's impression of that person.

"We found that the first impression begins with a handshake that sets the tone for the rest of the interview," said researcher George Stewart, associate professor of management and organizations in the Tippie College of Business, in a statement.

Mr Stewart said this was the first study to quantify the importance of a good handshake in a job interview.

The study, to be published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, was conducted with 98 students at a business school participating in mock job interviews with local business representatives.

The interviewers graded each student's overall performance and employability while five trained handshake experts also scored students on their handshake. The scores were then compared.

Mr Stewart said the researchers found that those students who scored high with the handshake experts were also considered to be the most employable by the interviewers and seen as having more extroverted personalities and greater social skills.

The students with limp handshakes were judged to have less gregarious personalities and were less impressive.

We probably don't consciously remember a person's handshake or whether it was good or bad," Stewart said. "But the handshake is one of the first nonverbal clues we get about the person's overall personality, and that impression is what we remember."

The key to a good handshake? A complete, firm grip, eye contact and a vigorous up-and-down movement, said Stewart.

It is women who may benefit more than men if they present a "strong and complete grip when they shake hands".

The report built on previous research by the University of Alabama that showed that women who were more liberal, intellectual and open to new experiences were found to have the a firmer handshake.