Handwriting analysis. A silly pseudo-science, right? Sort of like studying the bumps on the skull? Well, not so fast. Before long, your company may be studying those dotted I’s and crossed T’s to determine whether to hire a new employee-or give you a promotion.



Local graphologist Margaret Friesen says handwriting analysis is serious business, and several Dallas area employers agree with her. Businesses use her expertise both to evaluate prospective employees and for theft and loss prevention.



“Handwriting can reveal how an employee will interact with other people within a company,” says Friesen, “If I see more than 20 percent of a dishonesty factor in a person’s handwriting, I know that there is a potential problem.”



To find that “dishonesty factor,” Friesen looks at a combination of handwriting quirks. For example, a person whose handwriting slants severely to the left; is probably holding things back. If that same person crosses his cursive “t” near the stem, he has low self-esteem and few goals in his life. And if he bears down hard on the page when he writes, he holds a grudge.



According to Mary Lou Baumann, former Vice President of Human Resources for The Bombay Company, Friesen’s methods kept the company from hiring high-risk individuals-potential thieves or people with volatile personalities-and saved them a great deal of time and money in the process.



So the next time you sign an application, remember to mind your Ps and Qs-your job may depend on it.

