Turnover. Isn’t it every manager’s nightmare? It’s the biggest drain of resources of a company. Figures show it costs thousands of dollars to replace one employee, depending on the industry and rank. And that doesn’t even include relocation costs. It’s even worse for small companies because there are not enough people to absorb the shock or workload.

Enter graphology: a hedge against the drain.

Let’s say you are a dentist who has just hired a receptionist. She had good references and a sterling work record. But nothing in her interview hinted at her irritable nature. After months of costly training, you begin to get feedback from patients that she is a little too curt, turning off potential and current patients. The doctor loses out big time. It’s just become too expensive to keep her in that position.

To keep from making another costly mistake, the dentist could hire Pennie Morehead, who offers a powerful tool for taming these ugly challenges in the business hiring market--graphology.

While graphology, or handwriting analysis, has long been respected for its usefulness in areas such as forensic crime and forgery, it is just beginning to cross over as the next human resource tool.

“Hiring can be a minefield,” Morehead explains, “because there are so many questions you cannot legally ask job applicants.” She further points out that resumes are often “massaged” to mislead and cover up certain facts, making the job of hiring even harder.

“Besides,” she adds, “even if you could ask all those ‘unaskable’ questions, it doesn’t mean you get to the root of what makes a good employee in your company.”

There are several ways an employer can use graphology. One approach is to analyze a writing sample, usually collected during the interview, and write a comprehensive report. This is a more global approach. If, on the other hand, the company is looking for a certain set of traits in an employee, Morehead can custom design an evaluation form that lists those crucial traits and rate the applicants based on her handwriting analysis. Take, for example, a trucking company whose ideal candidate is flexible, comfortable being alone, independent, careful, and physically strong. The applicant would have to reach a threshold score to be considered viable.

Yes, it’s legal to analyze your handwriting, which is no more private than your facial expressions or voice. Morehead is quick to point out that it is not foolproof, but is a powerful way to corroborate data from other tests and interviews.

The cost of an analysis quickly pays for itself, she says. It is a boon to anyone wanting to get it right the first time. She should know: She was behind an HR desk for over twenty years.

Published articles related to Pennie Morehead's handwriting services:

Why Are Hygienists Stressed Out?, RDH (The National Magazine for Dental Hygiene Professionals), December, 2004

Gary Ridgway:  America's Most Prolific Killer, The Graphological Magazine, Issue No. 19, Summer, 2004

Handwriting Analysis:  One Tool to Find Out if Potential Hires Have the 'Write' Stuff, Chiropractic Economics, October ,2002.

Handwriting Analysis Helps Identify the Best Job Candidates, Veterinary Economics, October, 2002.

The "Write" Way to Effective Hiring, Dentistry Today, October, 2001

Biography:

Pennie Morehead was born in Spokane, Washington, in 1962. Her family moved to Auburn, Washington, in the 1970’s.

She married, raised two children, and developed a career in human resources, specializing in medical/dental practices.

In 1998, she earned her Certified Graphologist diploma from The Institute of Graphological Science and opened her consulting business: The Write Connection.

She authored the book, Green River Serial Killer—Biography of an Unsuspecting Wife, Branden Books, 2007.

Presently, Pennie lives with her husband in the Seattle, Washington, area where she writes, lectures, and consults with select businesses that utilize her handwriting analysis services.