According to survey data, the coronavirus has almost eliminated the practice of shaking hands during job interviews. Two-thirds of job seekers do not want to shake hands with interviewees between social distancing and anxiety. Only a third of the 730 adults surveyed by recruiter Randstad claimed it was appropriate to shake hands during interviews. Shaking hands during the job interview process have been an established tradition for centuries. Some experts claim that a person’s feelings or thinking are revealed through brief encounters because fragile hands are considered a sign of weakness.
Health experts had asked Britons to refrain from shaking hands at the start of the pandemic, to fight the spread of the corona pandemic. Randstad said thousands of videos showing tips on how to ‘shake hands to win a job’ could soon become redundant. He said that doubts about physical contact at the workplace such as shaking hands remain a constant fear of corona infection. Randstad‘s Jenna Alexander said, “The idea of a mandatory handshake before an interview is now being considered an unnecessary procedure.” They have recognized the traditional greeting of the interview as a centuries-old tradition, but now many find it difficult. Unfortunately, the worldwide pandemic forced the government to change perceptions.
Let us also tell you here that this trend of the handshake is not new but ancient. We also found the oldest evidence of a handshake in the form of a carving from the 9th century BC.
According to History.com, in this carving, the Assyrian king and the Babylonian king are engraved by shaking hands. In addition, Homer, the great Italian poet, mentions the handshake several times in episodes of determination and faith in immortal works such as the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Symbols of handshakes are also found in Greek funerary arts dating back to the five to four centuries BC. Symbols of shaking hands are also found in some coins of the Roman period.
According to DeepEnglish.com, the practice of shaking hands in Roman times was actually to hold arms. Weapons were checked by holding arms near each other. About the beginning of this series, it has been said in this article, that it started in medieval Europe.
By the way, the BBC article quoting experts has said that it is also possible that it may divide the world into two types of people, one who considers touch appropriate and the other who consider it appropriate to keep distance. If this happens, then some serious psychological disorders can be seen.
