How to Hire a Handwriting Expert
Handwriting experts are sometimes referred to as forensic technicians, document examiners, handwriting analysts or graphologists. They analyze handwriting samples to build a psychological profile, examine signatures on checks and contracts for evidence of forgeries, testify in legal cases and assist in forensic examinations as part of criminal investigations. The process of hiring a handwriting expert is similar, in many ways, to the process of hiring other types of employees; however, the specialty skills required for handwriting analysis can make finding qualified candidates more challenging.
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Instructions
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Prepare a hiring timeline. You may need six to eight weeks to complete the hiring process, including one to two weeks for accepting resumes, a couple of weeks for the short-listing and interviewing process, and another two weeks to complete the background checks.
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Organize a selection committee. Include at least one person with a background in handwriting analysis, or a senior member from your in-house forensics unit.
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Prepare a job description. The description will vary depending on the cases handled by your organization. If you deal mostly with criminal investigations, you probably need someone who has worked on psychological profiling cases. If you are a law firm handling fraud litigation, you probably need a candidate with expertise in detecting signature forgeries. If you are the curator at a museum, you may require someone who has authenticated historical documents based on handwriting samples.
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Advertise the position internally. A large organization with a forensic laboratory may have qualified internal candidates, either on staff or as part of a consultants roster. Consult a recruitment professional for guidance on where and how to advertise externally.
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Track and review incoming resumes. Prepare a short list of four or five of the most qualified candidates. Discuss the interview process with the selection committee. Decide on a general list of topics to discuss with the short-listed candidates.
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Conduct the interviews. Ask for a list of references and request permission to conduct background checks for each candidate. Conduct these checks.
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Offer the job to your top choice. In most cases, this involves sending an offer letter and requesting an accept or decline indication. Agree on a start date. Thank the unsuccessful short-listed candidates for participating in the process.
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Introduce the new handwriting expert to the team. Provide an overview of the cases that he will be working on.
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Tips & Warnings
Outside of the odd correspondence course, it is rare to find an accredited U.S.-based institution that offers formal training in handwriting analysis. There are vocational schools offering diplomas in forensic science. The American Board of Forensic Document Examiners provides a certification program in forensic document examination, which includes supervised training at a forensic laboratory.
