The Importance of Nonverbal Communication in Business

Nonverbal communication is important in the traditional Korean culture.




One of the most common non-verbal communications for Koreans is bow, they are bowing to each other during greeting or farewell, and it is usually followed by a handshake. The person of lower status bows to the person of higher status, yet it is the most senior person who initiates the handshake. Also, when you leave a social gathering, say good-bye and bow to each person individually.  To show respect when shaking hands, support your right forearm with your left hand. Korean women usually nod slightly and will not shake hands with Western men, while western women may offer their hand to a Korean man.



Another one is interaction between seniors and juniors, for example direct eye contact between junior and senior businesspeople should be avoided, because it might be considered as impolite or even as a challenge. Koreans mostly appreciated Eye contact & smiling as gestures of welcoming and friendship.

Small talk may be viewed as pointless, but meaningful conversation highly valued. However, non-business centered small talks is very differs from North American, for example it's really culturally strange to talk openly about bowel problems like diarrhea or constipation in US. But, an "overshare" - giving more information than you really wanted, is totally appropriate for Koreans. As far as I can tell, it's OK to talk about bowel problems in Korean small talk (at least for some groups - particularly older folks), but it's really strange to North Americans (and I'm pretty sure people from other English speaking nations would agree).

Even, professionals that are meeting for the first time usually exchange business cards, you need to remember to present your card and receive your colleague's card with both hands. Besides, one interesting fact that is need to be remembered and considered is that a  low, deep bow from Koreans at the end of a meeting indicates a successful meeting, while  quick, short parting bow could mean dissatisfaction with meetings.

Another thing in Korean working environment is company dinners, this is a very important part of every employees' and employer life. This is kind of a necessity and an integral part of Korean culture. In order to get known your coworkers better and introduce yourself as well, this will be the best possible opportunity. Below is the video of how this dinners went.