Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22
MAGAZINE SECTION for April &c, 1917


ing trustworthy information as to pre-
vious record will put quick end to the
pernicious practice to-day under which
an employee who gives seriously unsatis-
factory service can count upon the weak
ness of his employer to give him good
recommendation and send him, without
having suffered for his derelctions, to vic
timize another employer. Establishment
OF such system will insure to the great
majority OF worthy workers the reward
of an honest record Of achievement which
can not be counterfeited for the slack or
dishonest man, and which therefore will
encourage a good man to maintain his
standing.
The record form which is here discussed
is one designed primarily for ascertaining
and grading the records of statesmen; but
the principles of it apply to the record of
any sort of employee, and may well be
extended into the field of domestic serv-
ice, where the reference has become
so abused as to be almost completely
worthless.
have described, previously, something
OF DIR. SCOTS method of standardizing
the grade of native intellectual ability to
be required Of applicants for positions as
statesmen. Standards of physical condi-
ton to be required of applicants for posi-
tons are so generally understood that
they require no particular definition here.
Determining the grade of the technical
ability to be required of an applicant for
selling position is problem now being
solved. DR.. Scott has attacked it most
successfully in a manner described on one
of his instruction to Applicants blanks.
In Room A is a merchant who is to be re-
garded as a 4buyer" You are to enter
Room A, introduce yourself to Merchant A.
and try to sell him some kind of merchan-
disc. You will spend five minutes with
MIR. A, then pass on to Room b and repeat
your selling talk to Merchant b. You will
keep this up till you have called on all the
buyers"
You may sell any line of merchandise.
breakfast food, clothing, fountain-pens, life
insurance. office supplies, real estate. rubber
goods, sporting goods, tobacco, typewriters,
etc.
You may. make the same talk to each
buyer If you decide to sell an automo-
bile then you may assume that each of the
merchants is an automobile dealer If you
decide to sell a breakfast food, then assume
that each "buyer' is a grocer etc.
Present your merchandise for five min
utes In such way that the buyer will
actually want to purchase your line. Sell
as you would If the @buyer' were real
prospective.
Prepare your line of talk in advance!
The personality of each applicant SINH
larry is passed upon by several interview
ers, who judge upon personal appearance,
tact, industry, promise of usefulness to
the company, etc. Personality, of course,
is particularly hard to reduce to 4quanti-
tative determinations but, whatever the
qualities that are judged, the examiners
must summarize their judgment in sim
gle figure.
"Some of these cumulative determine
tons, Scott says, "are, of course, more
important than others; but all must be
combined into single figure according
to their relative Importance in respect
to the place to be filed. Previous record,
physical condition, native intellectual
ability, technical ability personality!
How few firms make the slightest at
tempt to determine how applicants for
positions grade in the qualities that make
for success or failure; how few could even
define those qualities much less define
any real standard in respect to each that
must be reached by successful applicant.
nr Soott's wnrk IL not rayol,, tinporx-