The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1920-01-01
others, to the employment manager

others, to the employment manager
Of q large manufacturing concern
From two to three hundred applicants
for positions pass through his depart
ment every day. Your first conclu-
sion is, Of course, that there is q sur
plus Of labor; but, on the contrary,
there are good openings in almost
every department Of this business,
both office and factory. More COM
petent men and women are needed
everywhere. This particular manager
had just finished interviewing two
hundred 16-year- girls in an effort
to find one who would start Is an Of
flee girl at $40 week, with the pros
pect Of early promotion to clerical
work. He could not find one among
them who would take the place not
because they were qualified for some
thing better, but because they wanted
something better in spite Of their
lack Of qualifications.
High pay for skill and intelligence
is the best spent money in business.
But during the war there was wild
competition between our government
al activities and private enterprise
for any kind of labor and extravagant
wages and salaries were paid to the
unskilled and the unintelligent. Peace
time industry cannot afford those sal
aries except to people who know their
business or are willing to learn it.
Neither can it afford the tremendous
labor turnover that results from en-
ploying these restless, careless, slack
ing incompetents.
Before the war applicants for a
positions usually asked two questions:
"Can l get job ?" and what chance
have to work up?" They are still
asking two questions: what do you
pay?" and "What are the hours ?"
These are both perfectly proper ques-
tons and the answers are important
to the applicant but as they are put
today the attitude of the beginner to
his work is crystalized in them. He
is not only asking How much can /
get?" but "How little can / give in
return for it," And that is just what
this class of employees give.
A boy of IS, with grammar school
education, without training and ex-
perience except as shell passer dur
ing the last six months of the war,
applied to this employment manager
for a place in which he would have
had steady work, chance to learn a
skilled and highly paid trade, with
promotion to anything higher for
which he could fit himself.
His first and only question about
the place was: what do you pay?"
Twenty dollars week to start
with" was the answer
at isn't cigarette money" return
ed the youth as he passed out.
This boy, with overtime, had made
$50 week as a she'll passer. He has
been loafing since the day of the armi-
stice, waiting for someone to hire an
inexperienced, unskilled !
and unwilling boy at $50 week. That
is DOGGY with him.
Later in the day a young girl, with |
six. months training in business
college" on top of a grammar school
and with six months ex
perience as stenographer in gov
eminent job on top of all that, applied
for position. On trial she proved
to be under the rather simple require
nents of the place.
"What do you pay?" was her first
and only question.
eve start this grade of stenogra-
pliers at s18 week." was the answer.
81 didn't come here to be insulted,"
'etorted the girl as she flounced out.
There are $35 and $40 and $50
week secretaries in this company, and
executives who have come up
rom the ranks and are earning from
1000 to $4,000 year, but they are
women who know how>to spell, who
ire trained, efficient and are not
Lfraid to work-who are, in fact,
'ather fond of their work. There are {
men in the same company who started
n at anything and for anything they