El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1921-01-04

NEVER was there so great need for and Of
~ exceptional attainents and industry IN business ana
professional life Advancement IN ones employment rests
chiefly with the individual hmserefering now 10 pfl-
vate and not public employment Employees, in whatever
grade capacity, have only themselves 70 Diane lsy
stand stil 90 backwards.
Composition among employees for advancement IS not
nearly keen competition among employers 20 OBTAIN
capable and expert help There Is not an employer IN
any line of business industry profession who does not
continually wonder at the Indifference to their Own sell
interest that caractsrzss so large proportion ofepoyes
Opportunity is free, notwithstanding any idea an en-
poye nay have that way be IS being Kept back
and held down business thrves n proportion 10 the
competence Of its direction, the cooperation manifest
throughout the organization and the ability OF the lnol-
vdual units organization If any one Of these three
requisites fail, there IS trouble.
One Of the hardest problems before every employer and
director Of business industry is that Of finding men
and competent to FIJI the positions Of responsibility
In the army every and officer is presumed to be
capable to the next higher grade IN Of need. This
is fine theory but it doesn't work. large proportion
Of soldiers and officers make effort to fit themselves for
wider responsibilities and while BY reason Of the rank he
holds soldier nay advance grade 70 IN vacancy II
by no means follows that is competent take the
duties and fulfil them satisfactorily. In the army,
however, movements nom grade 70 grade ana from JoD 70
Job by routine and there is little exercise Of intelligent
selection in fitting the to the job The system suffers
q result
In business there's more scope for exercise OF choice.
But in theory IN the army theory there ought to be IN
every business organization undestudy for every loo
woman competent to jump II and III the pace OF
any empl0ye who qltsj and TINS theoIy olshl 70 Apply "
supeutendeuts and department heads that IN each shop
and departuen there ought be employees competent 70
MI the higher grades OF executive ana admins "olA
and awaiting only an opportunity to display their ability
Is It SO in practce2 Rarely No employer chooses, If
he possibly avoid it. to outside the organization tor
men and women to III the responsible posts But IN
the great majority Of business institutions tins becomes
necessary instances This by reason OF the Iacl
that employees as rue 90 nor maze me- 80 -
broaden their knowledge, improve the Intrinsic quay OF
their work and fit themselves TO direct lhe "oIk OF
other men and women
Every employer has often had the experience Of offering
7r1rr nj tr N
sponsihtv and having the offer declined Many employees
do not care take responsibility, yet these same
and women are otter in state Of chronic III temper
because they feel themselves somehow abused.
When Charles H. SchwaD was directing the q. S. Steel
coEpoaton ne followed pIael1e "len Is interesting 70
know about but which would disrupt most business organ
izatons if strictly followed especially organizations having
comparatively small number Of employees and no ready
Of supply for competent help from outside
Schwab never vent outside Of the organization for
to FIJI higher post He had rigid system Of priority
seniority, and every given to understand that
he held his present pest only temporarily: that he must
keep fit 20 take the next post higher at any time and that
he would be given his chance lat- n the natural
course Of things.
the next man line; he given fair chance; If he made
GOOD he held the JOB; if he did not make good he was
drouped cut Of the organization entirely, and if he should
care TO the Q. S. Steel corporation again he would
have to begin at the bottom and work up with the heavy
handicap Of long waiting list ahead Of him Tor every
choice job
SchvzBs theory was that If man was not capable TO
in the next higher Job he not fit TO hold the job he
already had Furtheore he believed that the best ineen-
tive 70 hold out to any grade Of employment IS the
expectation Of advancing least being given chance
TO aucs-and obviously dead wood could be held IN
Organization without blocking evsrybodys chances IN
grades below He could tolerate who salts
fied to stand still
This rule might work in industrial lines, but If would
not Be practical IN professional employment man
often fits precisely into certain job, and becomes
more valuable with experience Such employe may justly
claim the right to be paid progressively IN proportion
his increasing value TO the business time goes
without there being necessarily change in the nature Of
the task
The trouble f. many employees seem TO get the idea
that they entitled progressive increases in pay based
length Of service only, based nothing while they
do sufficiently consider their Obligation to make
themselves and valuable to the business If they
expect more pay.
u most businesses, the basis Of organization and cal
culaton is such that certain jobs have fixed
value for certain kind and quantity Of work IF the