H 
EMPLOYMENT PSYCHOLOGY 
appointed as monarch of the 'hiring-on window’ a man 
who had the misfortune to lose a leg in the company’s 
employ. As a consequence of this loss, he was given his 
present life job which he performs to the queen’s taste. 
He was induced to describe his methods and they were 
something as follows: ‘On Mondays I turns down all 
the men with white collars, on Tuesdays all with blue 
eyes, Wednesday all with dark eyes. Red-headed men 
I never hires, and there do be days when I has a grouch 
and hires every tenth man.’” This exaggeration serves 
at least to bring out into sharp relief the weakness of the 
old and present method of employing. This weakness, 
in brief, is due to the absolute reliance upon the particular 
ability and experience of the individual or individuals 
who happen to be doing the hiring. This method, like 
the method of home remedies in other fields, is not with 
out its virtues. There are undoubtedly people who have 
an almost uncanny ability to select the right applicant 
for the right place. However, the most experienced em 
ployment manager will admit that its shortcomings more 
than outweigh its virtues. These shortcomings are the 
shortcomings of every unscientific or home remedy method, 
namely, the lack of accurate standards or measurements 
and the failure to provide a safeguard against the thou 
sand and one prejudices to which the human flesh is 
liable and by which personal judgments are so frequently 
vitiated. 
A few general instances will serve to bring out these 
weaknesses more distinctly. In a large employment of 
fice there are usually three or four or more men and women 
taking applications and interviewing applicants. Each 
of these interviewers has probably had a different kind 
of experience and training, and each may have different