236 
EMPLOYMENT PSYCHOLOGY 
with in employment work that it is worth while com 
sidering them in a little detail. The first item, personal 
appearance, is one of the most common and at the same 
time one of the most unreliable points of criticism. Many 
an accountant whose books are the acme of neatness and 
accuracy may wear a shiny coat and a collar which is 
frazzled around the edges. And many a mechanic who 
turns out his work with dispatch and completeness has a 
slouchy and sometimes even slovenly carriage. There 
are certain kinds of work in which appearances are par 
ticularly important as, for instance, in the case of sales 
men, floor walkers, solicitors, and others whose success 
depends largely upon the impression which they can 
make in a momentary interview. But, for the large 
majority of factory and office jobs, these traits must be 
given a very liberal interpretation. Many a worthy man 
who has been in too great a hurry to shave or whose 
laundry has not arrived in time to contribute to his ap 
pearance in the employment office, will otherwise be lost 
to the organization. 
The qualities listed under the head of initiative might 
have some general value if their presence or absence could 
be detected; but how they are to be discovered by mere 
observation or by a short interview is a question difficult 
to answer. Even if the applicant does have the mysterious 
sign of creativeness stamped upon him in some observable 
way, it means very little. The important point is: What is 
the nature of his creativeness? Is it a faculty for creating 
objects or methods useful to the particular work in which he 
is engaged, or is it a peculiar faculty for creating a dis 
turbance among his co-workers ? And as for being a quiet 
pusher, an applicant may be very quiet and give indica 
tions of being full of restrained energy during an inter