JOB ANALYSIS
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to see to it that the jobs under him are arranged in such a
way as to make promotions the logical thing. It is sometimes
asserted that frequent promotions, such as are made
possible by the rapid labor turnover, tend to lessen production.
Those who believe this do so on the assumption
that it is wiser to break in one new man for one job that
becomes vacant than to break in two or more old men on
new jobs, as would be the case if promotions were made.
However, the fallacy of this argument is only too patent.
To begin with, if men were logically promoted, the turnover
would not be so high. And it is safe to say that
production at present is obstructed much more by a rapid
labor turnover than by an undue number of promotions.
It is also said that it is almost impossible to arrange all
jobs in a logical or chronological order. This is undoubtedly
true. However, it is probably still truer that
the necessary attention and effort to accomplish this have
not yet been devoted to the task, and that much more
can be done than has been done hitherto.
The time required to break a new man in is one of the
most important of all items. As work is divided under
the present manufacturing methods, a large number of
jobs are such that they can be learned in a very short
period of time, varying from a few days to a few weeks.
Moreover, industries are undertaking to train in their
own schools those who are needed for their work. In such
cases, the employment office must show particular care to
choose those who have the necessary fundamental ability
to receive the training which it is intended to give them.
IF, in addition to the items named under the captions
of Physical Characteristics, Mental Characteristics,
and Miscellaneous Characteristics, it is necessary to
add any further facts, this can be done under the last
