20

EMPLOYMENT  PSYCHOLOGY

the  particular  work  in  question.  Even  though  tests  have
been  devised  and  carefully  applied  elsewhere  by  a  firstrate
  psychologist,  it  does  not  follow  that  they  will  apply
equally  well  in  the  new  situation.  For  instance,  trade
tests  and  intelligence  tests  were  of  great  value  in  classifying ­
  the  army.  However,  before  these  tests  can  be  applied
to  a  particular  industry,  they  must  be  carefully  and  scientifically ­
  tried  out  on  the  work  of  that  industry  and  modified
to  meet  its  specific  demands.  This  is  a  task  which  requires ­
  not  only  a  psychologist  who  is  technically  equipped,
but  one  who  is  ready  to  make  a  thorough  study  of  the
work  of  the  particular  industry  in  question.
There  are  thousands  of  valuable  tests  in  existence  to-day.
The  chief  problem  of  employment  psychology  is  to  determine ­
  the  value  of  particular  tests  when  applied  to  particular ­
  tasks.  The  first  step  of  every  employment  psychologist ­
  in  each  new  field  is  to  test  tests  rather  than  applicants.
The  progressive  employment  manager  is  facilitating  the
work  of  the  employment  psychologist  by  enabling  the
latter  to  enter  directly  into  the  shop  and  the  office,  there
to  study  and  work  and  to  try  out  tests  for  future  use.
To  give  a  concrete  example,  a  large  footwear  industry
of  national  importance  has  recently  engaged  a  staff  of
six  trained  psychologists  who  are  now  engaged  in  a  firsthand ­
  study  of  the  various  operations  of  the  industry.
As  they  become  familiar  with  the  various  kinds  of  work
they  will  devise  tests  or  select  tests  from  those  available
and  try  them  out.  If  these  tests  prove  significant,  they
will  then  be  used  for  employing  new  applicants.  This
method  of  approach,  from  within  out,  is  the  road  by  which
employment  psychology  and  the  employment  psychologist ­
  must  proceed,  to  be  genuinely  practical.
It  should  not  be  thought,  however,  that  employment