MEASURING  BY  LIMITED  IMPRESSIONS

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4.  Positions  which  require  unusual  ability  or  in  which
the  work  is  specialized  to  such  an  extent  as  to  preclude  the
possibility  of  comparing  it  with  the  work  of  others.
In  general,  it  may  be  stated  that  the  method  of  estimating ­
  comparative  productiveness  is  not  applicable
where  the  principle  of  piece-work  rates  can  not  be  applied,
and  is  not  practicable  where  only  a  few  individuals  are
doing  the  same  kind  of  work.
This  fact,  however,  makes  it  all  the  more  desirable  to
obtain  an  impersonal  estimate  of  each  employee’s  capabilities. ­
  The  piece-work  plan  of  compensation,  or  any  other
differential  scheme,  automatically  tends  to  weed  out  the
incapable  employees.  The  very  fact  that  the  applicants
selected  for  certain  kinds  of  work  fail  to  attain  the  level  of
productiveness  required  by  the  piece-work  rates  on  that
work,  tends  to  show  that  the  selections  were  unwise,  and
that  those  workers  who  fail  to  reach  that  level  ought  not
to  be  retained  on  that  particular  operation.  Where  there
is  no  plan  of  differential  compensation  this  automatic
weeding-out  process  does  not  occur.  No  supervisor  can
begin  to  approach  in  minuteness  and  concentration  the
supervision  which  the  differential  plan  of  compensation
brings  to  bear.  The  employee’s  success,  therefore,  depends ­
  upon  how  well  he  can  impress  his  superiors  with  his
social  connections,  personal  appearance,  amiability,  and  a
multitude  of  more  or  less  incidental  factors.  The  promotion ­
  and  retention  of  such  individuals,  as  every  manager
knows,  depend  very  often  upon  momentary  considerations ­
  and  fleeting  impressions.  In  fact,  one  of  the  mysteries ­
  of  management  is  the  way  in  which  individuals
progress  through  the  various  ranks  of  occupation  and
salary.  Their  comings  and  goings  are  as  inexplicable  as
the  traditional  coming  and  going  of  the  wind.