A PRACTICAL COMBINATION OF EMPLOYMENT METHODS 34I 
step in chronological order, in the exact manner in which 
it would occur in actual practice. When an applicant 
appears for an interview, observation is inevitably the 
first step. It matters little whether the candidate makes 
his first appearance before the door attendant, the em 
ployment interviewer, or the employment manager. In 
each case the first act is to glance at the individual, make 
a general estimate of his appearance, and then make a 
mental reservation as to the general kind of work for 
which he will apply. In large organizations it is frequently 
desirable to make a rough classification of applicants as 
they enter, largely for convenience in handling the vari 
ous types of applicants. Obviously, the preliminary 
classification will depend entirely upon the nature and 
size of an organization, the variety of its workers, and 
other local factors. The initial division, which is fre 
quently made by a door attendant or high-class clerk, 
greatly facilitates the subsequent task of taking appli 
cations and holding interviews. A large manufacturing 
concern, for instance, may wish to divide its applicants 
into four groups, those applying for office or sales 
work, unskilled laborers, semi-skilled workers, and, finally, 
highly skilled workers such as tool makers, electricians, 
carpenters, and all such as have a distinct craft or trade. 
Laborers and semi-skilled workers are often unable to 
talk English fluently, or indeed at all, and it is therefore 
desirable to have an interviewer who can understand 
several languages and also a clerk who can make out 
application blanks for those who can not write; whereas, 
office workers and the more highly skilled workers will 
naturally be able to make out their own application 
blanks and will have to be interviewed much more care 
fully than those in the other two classes.