A  PRACTICAL  COMBINATION  OF  EMPLOYMENT  METHODS  ^57
depends  upon  such  a  wide  range  of  factors  that  it  is  absurd
to  offer  ideal  forms  at  this  point.  Every  industry  has
its  peculiarities  and  its  differences,  and  the  details  of
its  forms  must  be  worked  out  with  reference  to  them.  The
use  of  the  individual-activity  record  has  already  been
described.  No  employment  process  is  complete  unless
it  includes  a  thoroughgoing  and  systematic  follow  up  of
its  results;  and  no  such  follow  up  is  of  more  than  incidental ­
  value  if  it  is  not  based  upon  a  uniform  and  well-defined
set  of  facts  properly  recorded  on  a  standard  form.  Very
few  employment  offices  at  the  present  time  follow  up  the
results  of  their  selections.  Once  a  man  has  been  selected,
their  work  is  ended.  Even  if  they  desired  to  institute  a
follow  up,  it  would  be  of  little  avail  because  the  systematic
record  of  those  facts  upon  which  a  follow  up  must  be
based  is  lacking.  Such  a  record  must  become  the  very
foundation  of  all  employment  work,  and  the  basis  upon
which  the  relative  merits  of  the  various  phases  of  employment ­
  shall  be  determined.
The  conduct  of  two  additional  phases  of  employment
rests  directly  upon  such  a  record;  namely,  the  transfer  of
employees  and  the  attempt  to  prevent  old  employees
from  leaving.  To  prevent  old  employees  from  leaving
is  distinctly  an  employment  activity,  even  though  it  does
seem  to  take  place  at  the  wrong  end  of  the  process.  Enterprising ­
  concerns  are  finding  it  much  more  profitable  and
satisfactory  to  expend  energy  on  the  retention  of  old
employees  than  on  the  selection  of  new.  In  at  least  one
company  this  activity  has  been  carried  so  far  that  every
foreman  rushes  to  the  employment  manager  as  soon  as  a
good  man  gives  in  his  notice  and  the  employment  manager
is  compelled  to  make  an  attempt  to  stave  off  the  employee’s ­
  leaving.  Although  obviously  a  very  sensible