35 8

EMPLOYMENT  PSYCHOLOGY

procedure,  it  is  evident  that  in  order  to  carry  it  out  intelligently, ­
  a  past  history  of  each  employee  must  be  kept
so  that  the  employment  manager  can,  when  the  emergency
arises,  quickly  and  reliably  learn  about  an  employee’s
average  earnings,  attendance,  general  ability,  and  so
forth.
The  problem  of  transfers  is  a  comparatively  recent  and
troublesome  employment  problem.  Practically  every
transfer  from  one  kind  of  work  to  another  is  a  turnover,
and  is  economically  equivalent  to  the  hiring  of  a  new
worker.  Transfers  are  due  to  many  causes  beyond  and
within  the  scope  of  the  employment  function.  However,
transfers  can  not  be  made  intelligently  unless  they  are
based  upon  a  worker’s  past  performance.  In  addition  to
this,  every  transfer  should  be  regarded  as  a  case  of  rehiring,
and  the  individual  should  be  as  carefully  examined  for
his  new  work  as  he  originally  was.  This  will  to  a  large
extent  reduce  the  number  of  transfers  and  will  help  solve
a  problem  which  has  been  reaching  alarming  proportions.
In  summarizing  thus  the  various  phases  of  employment
which  have  been  previously  taken  up  in  detail,  it  has
naturally  been  necessary  to  be  somewhat  sketchy.  However, ­
  the  individual  who  has  had  any  experience  whatsoever ­
  in  employment  work  will  recognize  the  significance
of  the  procedure  here  outlined.  Very  little  emphasis  has
been  placed  upon  the  observational  method,  because  that
method  is  so  limited  in  its  scope.  Frequently,  indeed,
it  fails  even  to  enable  the  employment  interviewer  to
distinguish  between  the  unskilled  laborer  and  the  skilled
operative;  and  as  a  basis  for  making  the  fine  distinctions
which  are  required  by  the  division  of  labor  to-day,  it  is
entirely  inadequate.  As  has  been  already  pointed  out,
observation  may  tell  us  whether  an  applicant  looks  good