Guide to Hiring

So, since I am one of the only senior people in the office at the moment, and the only one there now who will still be there next week when it is time to interview for the post which I have been warning MUST be filled soon, I had the thrilling honor to attend a shortened version of the Training Guide to Interviewing course this morning. (It was actually not so bad, and the lady from HR -- who I have been terrified of since my own hiring -- was really down-to-earth and very funny with what can be a deadly dull topic of conversation.) And shockingly, I learnt some things (as one of the faculty members noted, 'It is about time she got some training' -- hmph).

Some of these things were common sensical:
* Try to open with some chit chat to make the person feel at ease -- they might be a little nervous (reeeeeally??? I LOVE having people stare me up and down and pick apart every misword I pronunciate.)
* Start the interview on time
* Don't make notes on the interview sheet (which is then a legally submissible document) such as, 'I don't really like her hair, but I'd still shag her'

Some of them were slightly less intuitive or transparent:
* The amount of compensation which can be awarded from a successful discrimination lawsuit is LIMITLESS! (some people apparently make a hobby of shopping around and applying for jobs so they can sue for discrimination)
* The word enthusiastic is an ageist adjective (and therefore inadvisable) to use in a job description or advert. This is because it indicates a preference towards youth. (I disagree, because one might be an old, fat, lazy but enthusiastic stamp collector, chocoholic, or gossip, for example.)


To aid others of my readers who may be responsible for hiring persons in the future, I offer a few tips from the July 1943 issue of Mass Transportation magazine (This was written for male supervisors of women in the work force during WWII, and was one of the funny handouts today.).

'Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees: There's no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage.

Here are eleven helpful tips on the subject from Western Properties:

1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they're less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It's always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3. General experience indicates that 'husky' girls - those who are just a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.

4. Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

5. Stress at the outset the importance of time, the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.'

6. Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they'll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Numerous properties say that women make excellent workers when they have their jobs cut out for them, but that they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

7. Whenever possible, let the inside employee change from one job to another at some point during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change.

8. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient is she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are more sensitive; they can't shrug off harsh words the way men do. Never ridicule a woman - it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.

10. Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women. Even though a girl's husband or father may swear vociferously, she'll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.

11. Get enough size variety in operator's uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can't be stressed to much in keeping women happy.