Picking The Right Woman For The Job

Hey, we can’t deny it. We’re on a nostalgia kick here at Common Ground. Here’s the latest entry. It came over the Internet and the source was given as the July 1943 issue of the magazine Mass Transportation. These “tips on getting more efficiency out of women employees” were given to male supervisors of women in the work force during World War II.

Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters. They’re less likely to be flirtatious and they still have the pep and interest to work hard and deal with the public effectively.

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.

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.

Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions. This reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

Give the female employee a definite daylong schedule of duties so they’ll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Women make excellent workers when they have their work cut out for them, but they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

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

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 if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

Be tactful when making criticisms. Women are often sensitive. They can’t shrug off harsh words the way men do. Never ridicule a woman. It breaks her spirit.

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 if this.

Get enough size variety in uniforms so that each girl can get a proper fit. This point can’t be stressed too strongly as a means of keeping women happy.

Some good advice for Hillary: “Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.” Eleanor Roosevelt.

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