A 1943 Guide to Hiring Women

Posted by Alex in Politics on February 22, 2008 at 7:50 pm


Contrariwise Rambling blog has a scan of an excerpt of the July 1943 issue of Transportation Magazine on how to hire women, as written for male supervisors of women in the work force during WWII.

For example:

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.

Read the rest at Contrariwise: LinkThanks Anne M. Gill!


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COMMENT

14 comments to "A 1943 Guide to Hiring Women"

  1. Ali S.
    February 22nd, 2008 at 9:17 pm

    Oh my...

  2. Vako
    February 22nd, 2008 at 10:15 pm

    Society has come a long way. Sista's are doin' it for themselves.

  3. Parker
    February 22nd, 2008 at 10:20 pm

    Quite a long way, incredible.

  4. Kaleb B.
    February 22nd, 2008 at 11:11 pm

    I don't get it. Everybody knows this stuff, so what?

  5. Richard Boyd
    February 22nd, 2008 at 11:32 pm

    LOL nice find.

  6. bean
    February 22nd, 2008 at 11:48 pm

    Dude, I have *never* met a fat chick that was more even-tempered than someone who took care of herself.

  7. The Slapster
    February 23rd, 2008 at 12:20 am

    That's the way times are now, bean. It all went to hell when it stopped being okay to raise a hand to your back-talkin' broads!

  8. Joe
    February 23rd, 2008 at 1:27 am

    Good, sound advice. All HR people should abide by these rules.

  9. ~Emma
    February 23rd, 2008 at 7:42 am

    Fat chicks rule!

    Especially older ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives...;)

  10. OneOfThree
    February 23rd, 2008 at 9:14 am

    Still true today.

  11. VonSkippy
    February 23rd, 2008 at 5:15 pm

    @~Emma
    These chicks?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0KN4TfS5c8

    ***warning - classic art nudeitivity, so if you work for drunken weasels, might be considered NSFW***

  12. ~Emma
    February 24th, 2008 at 6:02 am

    @ VonSkippy...

    Hells yeah! Queen hit it right on the mark.

  13. MoonCake
    February 24th, 2008 at 8:42 am

    you have to keep in mind that women were almost of a different species to men back in the day (as if that has changed much). it was weird for them to associate with women in a non-domestic environment. but let's all be thankful things have changed, and women are receiving professional respect.

  14. ted
    February 24th, 2008 at 1:13 pm

    Well, these rules really aren't so terrible. To ask a factory to actually consider the mental and emotional side of their employees was a good thing.

    I'm sure they had the same type of rules for men - married ones being more reliable, huskier ones stronger than skinny ones, younger ones more adaptable than older, etc...

    We still go by some of these ideas today. Some of the other ones in the link are a little wild, but you're talking 60 years ago. They're still progressive in comparison with many other cultures' attitudes towards women. At least women were allowed to show their faces.


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