1943 Guide To Hiring Women
I ran across this reprint of a 1943 article published in Mass Transportation Magazine that gave me a chuckle. Times have certainly changed; we like to think for the better. The eleven tips in this article prove the point.
I especially like, “Older women who have never contacted the public…are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy,” and “…’husky’ girls - those who are a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.” The latter reminds me of advise from my grandfather: “Marry a fat girl. They’re less likely to run around on you,” and “Marry a girl with small hands…” But that’s another story.
Before you’re too critical of the managers and supervisors of 1943, remember that it was war time and the majority of male factory workers had enlisted or been drafted and were stationed away from home. To keep the factories running, women were hired to fill the jobs formerly performed by men. Managers and supervisors of the day had little, if any, experience supervising and training inexperienced female workers, so articles like this one attempted to help guide their dealings with their new workforce. It was new and awkward for everyone, workers and management alike, and a testament to our determination to support the war effort that we were able to pull it off!
Click on the thumbnail image of the article and give it a read. For those of you old enough to remember WWII, it’ll be a walk down memory lane. For those of you too young to remember, it’s a piece of history that shows just how far we’ve come.
Doug
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Reader Comments (15)
men have come a long way, from knuckle-dragging neanderthals to upright neanderthals.
Funny. My grandfather gave me the same advise.
And in spite of beliefs like these, we became "Rosie the Riveter" and helped win the war.
Lisa: Your point is? Oh wait. You preferred us when our knuckles dragged? Of course.
Baby Boomers have no idea what a big deal WWII was and how everyone had to pull together to help the war effort. There were tire drives, war bond drives, copper was removed from pennies, paper drives, and women who were used to being homemakers came into the factories to learn to do the men's jobs while they were at war. It was an example of everyone working together. We had to.
People cringe today at society in those days but we evolved. It was a turning point. Women entered the workforce to help because our government asked us to.
My mother went to the Lockheed airplane factory every day while my grandmother took care of us. The war was hard on us all. I just wish people who weren't around then had that experience.
I like #8. You have to make allowances for feminine psychology. We're more efficient and more confident if we get more rest periods to tidy our hair, apply fresh lipstick and wash our hands several times a day. LOL!
We are sensitive, don't yell at us. Make us happy and less nervous. Young married women are less flirtatious. Did employers actually think this way?
Let me understand....are you saying there is something wrong with these tips?
thanks for making my point.
Ouch.
This used to be an email and is not real. Just thought you should know.
I want to see #3 reinstated!
(I'm not "husky" - I'm "fluffy"!)
Actually, Penelope, it is. It was written by L.H. Sanders and appeared under the title "Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees" in the July 1943 edition of Mass Transportation magazine. The re-print, under the title "1943 Guide to Hiring Women," appears to have been published in the September/October 2007 issue of Savvy & Sage. You can read the verification, along with a copy of the original article and magazine cover, on snopes.
Hey, I wouldn't kid a queen!
Doug
Thanks for clarifying. I thought it was just one of those made up emails that winds around the internet.
BTW, you have a very nice web site.
Describe "fluffy".