1943 Guide to Hiring Women

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email with this title in the subject line: How to Hire a Woman. Inside was a “1943 Guide to Hiring Women,” described as “an excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Transportation magazine. This was written for male supervisors of women in the work force during WWII.”

Here’s how American men were advised to manage women 65 years ago:

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 deal with the public efficiently.

And, as Dr. Cedric might say, pick good-looking ones if you can. After all, if all other things are equal, wouldn’t you rather have nice people to look at in the office?

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.

Yeah, well, you might be cantankerous too if you were forced to draw your pantyhose on every morning due to the nylon shortage.

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.

To recap: Young and husky = good. (See also: Rosie the Riveter). Old = less good, but still workable. Old and skinny = run the other way.

6. Give the female employee a definite daylong schedule of duties so that they’ll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes.

I’m sorry, how did you say that works again?

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

Alternatively, you can give them Xanax. Whoops, that hadn’t been invented yet! Never mind!

8. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods every 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.

They’re even more efficient if you just tattoo the lipstick on them and make ’em wear hair nets.

9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or 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 and cuts off her efficiency.

Unless she’s a husky woman; then she’ll probably be okay.

10. Get enough size variety in operators’ uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can’t be stressed too much in making women happy.

Please do not stuff your women into too-small overalls. Please do not make them wear gigantic pinafores. Please do not dress them in polyester. Thank you.

18 responses to “1943 Guide to Hiring Women”

  1. lane says:

    and make sure you get girls with ‘pep’

    very important, PEP!

  2. in #1, is it supposed to be “than their *married* sisters”? something seems wrong in that one — typo wrong, not funny wrong.

  3. or is it supposed to be “pick young *married* women”?

  4. Godfree says:

    I love imagining a bunch of men sitting in a meeting room and brainstorming this list in all 1940s film-speak:

    “Hmm, y’say we should let the dames put some fresh juice on their lips every so often, and that’ll keep’m happy? My wife ain’t happy unless I’m cleanin’ the leaves outa the gutter instead of playin’ golf with my chums!” This is met with moderate laughs.

    “My wife ain’t happy ‘less I’m on the floor cryin’!” Bigger laughs.

    “Hey Chauncey, your wife ain’t happy unless I’m over!!” The room breaks up.

  5. LP says:

    Oops… you’re right, bw! “Pick young, married women.” Sorry – I wrote this late at night and my typing skills are not what they need to be given the fact that I’m unmarried and not particularly chunky. I might have some trouble getting hired.

  6. Tim says:

    Bizarre documents from the past like this one always make me wonder what the youth of 65 years from now will be laughing at about our current mores. There’s probably a corporate document somewhere about “How to Hire a Transvestite” that will be hopelessly naive in 2073.

  7. rm says:

    Yeah, I love old training/education films but consider all of the recommendations left unsaid. I mean, sure, the ideal female employee should be married, relatively young, slightly husky, and comfortably dressed but I guaran-damn-tee you it was a given she was white, Christian, not disabled, etc.

    And as a proud (the only?) Hillary enthusiast on this site I promise not to write a similarly hilarious yet embittered “2008 guide to hiring a woman to be your President.”

  8. swells says:

    don’t you mean “hillaryous”?

  9. Rachel says:

    Swells, that’s an obamanation.

  10. swells says:

    Obama Nation! I wish!

  11. I fixed the problem in item 1. It was driving me crazy.

  12. LT says:

    Ohhh…this explains why as a woman I have only an “authenticitiness!” It’s all that programmed tact.

    And, please, someone pull the swells/rachael team off the stage with a giant hook. They’re threatening to out pun all of you, even TWag.

  13. LP says:

    #7: Unfortunately, what we appear to need is a “2008 guide to hiring a Democrat to be your president,” as our 2008 guides to hiring a woman or an African-American man are losing ground to the Republicans’ “How to elect an ancient, warmongering panderer despite the fact that the Dems thought they were going to make history” guide.

  14. Scotty says:

    And, please, someone pull the swells/rachael team off the stage with a giant hook.
    …or we can use a giant McCain.

  15. a giant McCain

    Yikes! Stand clear!

  16. juliethepingpongqueen says:

    scott you are on fire today.
    it’s almost as if you had a midday nip.

  17. swells says:

    no one commented on what a fantastic phrase that was from julie the phrasemaker??

    there, i commented.

  18. juliethepingpongqueen says:

    oh i like you.
    when will i see you again?