Methods for the selection of comptometer operators and stenographers.

Abstract

This study was made to determine if certain tests of the Bureau of Personnel Research of Carnegie Institute of Technology would serve first, as a basis for the selection of applicants for courses in stenography and comptometer operation m a technical night school; and second, to determine if from a group of applicants it was possible to select successful comptometer and stenographic operators without an extended tryout. That is, the first purpose demanded that failures be eliminated and the second that sure successes be selected.Both purposes have been accomplished and the tests are to be used next fall as entrance requirements for the technical school, and as soon as employment is resumed 1 by the firm interested, as guidance in hiring comptometer and stenographic operators.Both because of the problem presented and because of the methods of attack, which differ from those previously used, the study seems of special interest. The correlation between efficiency in the tests and efficiency in work has been the prime consideration in former studies. 2 In this study, because of the nature of the problem, correlations became merely a byproduct, and critical scores the fundamental consideration. Also, a battery of tests has been used rather than a single test, with the idea in mind, that the more measures we could get of a person, the higher would be our ratio of success m selecting promising applicants.The technical night school where the tests were given was in close connection with a large manufacturing firm and practically all of the teachers held positions in the firm and were therefore well able to judge the quality of work that would be acceptable in the business world. The ages of the students ranged from 16 to over 30. Practically every nationality was 1 On account of the business depression, the firm is doing practically no employing at the present time.

American female pioneers of industrial and organizational psychology during the early years.

“…Bills conducted predictive validity studies by examining the relationship between selection tests and criteria, including productivity and withdrawal. For example, in a description of a study on the selection of comptometer operators and stenographers (Bills, 1921a), she stated the following: Both because of the problem presented and because of the methods of attack, which differ from those previously used, the study seems of special interest. The correlation between efficiency in the tests and efficiency in work has been the prime consideration in former studies.…”

“…Bills conducted predictive validity studies by examining the relationship between selection tests and criteria, including productivity and withdrawal. For example, in a description of a study on the selection of comptometer operators and stenographers (Bills, 1921a), she stated the following:…”

Intelligence and mental growth.

“…Vocational Limits Set by Intelligence. By far the major proportion of our results on the intelligence required in different occupations comes from the studies made during the War by means of the Army test, though we have countless other studies, such as those made by Ayres, 25 Bills, 26 Bregman, 27 Chapman, 28 Flanders, 29 Hollingworth, 80 Kelley, 31 Link, 32 Pintner, 33 Terman, 84 Thurstone, 35 It is interesting to note the wide variation in median intelligence rating. This can be paralleled by the variation at the first quartile and the third quartile.…”

The psychology of vocational selection.

“…A number of later studies have been made along more or less similar lines. Bills (12,13), who used a series of tests on 139 students of comptometry and stenography in a technical night school, found a general intelligence test decidedly valuable in eliminating the failures and a special ability test in selecting the successful students. The tests were later found to agree well with ratings of ability of two small groups of stenographers in a business concern.…”