The Philosophy of Personnel Practices

Abstract

[There is probably no subject more vitally important to the field of social case work at the present time than that of building up and maintaining a staff of professionally and personally equipped case workers. On this depends the whole future of social case work, a method which most of us believe has been forged from the raw material of human misery and of human helpfulness in the furnace of social change. The Committee on Personnel of the Family Welfare Association of America has therefore taken its assignment very seriously. Rightly considered, each question of personnel policy involves our whole philosophy of social case work organization and its place in modern society. The question of salaries and vacation, for example, depends in a final analysis on the extent to which the board and the community believe in trained service as against mere kindly and economical relief of suffering, and this in turn depends upon the social philosophy of its members.

Fascinating as the pursuit of such a line of thought is, however, the Committee on Personnel decided that, in view of the pressing nature of the problems confronting boards of directors, executives, staff members, and clients–who are inevitably vitally affected–it should spend its available time in considering aspects of personnel policies and practices which might be of immediate assistance to those in the field who are struggling to uphold fundamental principles.

It plans to present, therefore, in successive articles (The Family and the commitments of the Committee members willing) the results of its deliberations while they are still in the tentative stage. The Committee hopes that in this way it may be of more immediate assistance to the field on the one hand, and on the other that it may have the benefit of the criticisms and suggestions of staff and board groups– which will in turn stimulate further thinking on the part of the Committee and will be incorporated in its final report. Four of the subjects considered by the divisions of the Committee are: philosophy, agency policies, participation, and evaluation of workers.

The Committee has met and faced the objection that situations are changing with such rapidity in these days that anything it may say may be out of date by the time it gets into print. On the other hand it expresses its firm belief that principles which are basic are worth stating, even though they may need re-interpretation or re-application within a very short space of time. The worst criticism that could possibly be made of any group's thinking in 1934 is that it considers it to be final. But only slightly less damning is the suggestion that because of the present uncertainties it is impossible or not worth while to think at all or, while thinking, to present the results to others.

Mary S. Brisley, Chairman, Committee on Personnel.]