EXECUTIVE ORGANIZATION OF A PARK DEPARTMENT 543 



who deal largely with the human element in society have to be bound by 

 minute technique and rules and regulations which apply to unskilled workers 

 or workers whose duties do not bring them intimately into contact with 

 the public. 



There is in reality very little basis for these criticisms. Practically 

 every civil service department is more than willing and anxious to work 

 out with superintendents and governing authorities the employment prob- 

 lems confronting them. Some of the civil service laws specifically provide 

 that the employing authority can be called upon to assist in conducting 

 examinations or actually conduct the examinations, during the course of 

 which he would perhaps have a better chance to study the various applicants 

 than if he were to meet them for consultation outside. The civil service 

 procedure has the advantage of orderly and scientific consideration of the 

 various points of qualification. Practically every civil service law provides 

 for a period of probation of from six months to one year, during which time 

 any employee can be dropped without cause being assigned. Surely within 

 this period any observing superintendent or supervising officer can determine 

 whether any given employee is a misfit or not. It is only just and right that 

 any employee that has passed the period of probation successfully should 

 be given real reasons for his discharge and the right to a hearing before an 

 impartial tribunal if he so desires. 



The selection of employees through civil service is on the whole a 

 distinct advantage to a superintendent. Some of the reasons why this is so 

 are: (i) It frees him from the political pressure which was so annoying to 

 superintendents in the time before the introduction of civil service and to 

 those superintendents today in communities where civil service is not prac- 

 ticed. (2) It provides him with an orderly and fairly scientific method of 

 selecting employees. (3) It aids him in establishing a system of job analysis, 

 the establishment of which forces him to make a systematic, detailed study 

 of the requirements of each position and the type of person or persons who 

 ought to be secured to fill the position acceptably. (4) It provides him 

 with a proper classification of employees and a system of rating their effi- 

 ciency. (5) It provides him with a method of orderly promotion. (6) It 

 gives him a real safeguard in handling payrolls. 



In addition to these advantages he can secure from the civil service 

 department assistance in: (i) Methods of promoting and organizing the 

 instruction of new employees. (2) Establishing standard policies in respect 

 to working conditions, health and safety. (3) Establishment of standard 

 practices in regard to hours of employment, vacations, holidays and sick 

 leave. (4) Methods of transfer rather than the discharge of employees who 

 are unsuited for their positions. (5) Carrying on research for the purpose 

 of improving the administration of employment problems. 



