COMPUTER MEMORIES, Chapter 74

STORIES OF ANOTHER SUBJECT OR TWO
Since I have applied for more jobs than most people, I have a couple of “hiring” stories that I like. They are stories that didn’t involve me, but they are fun anyway.

LUNCH WITH HENRY FORD
I was reminded of this subject by a note in a recent newspaper that told the old story that when Henry Ford was interested in hiring someone, part of the ordeal was lunch with Henry. And at that lunch, if the one being interviewed put salt on his food before tasting it, Henry would not hire him. He said that man was making a decision before he had all the facts. I always said it was the other way around, and that man was an experience decision maker who did not waste time relearning what he already knew — that his steak always needed salt.

One more Henry Ford story: One time Henry Ford was touring a new automobile assembly factory, and with him was Walter Reuther, the head of the United Automobile Workers (UAW). As Henry bragged about some of the machine operated assembly functions, he said, “Walter, let’s see you collect Union dues from those robots.” Walter replied, “Henry, let’s see you sell cars to those robots.” As you can see, it depends which side of the problem you are on.

A HOLE IN HIS SHIRT
This story was told by the CEO of a large company, many years after he was hired. The company was famous for being rather “stuffy.” For example, their employees always wore ties and suit coats, among other such things. The interview room was hot and stuffy (on purpose), so the man doing the interview would say to the applicant, “If you like, take off your jacket.” Most would not notice that the interviewer kept his on.

Years later, this man, now the company’s CEO, said he had refused a couple of invitations to remove his jacket, and combined with the fact that he was well qualified, he got the job. Turns out he had been out of a job for a while and was so poor he could not replace the only white shirt he owned, even after his wife burned a hole in the back of it while ironing. Now you know the rest of the story.

A RADIO MAN FOR A SHIP
I was told this story by someone who worked for Matson Steamship Lines, when I worked for Matson Lines for a few weeks, while I was in the Merchant Marines, nearly 60 years ago. I always liked that story, and it may even be true.

Sometime in the late 1930s, when jobs were hard to find, Matson Steamship Lines advertised for a Radio Operator for one of their ships. The ad said to be there by 8:00 AM. Before that hour, the waiting room was full of men sitting and talking, waiting to be called into the office for an interview. One man came into the waiting room, sat down a moment, then got up and went through the door.

In a minute someone came out and told the others to go home, as the job was filled. When the uproar subsided, the man said, “Be quite and listen a minute,” and in the background, clear and easy to hear, Morse Code spelled out the message, “A Radio Operator must always be alert, if you “read” this message come through the door, the job is yours.”