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(1) Attitudes towards Leaving Home

Since there is concentration of the Civil Service in London and other big cities, becoming a Civil Servant would for many people mean leaving home and going to work in a different town. It was important therefore to find out what young people and their parents thought about this, and whether the provision of hostels would help to overcome unwillingness to work elsewhere.

Accordingly the young workers and schoolchildren interviewed were asked: “When you are choosing a job, do you think it very important to work in your home town?”, and the parents were asked: “Do you think it is very important that boys/girls just after they leave school should work in their home towns?”, separate opinions being recorded for each parent about boys and girls. Further, parents were asked: “How would you feel about your own son or daughter (the child selected from the school register) going to work in some other town?”

When the informant disliked the idea of going away from home, or of letting his children go away, these questions were followed up by a question about hostels asking whether “well equipped hostels with opportunities for social activities” would make any difference, and distinction was made between going to work in London and going to work in another provincial town.

25% and 30% of schoolboys and schoolgirls respectively thought that it was very important to work in their home town, and 75% and 70% would not mind leaving home. Thus for the majority of schoolchildren this is not a consideration of much importance, that is in their own opinions. There is however some considerable resistance on the part of parents to the idea of children leaving home. Half thought it very important that boys should stay at home and 60% that girls should. However there is still a considerable proportion that would have no objection to their children leaving home. There is no statistically significant difference between the proportions of mothers and fathers holding these opinions.

The technical and professional workers show less resistance than the clerical workers to the idea of leaving home. This suggests that there is likely to be less difficulty in recruiting people from provincial towns where there is no work. [Text missing] to the important to be at home is somewhat higher than the proportion of men thinking so. Of all the groups, schoolchildren seem to be the most willing to move, but this willingness is likely to be counteracted by opposition from parents.

The answers to the further question asked of parents are shown below.

Thus about half of those with daughters would definitely object to their daughters leaving home, about 40% would have no objection and the remainder are doubtful. These is somewhat less unwillingness to allow boys to leave home. About half the parents said they would have no objection to their boys working away from home and about 40% said they would not like them to go.

That many Civil Servants need to work away from their home towns is thus an important point to consider in connection with recruitment. Some indication of the extent to which reluctance to leave home could be overcome by the provision of hostels is given by the answers to the next questions asked.

The answers suggest that the provision of hostels would in some cases meet the objections of young people to leaving home, but in the case of all the groups more than half of those who said they thought it important to work in their home towns would not like to move even if hostels were provided.

The proportions saying that they would dislike working in a Provincial town are slightly but consistently higher than the proportions saying they would dislike working in London.

Rather less than half the parents who said they would not like their children to go away from home thought that a hostel might make a difference to this. About a fifth of all parents would still object to their children going away if hostels were provided.

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(2) Attitudes to “Restrictions “

Informants in all groups were asked; “Do you think that Civil Servants are subject to any particular restrictions as regards their personal lives?” The object of this question was to find out whether the marriage bar * and the restrictions imposed on Civil Servants as regards political activities were of any importance in preventing possible recruits from coming forward. No specific questions were asked about these, but those who said they thought Civil Servants were subject to particular restrictions were asked what these restrictions were. More than one answer could of course be given to this second question and it is for this reason that the percentages giving different replies shown in the table below in some cases add to more than the percentages answering “Yes” to the first question.

It will be seen that in most cases the majority of those saying that Civil Servants were subject to restrictions did not mention the marriage bar or restrictions on political activities but gave answers to the second question which were classified as “other restrictions”. These answers are miscellaneous in nature and many of them are very vague and general. People said that Civil Servants had to live up to a “strict moral code”, that they must be well-behaved and sober and set an example to others, that they must not be divorced or get into debt, that they “have to be careful what they say and do,” “be careful what company they keep”, must not gamble, and so on. One answer, “Branded as a Civil Servant and expected to live up to it” sums up this sort of sentiment. Others said that Civil Servants could not choose where to live as they might be sent anywhere, that they were not allowed to join trade unions, and that they were bound to secrecy about the details of their work. Higher proportions of men than of women mentioned restrictions on political activity.

Only about 5% in most of the groups mentioned the marriage bar. The proportion mentioning restrictions on political activities is highest amongst technical and professional workers, fathers and male clerical workers.

Two-thirds or more of each group said either that they did not thing there were restrictions or that they did not know of any.

It does not appear from these results that limitation of political activity is likely to be an important factor in preventing people from becoming Civil Servants, but some of those interviewed were aware of this and did regard it as a restriction. Vague ideas as to restrictions on personal conduct may perhaps play some part in doing so. It will be remembered that a small proportion mentioned restrictions on personal liberty as a disadvantage of working in the Civil Service, in answer to the question “What do you consider to be the main disadvantages of the Civil Service as a career?”

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(3) Are Civil Servants a particular “type” ?

A further question “Do you think that the Civil Service appeals to a certain type of person?” was asked. It was thought that this question might throw some more light on attitudes to the Civil Service and bring out ideas which had not been expressed in the

answers given to the other questions. Interviewers were asked to write down what was said and the replies were classified later. It was found that the answers fell into seven broad categories. There was a fair amount of variation in the actual replies given within each category, but the central ideas expressed in the replies could be classified as shown in Table 32.

It will be remembered that security was the first among the advantages of the Civil Service mentioned by informants when they were asked what these were. The Civil Servant is described by a fairly high proportion as a person who wants security or a safe, easy job. Others described him as a person willing to submit to discipline and not wanting much freedom, as one who likes office work, or as a “quiet”, “steady”, or “conscientious” type. Descriptions classed in these four categories account for 46% of the answers given by schoolboys and schoolgirls and for relatively high proportions of the answers given by other groups also. They suggest that the Civil Service does not appeal to the more adventurous type of person or to those with initiative. Only very small proportions suggested that the Service appealed to ambitious people.

On the other hand fairly high proportions said that the Civil Service appealed to “clever” people, to those with a good education and to the “studious type” Lower proportions of the school children than of other groups gave this sort of answer.

The answers given to this question do not perhaps reveal anything new but they show an attitude consistent with that shown by previous questions and underline the results of these. Work in the Civil Service was criticised because it was thought to be uninteresting, and the opportunities for promotion were considered inadequate. On the other hand the security given by the Service was valued. The answers to the question just considered were not derogatory in tone but they do suggest that the Civil Servant is regarded as being somewhat unenterprising and dull. They may perhaps reflect ideas suggested by the press.

It may be noted that more of the parents in the higher economic groups and with higher education said that the Civil Service appealed to those who were willing to submit to discipline, whereas more of those with elementary education and of those in the lower economic groups said that it appealed to “clever” or “well-educated” people or to the “studious type”.

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(4) What information is wanted about the Civil Service ?

Informants were asked whether there was any information they would like to be given about working in the Civil Service.

It will be seen that in most groups relatively high proportions wanted to know about the sorts of jobs available in the Civil Service and what openings there were, and this sort of information was wanted more frequently than any other. Prospects, salaries, and other working conditions were also mentioned, and some wanted information about the examination and other conditions of entry. Some informants wanted to know more about the Civil Service without specifying exactly what aspects of it they wanted information on, and the answers given these have been classified as “general information”.

Rather higher proportions of the clerical workers and of the mothers than of other groups did not want to have information about the Civil Service. Of all the groups studied the schoolboys seemed most interested, 61% of these saying that they would like to know more about the Service.

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(5) Reasons for not entering the Civil Service, and attitude to the Competitive Examination

The technical and professional workers and the clerical were asked whether they had ever considered going in for the Civil Service. 30% of the technical and professional workers, 33% of the male clerical workers and 29% of the female clerical workers had at some time thought of it.

These were asked why they had decided against it or why they had not become Civil Servants.

It will be seen that relatively high proportions of the clerical workers mentioned difficulty in connection with the examination. The exact nature of these difficulties is discussed below.

Answers classified as “other reasons” were various and included criticisms of working conditions in the Civil Service, such as those already dealt with (slowness of promotion, poor pay, long hours, etc.), circumstantial reasons such as poor health, having to live in a town where there were no Civil Service jobs, and so on. A few said they had applied for jobs in particular branches of the Civil Service and had been told there were no vacancies, and some said that only temporary jobs in the Service were available and they had wanted permanent posts.

A further question was asked of all those who had considered trying for a job in the Civil Service. This was “Was there any difficulty about the examination?” When informants were asked this direct question about the examination more of them said that there had been some difficulty than had mentioned it spontaneously in answer to the first question.

The fear of not being able to pass high enough in the competitive examination was a factor in preventing some of those workers who had taken up other careers from coming forward as recruits to the Civil Service. It will be remembered that in answer to the question “Do you think the Civil Service appeals to a particular type of person?” some informants said “You have to be clever” or “You have to be able to pass exams”, and it is clear that the examination has the effect of deterring some people. This deterrent is more important in the case of those who might enter the clerical class than with those who might enter the executive class.

The schoolchildren were asked whether they knew that it was necessary to take an examination to enter the Civil Service and whether this had raised any difficulty as far as they were concerned. 90% of the children knew that it was necessary to take the examination, and 13% of the boys and 17% of the girls said that it had to some extent affected their choice of a career. The majority of these thought that the examination would be too difficult for them and that competition was too keen, or said that they were in any case nervous in taking examinations and did not want to. Some mentioned difficulty in connection with particular subjects which they would have to take and which they had dropped at school or were not good at. A few said that they were too young to take the exam and would need to get a job in the meantime as they could not afford to stay at school till they were old enough to take it.

A further point that was studied was whether those workers who would have been eligible for the two classes, so far as their education was concerned, knew that they were eligible. The technical and professional workers and the clerks interviewed (all were aged under thirty) were asked “Do you think you yourself are eligible for any class of the Civil Service?” and their replies were analysed by the type of education and training that they had received.

186 of the technical and professional workers interviewed had continued their schooling into the post-School Certificate form, had passed the Higher Certificate examination, or had passed the School Certificate examination and in addition to this had some training at a technical school or college. These might be considered as eligible by their education for the executive class. 49% of them thought that they would be eligible for the executive class, 7% thought they would be eligible for the clerical but not for the executive class, 17% did not think they would be eligible for either class and 27% said they did not know. Thus altogether about half of those who probably had a sufficiently high standard of education to enter the executive class of the Service did not know that they would be eligible to do so.

272 of the men and 203 of the women clerical workers had continued their education into the School Certificate form (or higher), had passed the School certificate examination, or had left school before reaching the School Certificate form but had spent some time at a commercial or technical training school or college. Of the men 47%, and of the women 50%, thought they would be eligible for the clerical class of the Civil Service, and the rest did not know or thought that they would not be eligible. Thus about half of those who might be eligible for the clerical class did not know that they were.

Ignorance as to the standard of education required may therefore be quite an important factor in preventing recruits from coming forward. On the other hand it should be borne in mind that other factors, such as those studied in the previous section, might prevent many from becoming Civil Servants even if they knew that they could.

These results suggest that both ignorance as to the standard of education required and the fear of taking examinations should be taken into account in designing publicity asking for recruits.

Parents were asked whether they had ever considered the Civil Service as a career for their children. Altogether 46% had thought about it to some extent. In the case of 8% the children probably were going into the Civil Service(see Section I), and the remaining 38% were asked why they had decided against it. 12% had not so far decided against it definitely but were still in the process of considering various careers. Of the rest the majority said that the child on thinking about it preferred to do something else. 2% said that the child had been put off by the idea of the examination or had taken it and failed.

The results of a question asked of workers and schoolchildren, “Would you like a job in the Civil Service if you could get one?(and if Not) Why not?” (see Appendix 2) have not been given. The reasons given for not wanting a job in the Civil Service do not add anything to the information provided by the answers to other questions, and it was thought that answers to the first part of the question might be misleading. The question was asked at the end of the interview and whether a positive or negative answer was given would depend very much on the course the interview had taken.