ABSTRACT
Personnel management, as it was once referred to in the 1950s, the 1960s and early 1970s, was primarily concerned with ensuring sufficient and appropriately qualified employees were recruited into the company to satisfy the needs of management. Apprenticeships took care of skill training needs and the larger companies organised a certain amount of in-house training for line and service managers. They would also have a responsibility for safety issues and sometimes were involved in developing industrial relations strategies. It was not unusual for personnel managers to be recruited from the military. Ranks such as major and group-captain were common because of their experience in administration and their availability, as they often retired from the services aged around 40 years old.
