This “Progressive Era” is better known in the US and Europe from a business perspective as the 2nd Industrial Revolution. The Industrial might of western countries now electrified laid the foundation for massive corporations and the pioneering challenge of managing large numbers of workers. This era is also known for rising activism driving social reform and political changes in an attempt to address extreme abuses foisted on a workforce that had little power.
For example, in 1900, 20% of the US workforce in industrial settings were children ages 10-14 who were hired with the approval of their parents.1
At its best, this era began to lay the foundation for the eventual rise of modern business management practices and the improved treatment of employees and candidates who were hired into the workforce.
Turn of the Century Milestones:
- 1873 – John Gabbitas begins recruiting schoolmasters for public schools in England. 2
- 1893 – One of the earliest US recruiting agencies was focused on engineering technology hires.3
- 1896 – The Plessy vs Ferguson Supreme Court decision establishes a legal foundation for a flawed “separate but equal” doctrine.4
- 1906 – National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education (NSPIE) founded.5
- 1906 – The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is published.6
- 1906 – Kitty Felton launches an employment agency in San Francisco.7
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