APPLICANT CARD RECORDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70-00211R000800110030-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 19, 2005
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: January 23, 1961
• Content Type: OUTLINE

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Approved FQelease 2005/11/21 : CIA-RDP70-0021000800110030-7
25X1
VOL1 E, COMPOSITION AND HOUSING OF APPLICAM CARD RECORDS
There are approadmately Ocards in the applicant card files
maintained in the Records and Services Division, Office of Personnel.
The cards are filed alphabetically in trays which are spread out on
tables in the rile Room. This housing system requires that Applicant
File Section Clerks pace back and forth when checking applicant
correspondence against the Applicant Card File. The destruction of
cards containing obsolete or information of dubious value would
present a partial solution to this seemingly inefficient and cumber-
some filing system.
1. A survey of 612 applicant cards (one tray of cards selected at
) was made to determine the composition of the Applicant
Card Tile and to analyze and evaluate the information contained
in of the different types of card records of which the
slit file is composed.
2. A breakdown of type of records in Applicant Card File is shown
below. The figures are based on the sampling of 612 cards.
25X1
,RECORD IN SAMPLE IN APPLICANT FILE APFLICA T FILE
TYPE OF NUKBER OF CARDS
Folder Routing
Cards and Special
Note Cards
143
File Destroyed Cards 130
Contact Letter Control 35
Interview Report Cards 394
TOTAL M
STAT (23 Jan. 1961 - Study by
Regs. Grp., OP)
24%
21%
6%
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USE 9Ip s 1/21 : CIA-RDP70-002VP000800110030-7
1. The Applicant Card Records are records of contacts made with
applicants and are used by the Office of Personnel in the
implementation of the Agency recruiting program.
2. These cards are really of primary interest only to the Office of
Personnel--exceptions to be noted are those cards which give special
instructions to refer quehtions or correspondence to particular officials
outside the Office of Personnel. The Office of Security and CI
Staff are not interested in a record of all contacts made with the
Agency. The Director's office might. at some time be interested in any
contacts made with applicants recommended by Congressmen or high
ranking officials in the Agency or Government.
3. The Office of Personnel uses these cards to recruit personnel and to
answer correspondence from individuals who have had previous contacts
with the Agency. Some files on applicants who have been considered as
potentially good candidates for positions in which the Agency is or may
be interested have been coded, and thus are helpful in finting possible
candidates to fill vacancies which arise from time to time. Cards or
files which are not coded are of no use in recruiting personnel unless
the individual writes in or is recommended for employment. Incoming
correspondence from prospective applicants is checked against the
Applicant Card File. If it is determined that the individual has
contacted the Agency previously, a record of previous action taken or
specific information concerning the individual is helpful in determining
the nature of the reply to the individual. The most significant use of
these cards is to determine if there is any record on the individual
which indicates a definite reason for discouraging him in seeking
employment in the Agency--if so, no application foal will be sent,
thus saving the Agency from processing another application needlessly
and also avoiding the possible encouragement of an applicant in a useless
pursuit of a job. The use of these cards in answering correspondence
from previous applicants involves the question of the Agency maintaining
good public relations--correspondence must be answered and replies must
be tactful. In many cases information which appears to have it minimal
use sometimes gives a good clue as to the type of reply to be mach.
1.. In making this study the advisability of keeping all present records
of contacts has been weighed against the problems involved in
maintaining voluminous files, and careful consideration has been given
to the calculated risk involved in selecting files for destruction.
Also recognition is given to the fact that in 1961 and for soeee time to
come the Agency will not likely be recruiting many persona except
JUTS, communicators, clerical, and individuals in highly specialized
fields. This to some extent makes a great percent of applicant cards of
less significance because replies to much of our current and future
correspondence is and will be answered "no vacancies", regarcUess of
encouraging or discouraging information contained in previous records.
5. The analysis of the value of the information on the sampling of
Applicant Record Cards and the recommendations made concerning the
selection of cards to be maintained or to be destroyed were made in
view of the facts and considerations discussed above.
Approved For Release 2005/11/21 :k A-RDP70-00211 R000800110030-7
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 CIA I}TAL USE ONLY
Approved F Release 2005/11/21 : CIA-RDP70-00R000800110030-7
1. The Folder Routing Card is used as a charge-out record for
applicant folders, which are filed in RSD and in Records
Center.
2. Special Note Cards are special flag cards which give specific
instructions to refer questions or correspondence concerning
applicant to particular officials, or offices in the Agency.
Files or information on these indivi&als are not maintained
in the Applicant File Section of liSia. in some of these causes.
The Folder Routing Cards and Special Note Cards must, of course,
be maintained as an index to files or information on applicants.
III. CONTACT TMvM CONTROL CARDS (FORM 38)
The Contact Letter Control Card is an index card which indicates
that the Agency has sent a letter to a prospective applicant and
that this letter and other pertinent correspondence are filed in
the Applicant File Section. This type of correspondence is re-
forred to as "papers." In soma cases the card indicates that the
"papa"s" are charged-out to Divisions in Office of Persomnel.
1. The "papers" do not include a PHS but in some cases the
letters from the applicants do include some information
concerning their qualifications and interests. A groat
percent of the Agency letters included in these "papers"
are routine replies to applicants--letters sending foram,
stating no vacancies or other routine replies to inquiries
concerning employment in the Agency.
2. The sanyling indicates that approximately 75% of the
correspondence included in these "papers" was initiated prior
to 1960--over 30% of the cards indicated that the correspondence
frca applicant was dated prior to 1957.
1. The greatest percent of these "papers" are of no interest to
the Agency since in coat cases there was no follow-up bathe
applicant or the Agency.
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 CIA INTERNAL LASE ONLY
Approved F rp _ elease 2005/11/21 : CIA-RDP70-002W000800110030-7
There is no reason for the Agency to keep correspondence
which is over 90 days old unless there is evidence of high-
level interest in the applicant or evidence that the applicant
possesses unusual Qualifications which W be of future
interest to the Agency. If the correspondence contains
information which should be maintained, it should either be
made into a permanent file or reported on a File Destroyed
Card.
3. "papers" which are of a routine nature should be destroyed and
no r Ovd wade of the destruction. Since the Office of Security
oonevi d in the referenced waworandx=,ethis is evidence: that
frm a security point of view the Agency bas no interest in
meai.ng permanent records ofproutinp Agency contacts with
applicants.
1. It is recommended that papers which are mare than 90 dayw old
should be destroyed if pQmdmce is of a routine nature
and no rile Destroyed Card to of such correspondeence be
maintained. If the correspondence is of other than a i'Sutine
nature, the correspondence and control card should be i'eterred
to the Division in the Office of Personnel which initiated
such correspondence for review and determination of action to
be taken. If is determined that "papers," which are over 90
days old, should be maintained, theyt,should be wade into a
permmanent applicant file; if they contain information indicating
high-level interest or security problms, such information
should be recorded on a File Destroyed Card. Thus Contact Letter
Control Cards would be used as an index for current corre-
spondence with applicants.
2. The File Section, RSD, has recently set up a system to flag
"gapers" so action may be tetloen when such papers are 90 days old.
If no reply has been received, these papers and the control card should
be destroyed-thus, in the future, correspondence with applicants
vd~ich is of ao future interest to the Agency will not bee taimed.
(Dee sic is for destruction of "papers" would. always be made by
Division initiatlssg correspondence) .(7 p--~ / J /~ .
IV. Ffl.E DE' CvA (!O$d 37) ' ~l?t_o OT Y'E'Sj7`Icy d Arr1~lc~r / 1,'6?J.~
A. GI~,L
The File Destroyed Card records the fact that the applicant folder
has been destroyed, the date of destruction, the year of individual's
application, and pertinent information concerning thee applicant.
1. Attac3 nt 1 gives a breakdown of types of inforeaation given on
the tiile Destroyed Cards vtioh were analyzed.
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Memorandum for D/Hers from C/ zs yv+u
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Approved Fq~elease 2005/11/21 :CIA-RDP70-002000800110030-7
2. The analysis of the information given on File Destroyed Cards
showed that about 1~3 of these cards indicate Security,, medical
or panel disapproval, unfavorable test results or interview, or
covert contacts. The greatest percent of the other File
Destroyed Cards are of no value do the Agency. About 1/3 of all
the File Destroyed Cards give no information except individual's
name and a check by the statement "File Not Coded -Over 2 Years
Old"--this indicates nothing except at one time there was a file.
C. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOIITION
1. it is concl~,tded that if a file has been destroyed and there is
no evidence of Agency disapproval action or Agency interest,
there is no reason to maintain a record of th,e fact that such
files were destroyed.
2. It is recommended that all File Destroyed Cards be destroyed,
exce those which contain information indicating:
a. Security disapproval,
b. Afedical disapproval,
c. Panel disapproval,
d. Unfavorable assessment,
e. ~iigh level interest, or
f. Covert contacts.
v. ~rr.~tvzEw ~PaRr cA~ (~oRM ~r) (fie Id.._ ~'~~ ~~~,-1- ~~ ~d>
A . C-SPtE"~tAi~
Thy Interview Report Card (formerly ]mown. as the Reject Card)
gives the applicant's name, address, date of birth; the date of
interview, and the name and cotmaents of the interxier~rer.
2. Al+pr?xiaiately one half of a3.1. the applicant cards are Inter~rl.e~w
Report Cards.
1. Attachraeat 2 is a chart which gives a good picture of the
type of information which is given on the Interview Report Cards.
2. pn analysis of 3U?+ Interview Regan Card iadic tes:
a. Abox~ 14$ Rive semis evi4en+ce of
l) gossibl,e security mad4cal, or personalitl- p~c-bleme,
2} Lbragx~easional or high level Agency intartat in
applicant, or
(3) covert interest or contact.
Tie greater percent of these reports indicate applicants
~^~ relsti'v+es in Pore~,~ counts~ies .
r __
Approved For Release 2005/11/1.: CIA-RDP70-002118000800110030-7
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b. About 6~o indicate that the applicant ~taa sot ~,valified
Por {or interested in) a position in the Agency. Attention
` is called to Attachment 2 which shows that;lO?~ oP the
Interview Report Cards gave no information .irig appli-
cant's qualificatiana.
c, About 24~o indicate that th+e applicant had at the time oP
interview so~ae potential--over one ha1.P oP these repo~~ta
~rere marls prior to 197 ,
3. Attachment 2 shows the brreakdown as to type of position Por
which the applicant eras being, iaxterv3.erned. Attention is csa7led
to the PoLlowing:
s.
About 36~, of the ~'crms '~
~ (approxiaea,teZ.y 33,t3OC
cards 1n the Applicant Card File) are reports on cler9.cal,
guard, or courier applicants.
~
y
b.
About 1 ~? t-rrt S
8~ of the
~rbe {approxiasete],y l6,