--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My approach was to hire, train, test, and…" description: "\"“My approach was to hire, train, test, and then fire or promote quickly, so that we could rapidly identify the excellent hires and get rid of the ordin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/ray-dalio-299_fitness_my-approach-was-to-hire-train-test-and-t_2305869.jpg" --- # My approach was to hire, train, test, and then fire or… ![“My approach was to hire, train, test, and then fire or promote quickly, so that we could rapidly identify the excellent hires and get rid of the ordinary ones, repeating the process again and again until the percentage of those who were truly great was high enough to meet our needs.” quote by Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/ray-dalio-299_fitness_my-approach-was-to-hire-train-test-and-t_2305869.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/ray-dalio-299_fitness_my-approach-was-to-hire-train-test-and-t_2305869.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/ray-dalio-299_fitness_my-approach-was-to-hire-train-test-and-t_2305869.jpg) > ““My approach was to hire, train, test, and then fire or promote quickly, so that we could rapidly identify the excellent hires and get rid of the ordinary ones, repeating the process again and again until the percentage of those who were truly great was high enough to meet our needs.”” [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He used rapid hiring cycles to quickly spot top talent and remove average performers, iterating until a high‑quality workforce emerged. **In simple terms:** Quickly test and keep the best employees. Key Takeaway Implement fast performance reviews. Themes talent management efficiency performance iteration Mood pragmatic driven Type business leadership When to use this quote - startup hiring - team building - performance evaluation Key Concepts human resources organizational design Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance speed with fairness? - What risks arise from frequent turnover? A Different Perspective May overlook long‑term potential of slower developers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approach Hire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach-hire-5461580/) [Excellent Hires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellent-hires-5461578/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Hire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hire/) [Hire Train](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hire-train-5461581/) [Hires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hires-623956/) [Hires Rid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hires-rid-5461579/) ## Related quotes > [“All new hires had to directly improve the outcome of the company. He wanted doers—engineers, developers, perhaps merchandise buyers, but not managers. “We didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/all-new-hires-had-to-directly-improve-the-outcome-of-the-company-he-2/) [Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/) > [If you compromise in the first five, ten hires it might kill the company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/if-you-compromise-in-the-first-five-ten-hires-it-might-kill-the/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Pay attention to your culture and your hires from the very beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/pay-attention-to-your-culture-and-your-hires-from-the-very-beginning/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [A good leader is someone who knows what he's bad at, and hires someone who's good at it to take care of it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/a-good-leader-is-someone-who-knows-what-he-s-bad-at-and-hires-someone/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [Chemistry's a word that people who make hires and decisions say, 'Hey, you guys go out and work on your chemistry!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-nantz/chemistry-s-a-word-that-people-who-make-hires-and-decisions-say-hey/) [Jim Nantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-nantz/) > [Most of the best hires that I've made in my entire life have never done that thing before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/most-of-the-best-hires-that-i-ve-made-in-my-entire-life-have-never/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [I'm a chronic ad-libber. So whoever hires me, often to their chagrin, should know that I will be talking a bunch of smack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-baruchel/i-m-a-chronic-ad-libber-so-whoever-hires-me-often-to-their-chagrin/) [Jay Baruchel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-baruchel/) > [A CEO does only three things. Sets the overall vision and strategy of the company and communicates it to all stakeholders. Recruits, hires, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-wilson/a-ceo-does-only-three-things-sets-the-overall-vision-and-strategy-of/) [Fred Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-wilson/) > [We tell prospective hires, 'If you want an environment that is never going to change, don't come here. This is not the place for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dell/we-tell-prospective-hires-if-you-want-an-environment-that-is-never/) [Michael Dell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dell/) > [When you are ready to make your first hires, look for people who understand your passion, want to add to your ideas and can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/when-you-are-ready-to-make-your-first-hires-look-for-people-who/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [“Hire someone better than you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/hire-someone-better-than-you/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Don’t hire people just to fit the first job they will do; hire people you want to share your life with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/don-t-hire-people-just-to-fit-the-first-job-they-will-do-hire-people/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [Global poverty is the product of reversible policy failures overseen by politicians, past and present. The poorest of the poor don't vote in American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-evans/global-poverty-is-the-product-of-reversible-policy-failures-overseen/) [Hugh Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-evans/) > [I would like to work with whoever would like to have me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-barnes/i-would-like-to-work-with-whoever-would-like-to-have-me/) [Ben Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-barnes/) > [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/) [Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/) ## More by Ray Dalio > [“Slow down your thinking so you can note the criteria you are using to make your decision. 2. Write the criteria down as a principle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/slow-down-your-thinking-so-you-can-note-the-criteria-you-are-using-to/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Having a process that ensures problems are brought to the surface, and their root causes diagnosed, assures that continual improvements occur.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/having-a-process-that-ensures-problems-are-brought-to-the-surface-and/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“If you can’t successfully do something, don’t think you can tell others how it should be done”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/if-you-can-t-successfully-do-something-don-t-think-you-can-tell/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Remember that a good plan should resemble a movie script.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/remember-that-a-good-plan-should-resemble-a-movie-script/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“I believe that the key to success lies in knowing how to both strive for a lot and fail well. By failing well, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-believe-that-the-key-to-success-lies-in-knowing-how-to-both-strive/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [I'm scared of one man, one vote because it suggests that everybody has an equal ability at making decisions, and I think that's dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-m-scared-of-one-man-one-vote-because-it-suggests-that-everybody-has/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“A manager’s ability to recognize when outcomes are inconsistent with goals and then modify designs and assemble people to rectify them makes all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/a-manager-s-ability-to-recognize-when-outcomes-are-inconsistent-with/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“So I learned to be radically open-minded to allow others to point out what I might be missing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/so-i-learned-to-be-radically-open-minded-to-allow-others-to-point-out/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“During those terrible days after 9/11, when the whole country was being whipsawed by emotion, or the weeks between September 19 and October 10,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/during-those-terrible-days-after-9-11-when-the-whole-country-was/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“is more effective to train that subconscious, emotional you the same way you would teach a child to behave”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/is-more-effective-to-train-that-subconscious-emotional-you-the-same/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [I think that the first thing is you should have a strategic asset allocation mix that assumes that you don't know what the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-think-that-the-first-thing-is-you-should-have-a-strategic-asset/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [Life is like a game where you seek to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving your goals. You get better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/life-is-like-a-game-where-you-seek-to-overcome-the-obstacles-that/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“when we look down on ourselves through the eyes of nature we are of absolutely no significance. It is a reality that each one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/when-we-look-down-on-ourselves-through-the-eyes-of-nature-we-are-of/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Great questions are a much better indicator of future success than great answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/great-questions-are-a-much-better-indicator-of-future-success-than/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Georgi Plekhanov’s classic On the Role of the Individual in History.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/georgi-plekhanov-s-classic-on-the-role-of-the-individual-in-history/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) [Explore all 716 Ray Dalio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) ## More Fitness quotes > [I train my muscles, and I do a lot of stretching, and try to kick higher. But for me, practicing kung-fu is a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chow/i-train-my-muscles-and-i-do-a-lot-of-stretching-and-try-to-kick/) [Stephen Chow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chow/) > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [I do a lot of vocal exercises and drink hot tea, which I hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darci-lynne-farmer/i-do-a-lot-of-vocal-exercises-and-drink-hot-tea-which-i-hate/) [Darci Lynne Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darci-lynne-farmer/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [Spring training means flowers, people coming outdoors, sunshine, optimism and baseball. Spring training is a time to think about being young again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-banks/spring-training-means-flowers-people-coming-outdoors-sunshine/) [Ernie Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-banks/) > [I always wanted to make sure that within my unit that I was never the weak person. So I made sure that my physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carmouche/i-always-wanted-to-make-sure-that-within-my-unit-that-i-was-never-the/) [Liz Carmouche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carmouche/) > [“For those filled with regret, perhaps the most needful exercise of proactivity is to realize that past mistakes are also out there in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/for-those-filled-with-regret-perhaps-the-most-needful-exercise-of/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [Physical beauty is not everything, but the beauty is more careful than anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/physical-beauty-is-not-everything-but-the-beauty-is-more-careful-than/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Of all the train, none escaped except Wamba, who showed upon the occasion much more courage than those who pretended to greater sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/of-all-the-train-none-escaped-except-wamba-who-showed-upon-the/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [Everyday happiness means getting up in the morning, and you can't wait to finish your breakfast. You can't wait to do your exercises. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/everyday-happiness-means-getting-up-in-the-morning-and-you-can-t-wait/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [If your goal is to look different, you'll see results faster with strength training than with cardio alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kaiser/if-your-goal-is-to-look-different-you-ll-see-results-faster-with/) [Anna Kaiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kaiser/) > [“He sighed. "Look, love, I know I seem like a tactical genius, but really, I'm just a magician who occasionally kills a bunny or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delilah-s-dawson/he-sighed-look-love-i-know-i-seem-like-a-tactical-genius-but-really-i/) [Delilah S. Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delilah-s-dawson/) > [There are things you can do in training like learn from the manager and talk with team-mates, but it's the game that tests you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burke/there-are-things-you-can-do-in-training-like-learn-from-the-manager/) [Oliver Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burke/) > [Exercise teaches you the pleasure of discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/exercise-teaches-you-the-pleasure-of-discipline/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) [Browse all 13,910 Fitness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My approach was to hire, train, test, and then fire or promote quickly, so that we could rapidly identify the excellent hires and get rid of the ordinary ones, repeating the process again and again until the percentage of those who were truly great was high enough to meet our needs.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ray Dalio" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/my-approach-was-to-hire-train-test-and-then-fire-or-promote-quickly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fitness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/my-approach-was-to-hire-train-test-and-then-fire-or-promote-quickly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/ray-dalio-299_fitness_my-approach-was-to-hire-train-test-and-t_2305869.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/ray-dalio-299_fitness_my-approach-was-to-hire-train-test-and-t_2305869.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/ray-dalio-299_fitness_my-approach-was-to-hire-train-test-and-t_2305869.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My approach was to hire, train, test, and then fire or promote quickly, so that we could rapidly identify…” — Ray Dalio", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ray Dalio", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“My approach was to hire, train,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/my-approach-was-to-hire-train-test-and-then-fire-or-promote-quickly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/my-approach-was-to-hire-train-test-and-then-fire-or-promote-quickly/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```