48.Use personality assessment tests and quality reflections on experiences to help you identify these differences.

These should be done openly so that these important differences are embraced and considered in our interactions.

49.EUnderstand that different ways of seeing and thinking make people suitable for different jobs.

Since nature created different ways of thinking and since nature never creates anything without a purpose, each way of thinking has purposes. Often, thinking well for some purposes necessitates thinking poorly for others. It is highly desirable to understand one’s own ways, and others’ ways, of thinking, and their best applications. While there is no best quality, there are certainly some qualities that are more suitable for some jobs (e.g., being a math wiz is important for a job that requires a math wiz). So don’t treat everyone the same.

Sometimes I see people dealing with each other, especially in groups, without regard for these differences. This is nonsensical. Both people expressing their own views and those considering others’ views need to take into account their differences. These differences are real, so it’s dumb to pretend they don’t exist.

  • 49A. People are best at the jobs that require what they do well.
  • 49B. If you’re not naturally good at one type of thinking, it doesn’t mean you’re precluded from paths that require that type of thinking, but it does require that you either work with someone who has that required way of thinking (which works best) or learn to think differently (which is very difficult and sometimes impossible).

50.Don’t hide these differences. Explore them openly with the goal of figuring out how you and your people are built so you can put the right people in the right jobs and clearly assign responsibilities.

This is good for both your team and for Bridgewater as a whole.

51.Remember that people who see things and think one way often have difficulty communicating and relating to people who see things and think another way.

Keep in mind how difficult it is to convey what it means to think in an alternative way for the same reason it would be difficult to convey what the sense of smell is to someone who doesn’t have the ability to smell.

52.HIRE RIGHT, BECAUSE THE PENALTIES OF HIRING WRONG ARE HUGE

53.Think through what values, abilities, and skills you are looking for.

A lot of time and effort is put into hiring a person, and substantial time and resources are invested in new employees’ development before finding out whether they are succeeding. Getting rid of employees who aren’t succeeding is also difficult, so it pays to be as sure as possible in hiring. Refer to our diagram that shows how to achieve your goals by comparing them with the outcomes you’re getting, and think of the people part as shown below. By constantly comparing the picture of what the people are like with the qualities needed, you will hire better and evolve faster.

54.Weigh values and abilities more heavily than skills in deciding whom to hire.

Avoid the temptation to think narrowly about filling a job with a specific skill. While having that skill might be important, what’s most important is determining whether you and they are working toward the same goals and can work in the same ways and share the same values.

55.Write the profile of the person you are looking for into the job description.

56.Select the appropriate people and tests for assessing each of these qualities and compare the results of those assessments to what you’ve decided is needed for the job.

Synthesize the results of those tests to see if there is a “click.”

  • 56A. Remember that people tend to pick people like themselves, so pick interviewers who can identify what you are looking for. For example, if you’re looking for a visionary, pick a visionary to do the interview where you test for vision. If there is a mix of qualities you’re looking for, put together a group of interviewers who embody all of these qualities collectively. Don’t choose interviewers whose judgment you don’t trust (in other words, choose believable interviewers).

  • 56B. Understand how to use and interpret personality assessments. These can be fantastic tools in your arsenal for quickly getting a picture of what people are like—abilities, preferences, and style. They are often much more objective and reliable than interviews.

  • 56C. EPay attention to people’s track records.

  • 56D. Dig deeply to discover why people did what they did. Knowing what they did is valuable only in helping you figure out what they are like. Understanding the “why” behind people’s actions will tell you about their qualities and, as a result, what you can probably expect from them.

  • 56E. Recognize that performance in school, while of some value in making assessments, doesn’t tell you much about whether the person has the values and abilities you are looking for. Memory and processing speed tend to be the abilities that determine success in school (largely because they’re easier to measure and grade) and are most valued, so school performance is an excellent gauge of these. School performance is also a good gauge for measuring willingness and ability to follow directions as well as determination. However, school is of limited value for teaching and testing common sense, vision, creativity, or decision-making. Since those traits all outweigh memory, processing speed, and the ability to follow directions in most jobs, you must look beyond school to ascertain whether the applicant has the qualities you’re looking for.

  • 56F. Ask for past reviews. Don’t rely exclusively on the candidate for information about their track record; instead, talk to people who know them (believable people are best), and look for documented evidence.

  • 56G. Check references.

57.Look for people who have lots of great questions.

These are even more important than great answers.

58.Make sure candidates interview you and Bridgewater.

Show them the real picture. For example, share these principles with them to show how we operate and why. Have them listen to the tapes to see the reality.

59.Don’t hire people just to fit the first job they will do at Bridgewater; hire people you want to share your life with.

The best relationships are long-term and based on shared missions and values. Also, turnover is generally inefficient because of the long time it requires for people to get to know each other and Bridgewater. Both the people you work with and the company itself will evolve in ways you can’t anticipate. So hire the kind of people you want to be with on this long-term mission.

60.Look for people who sparkle, not just “another one of those.”

I have too often seen people hired who don’t sparkle, just because they have clearly demonstrated they were “one of those.” If you’re looking for a plumber, you might be inclined to fill the job with someone who has years of experience, without confirming whether he has demonstrated the qualities of an outstanding plumber. Yet the difference between hiring an ordinary versus an extraordinary plumber (or any other expert) is huge. So when reviewing a candidate’s background, you must identify how this person has demonstrated himself to be outstanding. The most obvious demonstration is outstanding performance within an outstanding peer group. If you’re less than excited to hire someone for a particular job, don’t do it. The two of you will probably make each other miserable.

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