In a newly released book titled "The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend," author Rob Copeland sheds light on the employee-rating system at Bridgewater Associates, the hedge fund founded by Ray Dalio. The book reveals that every employee at Bridgewater, regardless of their position within the company, had their own personal "baseball card" featuring dots or numbers that rated them on a 1-to-10 scale.

Copeland's book explains that these baseball cards, known as individual employee profiles, were publicly displayed for all to see. Every worker was judged in the same categories, creating an environment where employees were continuously rated by their colleagues in real time. Unfortunately, this often led to a tendency to pile onto those with lower scores and align with those who ranked highly, according to the book.

The employee-rating system at Bridgewater went far beyond traditional performance evaluations. Even the smallest of actions could affect an employee's rating. For instance, if an employee forgot to stock the office soda or if an assistant's boss was late to a meeting, negative ratings would be assigned. Bus drivers were even subject to investigation if they failed to maintain the optimal temperature on the bus, despite different employees complaining based on personal preferences.

Furthermore, the book reveals that employees were recorded during meetings for later assessment, a practice that reflected Dalio's principles for running a successful company. Dalio himself would frequently pause meetings to conduct polls on individual performance, seeking input from his colleagues.

One employee spotlighted in the book is Michael Partington, a recruiting manager earning over $2 million a year when he joined Bridgewater. After just one year, Dalio sent out a poll to the entire company asking if Partington added value. Faced with negative responses, Dalio cut Partington's salary in half, claiming that he had not taken the company to the promised land. Ultimately, Partington was fired by Dalio after less than five years at Bridgewater.

In response to the claims raised in the book, Dalio took to LinkedIn to describe it as a "sensational and inaccurate tabloid book" written to sell books to those who enjoy gossip. Dalio emphasized that Bridgewater is not accurately represented in the book and highlighted the high employee satisfaction and client loyalty experienced at the firm.

The revelations about Bridgewater's employee-rating system have sparked discussions about the potential impact of such practices on workplace culture and employee morale. As the book continues to gain attention, it remains to be seen how Bridgewater Associates will respond to the allegations and manage the fallout from its public exposure.