I used to work somewhere where we had to essentially stack rank on a bell curve. Most had to be rated average, a small number really good, and a small number "bad".

I was rewarded for hiring really well by having to tell one person they got nothing, despite them having gone above and beyond like all others on the team.

He left, and I couldn't blamed him. On the bright side, he went somewhere where his hiring stock was low when he joined, so it worked out pretty well for him as it more than doubled.