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Business English vocabulary · Office Idioms and Phrases

Hit the ground running

Meaning in business english, with examples

idiomCommon term

In business english, hit the ground running means: To start a new job or project quickly and effectively, without needing a long time to learn or prepare.

In Turkish: işe hızlı başlamak, hemen işe koyulmak, ilk günden verimli olmak

How it is used

Very common in job ads, interviews and onboarding: 'We need someone who can hit the ground running'. Managers use it when they expect fast results from a new hire or a new team.

Example sentences

  1. Thanks to her experience in Asia, she was able to hit the ground running.

  2. We want the new team to hit the ground running in January, so training starts in December.

Common collocations

  • ready to hit the ground running
  • need to hit the ground running
  • able to hit the ground running
  • onboardingThe process of welcoming new employees and helping them learn the company's systems, people and way of working.
  • up to speedHaving all the latest information about a situation or task, or able to work at the expected level after a period of learning.
  • get the ball rollingTo start an activity, process or discussion, often by being the first person to do or say something.
  • learning curveThe rate at which someone learns a new skill, job or system; a steep learning curve means there is a lot to learn in a short time.

More terms: Office Idioms and Phrases

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