While he adopted Tokichiro KINOSHITA (Hideyoshi HASHIBA) who was a son of a foot soldier, Mitsuhide AKECHI who was ronin (masterless samurai), Kazumasu TAKIGAWA who was considered to have been ninja (professional spy in feudal Japan highly trained in stealth and secrecy) and so on, he exiled hereditary senior vassals such as Nobumori SAKUMA and Hidesada HAYASHI.
足軽出身の木下藤吉郎（羽柴秀吉）、浪人になっていた明智光秀、忍者出身とされている滝川一益などを登用する一方で、譜代の重臣である佐久間信盛や林秀貞らを追放した。