Hiring top talent is every leader’s dream because these people can make or break a company. But instead of relying on degrees or academic credentials like most leaders, billionaire Elon Musk believes skills matter way more. He often spots real talent with just one simple question of his own.
In a 2014 interview, Musk said, “The person you hire doesn’t have to have a college degree, or even a high school diploma. Graduating from a top university can show potential for doing great things, but it’s not everything. Look at people like Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, or Steve Jobs, none of them graduated college. But if you had the chance to hire them, that would be a great idea.”
Musk also stresses that at Tesla, degrees and formal education don’t matter as much as what you can actually do. He said on Twitter, “A PhD is not necessary. I don’t even care if you graduated high school or not.” But that doesn’t mean just anyone can get a job at his companies.
1. Candidates must have three “heroic” qualities
Cindy Nicola, Tesla’s global head of recruiting, revealed that from interns to directors, no two candidates are the same. But there are three must-have traits to get hired: passion for changing the world, a unique personality, and showing results rather than just talking.
Tesla was founded by Musk to speed up the arrival of sustainable transportation through electric vehicles and make it mainstream as soon as possible. So candidates must prove they share that mission-driven passion.
Tesla values creativity, focus, collaboration, and reliability. Having a distinct personality is a big plus when applying. Nicola said,
“For us, it’s really important to preserve the culture we have and design evaluation processes to make sure people have the unique qualities needed to succeed at Tesla. We believe strongly in you showing us what you can do, rather than just telling us. So if you’re a technical candidate, you might have coding tests or problem-solving challenges.”
2. Deep knowledge of artificial intelligence
Beyond those three strict criteria, Musk also looks for candidates with strong AI expertise. All selected applicants must pass tough programming tests, including soft skills and problem-solving assessments.
For the soft skills test, Musk often asks candidates this classic brain teaser: “You’re standing on the surface of the Earth. You walk 1,609 meters south, then 1,609 meters west, then 1,609 meters north. You end up exactly where you started. Where are you?”
The answer is the North Pole, and most candidates can solve this. But Musk doesn’t stop there. He follows up with, “Where else could you be?” The second correct answer is somewhere near the South Pole, but very few candidates get this.
However, the question isn’t meant to weed people out. It’s a chance for candidates to explain their reasoning. Musk uses this to see how they approach problem-solving, handle failure and frustration, and process new information.
For the problem-solving test, Musk always asks: “Tell me about some of the toughest problems you’ve faced and how you solved them.” With just this one question, plus his experience and intuition, Musk can tell who’s truly talented and who’s just bluffing.
Musk explains, “People who have actually faced and dealt with problems can describe exactly how they solved them, down to the smallest details.” In contrast, those who bluff tend to speak vaguely and unconvincingly.
This method has proven effective and scientifically sound. About 70% of lies have been caught using this memory and cognition-based approach. Thanks to it, Musk has hired many top talents for his companies.
Source: Compiled
