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Elon Musk doesn't just impress the world with talent and wealth, but also astonishes people with his extraordinary ability to read individuals.
Snagging top talent is every leader's dream, as they're the ones shaping a company's destiny. Instead of relying on diplomas and academic prowess like most leaders, Elon Musk firmly believes that skills outweigh credentials by far. He often identifies talent through a simple question of his own.
In a 2014 interview, the billionaire shared: 'The chosen ones don't necessarily need a college degree, not even a high school diploma. If someone graduates from a top university, it indicates their potential for greatness, but it's not everything. If you look at people like Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, or Steve Jobs, they didn't all graduate from college. However, if you have the chance to hire them, it's clearly a great idea.'
The billionaire also affirmed that for Tesla, degrees and academic qualifications are less important than merit, as stated in a tweet: 'A Ph.D. is not necessary. I don't even care if you graduated high school.' However, this doesn't mean everyone gets into his companies.
1. Possess 3 qualities like a 'hero'
Ms. Cindy Nicola, Tesla's Global Recruitment Head, reveals that from interns to directors, although no two candidates are alike, there are 3 prerequisite factors for someone to be accepted into this automotive giant: Passion for the mission of changing the world, showcasing individuality, and demonstrating themselves rather than just talking.
Accordingly, Tesla, founded by billionaire Elon Musk, aims to accelerate the advent of sustainable transportation through electric vehicles and aims to popularize it as soon as possible. Therefore, to demonstrate complete alignment with this company, candidates must prove their own passion for this mission.
At Tesla, there are four crucial principles: creativity, direction, collaboration, and reliability. Candidates with unique qualities will be a plus when applying to this company. Ms. Nicola says: 'For us, what really matters is preserving the culture we have and designing evaluation processes to ensure that everyone has unique qualities to succeed at Tesla. We are firm believers in you showing us what you can do, as opposed to telling us what you can do. So, if you're a technical candidate, you might have some coding tests or solve some problems that we will present.'
2. Have extensive knowledge of artificial intelligence
In addition to the stringent 3 recruitment criteria above, Tesla's CEO also seeks personnel with deep knowledge of artificial intelligence, requiring all selected candidates to pass extremely difficult programming tests, including tests on soft skills and problem-solving experience.
1. Possess 3 qualities like a 'hero'
In soft skills assessments, one of the questions Elon Musk often asks candidates is: 'You're standing on the surface of Earth. You then walk 1.609 meters south, 1.609 meters west, and 1.609 meters north. But ultimately, you're still at your starting point. So, where are you?'
The answer is the North Pole, and most candidates can solve this question. However, Musk doesn't stop there. He'll ask them one more question: 'Where else could you be?' And the correct second answer is somewhere near the South Pole. However, very few candidates come up with this answer.
When it comes to assessing problem-solving experience, the billionaire always asks candidates the same question: 'Tell me about some of the toughest challenges you've faced and how you've overcome them.' With just this one question, coupled with experience and the ability to read people, Musk can differentiate between who's the talent he's looking for and who's just 'blowing smoke.'
Musk explains: 'Those who have truly experienced and dealt with problems firsthand know exactly how difficulties are solved. They can articulate every small detail fluently'. Conversely, those who are just 'blowing smoke' often speak in general terms and lack persuasiveness.
When it comes to assessing problem-solving experience, the billionaire always asks candidates the same question: 'Tell me about some of the toughest challenges you've faced and how you've overcome them.' With just this one question, coupled with experience and the ability to read people, Musk can differentiate between who's the talent he's looking for and who's just 'blowing smoke.'
Accordingly, Musk's method has been proven correct and scientifically effective. About 70% of lies have been detected thanks to this memory and cognitive method. And also through this method, Musk has recruited numerous talents for his companies.
Source: Compilation
