• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Elon Musk asks the same question in every job interview to spot a liar

Home> News> Technology

Published 17:45 7 Jun 2024 GMT+1

Elon Musk asks the same question in every job interview to spot a liar

The billionaire can sniff out a fibber from a mile off thanks to one certain question which he poses to candidates

Olivia Burke

Olivia Burke

Seen as though he's been the pioneer of electric cars, ambitious space missions and brain chips, should we really be surprised that Elon Musk has come up with his own bullsh*t detector?

If you're applying for a job at one of billionaire tech mogul's companies, make sure you haven't exaggerated any of your achievements on your CV or that you don't start bending the truth in your interview, as he claims he can always tell.

Musk, 52, explained that he had thought up a way to help him determine the trustworthiness of potential employees during job interviews, which could also double as a way to vet someone on a first date.

Hey, I'm just being resourceful!

Advert

Anyway, the SpaceX founder reckons he can spot a Pinocchio a mile off when he asks candidates one certain question - so he makes sure that uses it on every single person he sits down with.

While speaking at the World Government Summit back in 2017, Musk started to discuss his plans for future manned missions to Mars when the conversation turned to how he would select his team for it.

Elon Musk asks everyone one certain question in job interviews (Omar Marques/Getty Images)
Elon Musk asks everyone one certain question in job interviews (Omar Marques/Getty Images)

After a brief pause, the uber-rich businessman revealed that he tended to go on 'gut feeling', but said he also relies on a key question which he would pose to astronauts - or anyone who wants to work for him, for that matter.

Musk explained: "My interview questions are always the same. I say, tell me the story of your life and the decisions you made along the way and why you made them.

Advert

"Also, tell me about some of the most difficult problems you’ve worked on and how you solved them."

You may presume that candidates have the perfect answer for this question already rehearsed, but according to Musk, this is how he helps differentiate between time wasters and those who are actually taking the process seriously.

You can imagine the tech tycoon pulling a face like this when he catches a candidate in a lie (Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images)
You can imagine the tech tycoon pulling a face like this when he catches a candidate in a lie (Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images)

He explained that most people wouldn't be able to get down to the nitty gritty of a subject if they were piggybacking off someone else's story or inventing parts of it.

The father-of-11 continued: "The people that really solved the problem, know exactly what they how they solved it…they know the little details...the people that pretended to solve the problem can maybe go one level, and then they get stuck!"

Advert

He said he is really looking for 'evidence of exceptional ability' and proof that the person he is interviewing has the power to overcome difficult problems that may come their way.

Steve Jobs' 'beer test' sounds like a walk in the park in comparison to a meeting with Musk.

Featured Image Credit: Apu Gomes/Narisara Nami/Getty Images

Topics: Elon Musk, Business, Tesla, SpaceX, Jobs

Olivia Burke
Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

X

@livburke_

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

3 hours ago
5 hours ago
6 hours ago
  • Getty Stock Images
    3 hours ago

    UK government announces major crackdown on porn industry

    Over 70 percent of Gen Z watch porn, with more than half of young women saying it reinforces sexual dominance among men

    News
  • Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
    5 hours ago

    Olympic Team GB hopeful hits out after two-year ban for 'performing sex act on plane'

    The 23-year-old has been banned from competing in the sport after posting the controversial video

    News
  • Liverpool Echo
    6 hours ago

    Why an elderly couple have been banned from Aldi over altercation at the till

    A pensioner and his wife have been banned from their local Aldi for life after an altercation over bulk buying items

    News
  • Facebook
    6 hours ago

    Heroic passenger recalls chilling comment attacker made before stabbing him six times in train attack

    Stephen Creen recalled leaving his seat to confront the suspect on the train

    News
  • Ex-Google recruiter encourages candidates to ask one question in a job interview
  • Elon Musk is working on 'game plan' to get one million people to Mars
  • Elon Musk fixed one of his rockets after a YouTuber asked the right question
  • Elon Musk shares update on 'Optimus' humanoid robot with creepy video