New hires can be the cause of a company’s success or decline. It is therefore important for recruiters to detect the sincerity of those who are absolutely not motivated. To do this, Elon Musk has his own method to successfully detect lies from candidates. Today we are introducing you to its essential technique for recruiting the best profiles.
Elon Musk does not fundamentally pay attention to the diplomas or training of his candidates. In 2014, he declared, during an interview with the German media Auto Bild, that ” if a candidate graduated from a top university, that can be a good indication that they will be able to accomplish great things, but that is not necessarily the case. If you look at, for example, people like Bill Gates (Microsoft), Larry Ellison (Oracle) or Steve Jobs (Apple), these guys didn’t graduate from college, but if you have the opportunity to hire them , sure that would be a good idea. »
Want to know all the Tech news in 5 minutes? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
Recruitment: How does Elon Musk spot a lie?
During the World Government Summit In 2017, Elon Musk revealed his technique for detecting whether a candidate is sincere or not during an interview. He asks him the following question: “Tell me about the professional challenges you had to overcome and how you managed to do it.”
Why ask this question? Elon Musk explains: “People who have truly overcome an obstacle know exactly how to do it. They are able to describe in detail the process of solving the problem.” The Tesla founder assumes that a false experiment cannot be substantiated in convincing and detailed manner. This is why he focuses on all the stages and relies mainly on the elements provided to make his choice.
Discover another innovative startup!
An effective recruitment strategy
A study published by Tea Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition highlighted several methods for detecting lies based on job interview techniques. This is how the effectiveness of Elon Musk’s method was proven.
The technique “Asymmetric Information Management” (AIM) is designed to give the person a way to prove their sincerity by providing detailed information. “Investigations are mainly based on providing details. This is how investigators can verify witnesses and facts. An investigator will be better able to detect whether the accused is telling the truth or simply lying based on the details they provide,” explains Cody Porter in his article published on The Conversation. If people want to hide their guilt, they come forward with very little information. They assume that providing a lot of details can harm them.
The study found that the AIM method can increase your chances of detecting a lie or being tricked if you lie during interviews by almost 70%. This is therefore good news for Elon Musk, who has been using this technique for several years.
If you are wondering if lying is a good strategy to follow during job interviews, you must keep in mind that recruiters are trained in non-verbal communication and that they can easily decipher your gestures, your facial expressions and the the slightest unfortunate gesture to know if what you bring is true or not. This is therefore very risky territory that we advise you not to follow.