Elon Musk Says 'Don't Look At The Resume,' Prefers Conversation, Talent Over Credentials When Hiring

Elon Musk says he values personal interaction and proven talent over impressive resumes when hiring for his companies, a philosophy shaped by years of rapid growth and executive turnover.

Musk Prioritizes Conversation Over Credentials

Last week, in a joint podcast appearance with Stripe cofounder John Collison and tech podcaster Dwarkesh Patel, Musk said he often ignores flashy credentials in favor of conversation.

"Generally, what I tell people—I tell myself, I guess, aspirationally—is, don't look at the resume," he said.

Musk added, "Just believe your interaction. The résumé may seem very impressive…but if the conversation after 20 minutes is not ‘Wow,' you should believe the conversation, not the paper."

Lessons From Early Tesla And SpaceX Hires

Musk, who personally interviewed the first few thousand SpaceX hires, now relies on his staff to identify candidates with the "wow" factor and document their exceptional abilities.

He admitted to occasionally falling for the "pixie dust" effect, assuming employees from companies like Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google or Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)  would automatically succeed.

"I think goodness of heart is important. I underweighted that at one point," Musk said.

He added, "So, are they a good person? Trustworthy? Smart and talented and hardworking?"

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)  has seen more stability in recent years, with senior leaders averaging 10 to 12 years of tenure.

But Musk acknowledged earlier periods of rapid turnover, including when Apple recruited dozens of Tesla engineers and executives with higher salaries.

Musk’s Multiplanetary Vision And Leadership Style

Last year, Musk highlighted the high costs of expanding life beyond Earth, particularly to Mars, to ensure humanity's long-term survival.

His comments underscored SpaceX's ambitious goals while acknowledging funding and feasibility challenges.

Former Tesla AI director Andrej Karpathy described Musk's intense leadership style, noting his preference for small, highly technical teams, minimal middle management, and a high-performance culture.

Musk expected employees to stay actively engaged, prioritized technical excellence over hierarchy, and personally removed obstacles to deliver immediate results, reflecting a hands-on, unconventional approach.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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