Elon Musk always asks one question to spot a liar at job interviews — and it's backed by science too

Elon Musk is known for investing in innovative technology and talking about unconventional ideas from the hyperloop to colonies on Mars. In order to turn his vision into reality, he also needs a workforce that can crack unconventional interviews that Musk has mastered. He likes to shake things up with questions that bring out creative problem-solving abilities, rather than limiting himself to typical inquiries about degrees or resumes. He tests the applicants' ideas of a tech-powered future and poses challenging hypothetical questions. He has now disclosed the one common question that he asks every candidate to assess their honesty.

The Tesla CEO, who also bought X (formerly Twitter), said, "I really just ask: 'What are some of the tougher problems [you've] dealt with, and how [did you] deal with those? And how they made decisions at key transition points." He claimed that this one question is all that he needs to trust someone and it even helps him spot a lie, as reported by UNILAD. Musk continued, "What I'm really looking for is evidence of exceptional ability so that they've faced really difficult problems and overcome them. And of course, you want to make sure that if there was some significant accomplishment, were they really responsible, or was somebody else more responsible."

He believes that those who’ve battled a problem firsthand truly understand it and never forget their strategies. He explained, "So you can ask them very detailed questions about it and they'll know the answer, whereas the person who was not truly responsible for that accomplishment will not know the details." A study published last December in the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition explored various ways to detect deception in job interviews. It confirms that Musk’s long-standing approach isn’t just his instinct and is instead scientific.

One method, known as Asymmetric Information Management (AIM), helps interviewees show whether they’re innocent or guilty by offering detailed information that either clears them or raises suspicion. One of the authors of the study, Cody Porter, stated, “Small details are the lifeblood of forensic investigations and can provide investigators with facts to check and witnesses to question.” She pointed out that interviewers should make it clear to candidates that the more elaborate and detailed their responses are about the event in question, the more likely it is that interviewers can spot whether they’re being truthful or not. By encouraging candidates to provide in-depth descriptions, it becomes much easier to identify inconsistencies or signs of deception, as reported by CNBC.

Additionally, Porter and her research team discovered that truth-tellers who are eager to establish their innocence frequently provide more thorough responses while answering such questions. However, liars often omit important information while trying to hide their guilt. They avoid disclosing the necessary level of detail, which renders them more vulnerable to the AIM technique. According to the study, this method can increase the likelihood of discovering a liar by around 70%. For Musk and other hiring managers who employ this scientifically validated method, this finding is great news because it significantly increases their ability to dig out the truth during interviews.