Recruiters only need to ask one simple question to know who is lying when applying for a job.
Honesty is a virtue, but not all job applicants are capable of doing this. Elon Musk has a way to detect liars.
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Elon Musk. |
According to Ron Friedman, author of “The Best Place to Work,” 81% of job interviews involve lies. That’s why Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, asks this question to find out who’s not being honest: What’s the toughest problem you’ve ever encountered and how did you solve it?
Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai, the young billionaire said this “very important” question reveals the candidate’s past role in a project or company. From this, Musk can guess whether the candidate truly found a solution to a problem on their own or was simply a member of a team.
“People who really solve problems, they know exactly how to do it. They know the details. They can talk in depth about the challenges they faced and the strategies they used. They answer on many different levels.”
Meanwhile, those who “pretend” to be problem solvers get a few things out of their mouths and get stuck. When candidates can’t get any further, Musk knows they’re not really in charge. “Anyone who’s ever faced a challenge never forgets it.”
As a job seeker, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to meet every requirement listed in the job description. That’s acceptable, according to interview expert Barry Drexler. Be honest about your shortcomings when asked, but frame them in a positive way. For example, if an employer asks you about a skill you lack, explain what you know about it, give examples of similar skills you have, and express a willingness to learn.
Experts say you can apply this three-step approach to any situation. For example, if asked if you have management experience, a good answer would be: “I don’t have management experience, but I have led a few projects where I delegated tasks to other colleagues and got concrete results. As such, I am confident that I can effectively manage a team here and am willing to learn from my superiors.”
Always be as honest as possible when discussing areas you are not fully trained in but “take it from what you don't know to what you do know.”
