What It Takes To Get Hired At Tesla

We sat down with Tesla's West Region Director to uncover what Tesla looks for when hiring employees and how you can stand out from the crowd.  Whether you want to work at Tesla or just get insights from a seasoned business expert, check out this interview.

MADE TO HIRE:  What does it take to get hired at Tesla?

Tesla:  Passion, grit, drive, results-orientation, intellectual curiosity, integrity, and trustworthiness.  You literally have to be able to come to the table with the ability to execute in the current climate while challenging the status quo and offering solutions with better efficiencies and higher results.

MADE TO HIRE:  What % of applicants get hired at Tesla?

Tesla: I recently read that less than 1/2 of 1% of candidates applying actually get a job at Tesla. So one of the biggest challenges is how do you separate yourself from the masses? What is it that you bring to the table that other candidates don't? Experience and education are key here.

MADE TO HIRE:  What's a current priority for the company when it comes to hiring?

Tesla: Hiring and developing top talent is extremely important as we are scaling our business to 5 times the volume. As a leader, I want to know that an applicant can develop the people who are working for him or her. It's all about managing up or managing out. Due to the pace, candidates need to be resilient and adaptive.

MADE TO HIRE:  What's one thing that's unique about Tesla that you'd like to share?

Tesla: Our CEO always says working for Tesla is like joining the Special Forces. The general understanding is that if you're at Tesla, you're choosing the equivalent of the Special Forces. There's the regular Army, and that's fine, but if you're working at Tesla, you're choosing to step up your game. And that has pluses and minuses. It's cool to be on the Special Forces, but it's not for everyone.