Let's be honest, it's debatable, but I think Musk has made some of the coolest companies of this century. From the outside, each company has some crazy mission they're trying to achieve whether it be making electric cars part of people's daily lives, or flying rockets that can safely return back to earth. It's pretty ambitious.
However, Musk's companies aren't just interesting on the outside. There's even something to look at with how the company operates, specifically how they hire their employees.
These are some strategies that Musk uses to hire his Employees:
Interviewing every candidate himself
Asking a candidate about a problem they've solved
On-site problem-solving
Looking past college degrees
Not settling for a good candidate
Looking for those with a positive mindset
When looking through applications, Space X and Tesla filter their applicants to the best of the best, and those that make it through are interviewed by Musk himself. They see it as the one with the vision should decide who builds the foundation.
Just as important, the interview includes a question about a problem that you've solved. The objective isn't to necessarily see what the interviewee has solved, rather it's used to see if they were at the forefront. It's one thing to lead a solution to a problem rather than just being a member. Those that were really involved can describe the project in many different layers and details.
On-site problem solving isn't something new, but it's always an important part of the interview process. Musk uses gives the interviewee riddles and puzzles to solve on the spot that are tailored to that specific role.
One interesting strategy that they use is not requiring a college degree, or even a high school diploma. The reason for this is that Musk doesn't want to filter before he can give those without a degree a chance. Many successful and hard working people in the tech industry don't have a college degree.
Musk's companies only look for the best of the best for every role. Even the janitor role is picked with great care. The goal is to keep looking for the best person for a specific role.
Most importantly, Musk is just looking for great people. He is looking for those with a positive mindset that can keep a positive vibe in the workplace. Who would want a jack-ass coworker?