To efficiently screen sales reps, hold a group interview where candidates perform a pre-sent script. Then, provide live feedback and ask them to try again. This quickly assesses their preparation, ego, and coachability.

After probing a candidate's past, 'flip the table' and present them with a current, real-world problem your company faces. This reveals their curiosity, analytical skills, and ability to engage with a new challenge on the spot, shifting from their prepared stories to raw problem-solving.

To assess a sales candidate's self-awareness and adaptability, ask them to describe their process for a C-level meeting. After they detail their strategy, challenge them with: "So why haven't you done that in this meeting?" Their real-time reaction is a powerful indicator of their ability to course-correct under pressure.

To find PMs who are thoughtful and prepared, share interview questions beforehand. This shifts the evaluation from quick thinking under pressure to the candidate's ability to prepare, research, and structure their thoughts—skills more critical for the actual role.

To assess critical thinking, send C-level candidates your board deck under NDA before the interview. Use the conversation to gauge their feedback. A candidate who only offers praise is a red flag; the best candidates will challenge your thinking and provide constructive criticism.

Instead of asking hypothetical questions, present senior candidates with a real, complex problem your business is currently facing. The worst case is free consulting; the best case is finding someone who can implement the solution they devise.

For high-level leadership roles, skip hypothetical case studies. Instead, present candidates with your company's actual, current problems. The worst-case scenario is free, high-quality consulting. The best case is finding someone who can not only devise a solution but also implement it, making the interview process far more valuable.

Instead of broad questions, Musk drills down into a single problem, often one he knows well, to gauge a candidate's depth of knowledge and detect if they are exaggerating their contributions. This 'video game' approach tests how many layers of a problem a candidate can get through.

Strong engineering teams are built by interviews that test a candidate's ability to reason about trade-offs and assimilate new information quickly. Interviews focused on recalling past experiences or mindsets that can be passed with enough practice do not effectively filter for high mental acuity and problem-solving skills.