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Ex-Tesla employee reveals how Elon Musk handles employees about to be fired

Sunday, 09/06/2024, 11:50 (GMT+7)

A former Tesla employee has revealed what Elon Musk would do when a worker is at risk of being terminated.

A former employee of Tesla has come forward to share how Elon Musk handles situations where an employee is facing the possibility of termination. 

The details were revealed by Carl Medlock, who worked as a territory manager at Tesla from 2009 to 2013.

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Former Tesla employee reveals how Elon Musk handles employee termination situations. Image Credit: Getty

Ex-Tesla employee reveals Elon Musk's response when worker is at risk of being terminated

During an interview on The Iced Coffee Hour podcast, Medlock talked about how Elon Musk handles employees who are not meeting performance expectations.

According to Medlock, one sign that an employee might be in jeopardy of being fired is when Elon Musk starts micromanaging their work. 

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Medlock discussed Elon Musk's approach to underperforming employees on The Iced Coffee Hour podcast. Image Credit: YouTube

Musk tends to hire competent individuals and allows them the freedom to excel in their roles. If he starts closely monitoring an employee's work, it usually means their job is at risk.

While Medlock described his experience of working for Musk as "fun," he also mentioned that Musk maintained a professional distance from his employees. 

Musk would engage with them only when necessary and did not engage in casual conversations or small talk.

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Musk hires competent individuals, but closely monitoring work suggests their job is in jeopardy. Image Credit: Getty

When asked if Musk had a humorous side or if he would joke around with the staff, Medlock stated that he never witnessed such behavior. 

It is possible that Musk reserved his humor for a larger audience or different settings.

Although Elon Musk may appear distant, Medlock highlighted that the staff at Tesla had a deep respect for him.

He recalled an unspoken rule at Tesla where employees refrained from approaching Musk when he was with his children, demonstrating their respect for his personal space.

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Tesla employees respected Musk's personal space when he was with his children, not approaching him. Image Credit: Youtube

Medlock's tenure at Tesla came to an end after an incident involving his attempt to assist a woman in Hawaii whose Tesla had been heavily scratched. 

Although Medlock received approval from a senior Tesla representative to resolve the issue, his direct supervisor opposed the decision. 

The disagreement ultimately led to his departure from the company.

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Medlock found working for Musk "fun" but acknowledged his professional distance from employees. Image Credit: Getty

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has revealed a genius way that helped him detect an employee who was leaking confidential information.

The incident occurred in 2008, five years after Tesla's establishment when sensitive data was shared without authorization. 

In response to a question from a user on the X platform, where Musk interacts with his followers, he shared the fascinating story behind catching the culprit.

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Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, shared a genius method for detecting a confidential information leaker. Image Credit: Getty

They sent similar emails to all employees involved, but each email contained subtle differences in the spacing between sentences. 

These coding variations created a unique pattern of zeros and ones, which played a crucial role in identifying the leaker. 

By carefully analyzing the leaked information, they discovered the same pattern, leading them directly to the responsible individual.

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Musk responded to a user on the X platform, sharing the intriguing story of catching the culprit. Image Credit: Getty

This method employed by Musk falls under the category of a 'canary trap,' which involves creating multiple versions of a sensitive document and distributing them to different suspects. 

Once the leaker's identity was confirmed, Tesla took swift action, immediately terminating their employment.

Interestingly, Musk decided against pursuing legal action against the leaker. He explained that his busy schedule and numerous projects left him with limited time to engage in a legal battle.