Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, appointed by US President-elect Donald Trump to head the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), are using the social media platform X to recruit candidates for their unconventional hiring process.

The DOGE account, which has quickly gained 1.2 million followers, shared a job posting on Thursday, thanking the "thousands of Americans" who expressed interest in joining the department. The notice, however, emphasized that the department is not looking for "part-time idea generators" but rather "super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries" willing to work long hours on cost-cutting measures.

While the job description did not specify educational or professional qualifications, the department requested that applicants send their résumés via direct message (DM) on X, but only those with a verified, premium subscription to X (at $8 per month) can apply. Musk and Ramaswamy will personally review the top applicants, though the selection criteria were not detailed.

Compensation for the roles is none, with Musk clarifying that the work would be "tedious" and come with no pay. He joked about the nature of the job, tweeting, “This will be tedious work, make lots of enemies & compensation is zero. What a great deal!”

Ramaswamy, who is a wealthy investor and biotech entrepreneur, highlighted the contrast between the work ethic expected at DOGE and the work habits of government bureaucrats, noting that many do "little or no work" while earning more than the value they create.

DOGE, announced by Trump earlier this week, is tasked with reducing federal spending, eliminating excess regulations, and reorganizing federal agencies. It will operate outside of the federal government, providing guidance and advice to streamline operations. Trump aims to complete the department's work by July 4, 2026. Musk has stated that the initiative will challenge government waste and cause "shockwaves" throughout the system.

A spokesperson for the Trump transition team praised Musk's innovative capabilities but did not elaborate on the details of the hiring process.