Making the interview fit the job

Tips to consider how to include all neurodiverse talents

Think before designing the interview process if possible how you can showcase the talents for a specific job and not only from those who have good communication skills.

Consider potential biases in your interview processes

Do you ask people to do a presentation even though it's not vital for the job?

Are you scoring people on their good communication skills even though they are not 'customer facing'?

• If the job is in hospitality and requires clearing tables/ carrying trays/pouring etc. may be this needs to be the basis of the interview. 
• If the job is about accuracy and data analysis but is not 'customer facing' then an interview panel may not be the best setting to showcase the talents.

An interview process for most of us can be nerve-wracking but for someone for example with communication or social skills difficulties, it may be even more challenging.

Even before you get to the interview....

Even before the interview the person may have had to travel to a new location, and find their way there. They need to think about what to wear and ensure they have the right documentation with them. They may also have had unsuccessful experiences on several interview occasions previously and be recalling this as they arrive at the interview. This may cause increased anxiety.

Small changes can mean the person presents themselves badly even though they could have been the best person for the job! When you feel anxious it can make you behave in a number of ways- chatter, be very quiet, come across as abrupt...

Consider the person in front of you is:

- Having to listen to questions from people they don’t know and if you are not wearing name labels don't know how to address you

- Thinking about theoretical responses in a different context when they may not have had any prior experience (particularly hard for some if you have ASD for example)

- Responding often to several people who may communicate using different styles

- Maintaining eye contact with one or more people- and not knowing who to fix on!

- Starting and having to maintain conversations and understand when they have been finished so not to interrupt someone.

- Considering hypothetical scenarios perhaps with no specific right or wrong response- so not knowing if you got it right!

- Needing to stay focused- perhaps when tired from the journey/poor sleep/ and anxiety!

- Working out if the question is an ‘open’ question requiring a response or a closed one with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer

- Judging how much information is enough but not too much

- Trying to sound friendly but not over familiar, but also not too formal.

All of the above for some people may be really problematic!

Some tips to start..

·     Send out clear instructions of what will happen in the interview and provide questions too.

·     Think about what will really showcase the skills needed for the job itself.

·     Provide information when it will happen and where it will happen with enough time for someone to do a 'dry run' and travel to the building and familiarise themselves with the area.

·     Provide a map and visual clues on how to get the building.

·     Give relevant transport information options e.g. bus/train/road.

·     When providing tasks for the person consider that for some, an open-ended problem-solving task may be useful to see how people go about a task, but for others this type of task, with neither a 'right nor wrong ' approach, may be potentially troubling at the least and cause deep concern and anxiety.

If you are working in Work and Health, recruitment or a company wanting some guidance and how to become Disability Confident contact [email protected]