Honoring World Autism Awareness Day

Question your conventional interview process

Formal, standard interviews are not everyone’s strong suit. Freddie Mac is one company removing potential interview barriers for neurodiverse people. They offer simulations and presentations that let candidates show off their actual skills.

Tip: Consider other ways for candidates who may lack “soft skills” to show you they’re a good fit. Don’t let standard interviews and traditional interview formats rule your decision-making.

Provide an interview environment with limited distractions

Glassdoor recommends avoiding group interviews, noisy locations, lunch meetings or spaces with lots of clutter and bright lights. People with sensory processing issues can find these distracting and prevent candidates from presenting well in the interview.

Tip: Find a quiet environment and make it a 1:1 discussion to give every candidate the best chance to succeed.

Ask clear, succinct and truly relevant questions

It’s common to not know if a potential candidate has a disorder or a disability. Some may struggle when presented with cutesy, hypothetical questions. It’s best to avoid “out there” questions like “if you were a cookie, what kind would you be?” Stick to direct questions about the candidate’s skills or past experiences.

Tip: ‘Name a time when you…’ is a great way to start your prompts. It offers a better way to determine a candidate’s problem-solving approach and their fit for the role.

Forge helpful partnerships

Even Google doesn’t have all the answers on how to get it right. Google partnered with Stanford’s Neurodiversity Project to get matched with the right candidates and learn how to create an inclusive atmosphere where neurodiverse employees can reach their full potential.

Tip: If you don’t have the budget or buy-in to hire a Chief Diversity or Inclusion Officer, seek out one of the many knowledgeable partners or consultants who specializes in this subject and can guide you.

Proactively offer solutions that can help individuals with disorders or disabilities thrive

Most candidates won’t want to disclose their disorders or disabilities from the get-go of an interview process, if at all – even after they may start to work for you. Consider proactively offering all candidates:

• Live captions of the dialogue happening during virtual interviews to help them focus and comprehend effectively
• The ability to choose themselves whether interviews will be in-person or virtual
• Break time in between questions you ask and when they’re expected to answer, providing them time to process and reflect

Tip: Most tools and solutions which provide inclusion are easy to use, low cost or even free. It often comes down to educating and training your workforce and hiring teams.