How to Dyslexia Hack Your Hiring Process For Results Day 2023

Results days are about to start rolling around in the UK, and many learners with dyslexia may be feeling nervous. What are the ins and outs of leaving education as somebody with dyslexia, and working out what comes next... and how do employers dyslexia hack their hiring processes to make this transition easier and more supported?

Even with support in place, dyslexia can have an impact on the school leaving process. It may lead to results coming in lower than expected or required, which makes results day especially stressful. The transition element has the potential to be particularly challenging to those with literacy differences too: children and young people with dyslexia might experience additional anxiety during times of changing routines and the renewed focus on writing for job applications. 

Simply put, the post-results day period isn’t a fan favourite in the global dyslexia community, and today we’re taking a look at why— as well as what we might do about it from a hiring perspective.  

Losing access to school-based support

One of the main challenges that individuals with dyslexia face when leaving school is losing access to school-based support. In school, students with dyslexia may receive accommodations such as extra time on exams, assistive technology, and support from special education teachers, which don’t carry on into the outside world. 

Losing them can be stressful and leave a support gap— which is sometimes expensive to fill.  

Hiring processes, dyslexia hacks and accessibility 

Many job applications are online, which can be difficult for individuals with dyslexia who struggle with reading and writing, especially if they haven’t got access to adequate text-to-speech provision any more. Additionally, some hiring processes require standardised tests, which may be particularly challenging for individuals with dyslexia.  

Some recruitment platforms also use AI to scan CVs for errors and keywords, and penalise the submissions that have spelling mistakes or don’t align directly with the job description. There has also been a rise in the US in using digital proctoring software to track responses and attentiveness during remote AI-led interviews, which might cause a lot of anxiety in neurodivergent individuals who experience issues with eye contact, attention and fidgeting.  

When results don’t line up for education leavers

Those with dyslexia may also face challenges in getting the job they want or progressing into further study due to not having high enough exam results. Exams can be particularly challenging for individuals with dyslexia, and they often don’t accurately reflect their abilities or potential. 

Lower than expected grades can limit opportunities available post-education, and in many cases, it might lead to a significant downturn in mental health.  

But what can we do? 

Any end-of-stage transition is challenging, but the final ones come with the added pressure to create a financial foundation for the rest of adult life. The biggest concern for a lot of people on leaving education is making money to support themselves, and when dyslexia is present, it might feel like that ability is capped.  

That’s where a feeling of futility comes in: so many young people with dyslexia turn to jobs that don’t reflect their interests and abilities, simply picking careers that require as little reading as possible— or even feeling that it’s pointless applying to anything, as their application will never reach the end stages.

It's on hiring departments and businesses as a whole to dyslexia hack their recruitment processes for the next generation of dyslexic education leavers.

• Provide materials about the Access to Work Grant as part of the application package. Support from this allocation can be sourced for interviews and applications, so make sure that it’s there, accessibly, for those who might need it.  
• Provide contact details that applicants can use to address recruiters directly about their accessibility needs, and invite this in your job ad. 
• Embed text-to-speech reader software into your online application platform. 
• Eliminate timed written testing from the hiring process. If testing needs to take place, allow it to happen in an applicant’s own time, and somewhere that they’re comfortable.  
• Ditch keyword and error scanning for CVs. Making spelling mistakes or struggling to adhere to writing guideline has zero impact on their worth or professional ability. Even if it’s a writing job, in most cases these needs can be supported by tech.  
• Seek training on how to support on these fronts from qualified neurodiversity experts. Businesses aren’t expected to know it all first time, and it’s often easier to seek professional help than it is to dig information out elsewhere. 
• Allow people to interview when, how and where they’re comfortable. If they want to do it in person, great— and if they want to do it remotely, allow them to have their camera off and ditch the movement tracking software.  
• If at all possible, stay away from grade requirements. Can candidates demonstrate their skills practically on a paid demo day, or from previous evidence?  
• Make special provision for young jobseekers and school leavers. The first round of applications is always the hardest, and when dyslexia is on the board, they can be even more stressful. Tone down interview tactics, and make allowances where possible: like everything else, job applications are a skill, and they’re hard first time.