Let’s Change the Recruitment Process for the Better

Most of us have been there – applying for jobs is stressful. If it isn’t the application forms and sometimes seemingly endless rounds of interviews, it’s the negotiating your lunch breaks to talk to recruiters, checking your skills against a list as long as your arm, and dreaming of that big break or change – and that’s even before you start thinking about the impact on your bank balance. It’s pretty fair to say that there aren’t likely to be many of us who thrive off the job application process, and matters could be even more disheartening or difficult if you’re neurodiverse.

People with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, Autism – any number of conditions where you learn and think differently – can impact on a candidate’s ability to progress through a recruitment process like a neurotypical peer. Things might feel confusing, difficult to read, unfair or even just well out of your comfort zone. Similar things can happen during recruitment processes for people with mental health problems too- somebody with social anxiety issues being judged on their ability to present in front of a room full of people, for example, or somebody who struggles with their communication skills being asked to take part in a group interview or task.

As part of the recruitment process, these days employers often think about the physical components of accessibility. Are interview rooms accessible for people in wheelchairs or with mobility constraints; do assessed tasks have a tech provision that can be used comfortably by everyone- but it’s sadly less common that application processes have neurodiversity and hidden disabilities at the heart of the recruitment landscape.

So here’s a handy list of 10 points to consider when you’re posting that job application on LinkedIn, Indeed, or even just popping a card in your local store window. Neurodiverse talent is currently a recruitment focus for huge companies like Ernst and Young, Virgin and GCHQ, and it’s a great time to be neurodiverse and looking into building a career – and every employer wants to make sure that every stand-out role is filled with the right person for the job. So let’s change the recruitment process for the better!

Recruiting with a Neurodiversity-Friendly Focus

Number One! Keep your job postings as easy to read as possible. Nobody with literacy differences or even an attention-based difficulty such as ADHD is going to appreciate an overly complex advert filled with unnecessary information or names and jargon outside of those that are directly associated with the role. Many people like bullet points when it comes to experience and responsibilities sections, because it makes it much easier to break down and understand.

Number Two! Make sure that your application submission isn’t overly lengthy. Many people will already have a CV, and it’s much easier to simply upload a CV to a form or send it to an email address than type the whole thing out again on a long application site.

Number Three! Cover letters can be daunting for people who don’t have strong literacy skills. Many fear that they’ll be penalised and not selected for interview if there are spelling and grammar mistakes in their cover materials, even if the job they’re applying to has little to no writing skills involved. Interrogate whether the position really needs a cover letter involved in the application – is it writing-based? Will all the information you need already be on the CV?

Number Four! A lot of job applications these days have a task component, where candidates are assigned a short exercise to show their potential employer what they can do. This is fine, as long as adequate concessions are made for people who might need longer on the task, or alternatives are offered for people who struggle with certain aspects of writing and comprehension. For example, a for a content manager position, someone might be asked to structure and order some content for posting or create a narrative – and whilst the candidate’s solutions to these tasks could be written down, they could also be explained over the phone, too.

Number Five! Question traditional assessments too – many companies want to see an example of a candidate’s work and will assign a task, but time limits and nerves might play a part in how well that task is completed for neurodiverse talent. Consider offering the ability to submit a portfolio of previous work instead – maybe the work won’t be 100% pertaining to the role, but it’ll allow you as a potential employer to see well enough just what they’re capable of. And keep it relevant- a group interview that measures potential construction apprentices, care workers or department store personnel on their ability to solve a trick question, design a child's toy or perform a comedy skit simply alienates and confuses people - as does assessing all this without telling people what you're looking for and what they're being assessed on. Think relevance, think flexibility - and no, you're not going to get a secret glimpse into your potential employee's skills and psyche by assessing them like this, either. People perform the best when they're comfortable and informed - not stressed and confused.

Number Six! Think about where interviews are taking place. Now that many places are cautiously opening up after Covid-19 restrictions, some interviews have gone back to being face-to-face affairs where candidates meet their potential teammates and managers in the workplace they could be joining. But this isn’t ideal for some – if the interview is taking place somewhere fluorescent lit or busy, somebody with Autism could feel overwhelmed by the atmosphere and the noise, and not perform their best. Somebody with ADHD might struggle with background action or feeling distracted (or alternatively, they might like it much better than being sat face-to-face in a silent interview room – everybody is different); and somebody who has social anxiety might really feel put on the spot if they’re out in the open amongst their peers and feel observed. Candidates can lead the way when it comes to interviewing, and after 18 months of Covid restrictions, we all know how FaceTime and Zoom work – candidates perform best when they’re at ease, and offering remote interviewing is a great idea.

Number Seven! There are pitfalls, however – some people struggle with social cues and even simple things like making eye contact, and this can be amplified on video calls - and this can come across to some interviewers as a candidate feeling like they’re disengaged, aloof or distracted. It’s best to personalise your approach and make sure that the interviewee has all the options, and let them decide how they work the best.

Number Eight! Always end (or begin!) communications with accessibility information – and not just a ‘get in touch if you struggled to read this email’, either. Encourage candidates to get in touch if they need considerations of any kind, and don’t forget to mention the Access to Work Grant if you’re in the UK, too (or the statewide schemes available in the US) – the resources it can provide can make all the difference to somebody when they’re jobhunting.

Number Nine! Be open about neurodiversity and where you’re looking to employ a candidate. Do you have a history of recruiting neurodiverse talent? Do you want to actively expand the number of neurodiverse employees that you’re taking on; do you have a programme in place to help your neurodiverse employees perform their best – all this information will make it so much easier for neurodiverse people to feel at ease and at home during the interview process, and not like they’re at a disadvantage.

Number Ten! Make sure everybody is on the same page. Neurodiversity certainly isn’t new, but many people in the world today still aren’t well informed about what people who learn and think different need when it comes to something as broad as recruitment process. Making sure HR managers, interviewers, hiring managers and talent personnel are trained and ready to work with neurodiverse people to create a recruitment experience that they can perform their best in is important.