Providing an accessible interview process
The traditional interview process can be a challenge for students and alumni who are neurodivergent. Making your application process accessible will help you connect to a wider pool of talented applicants AND strengthen your organization's equity, diversity and inclusion efforts.
We've put together some resources to help.
What is neurodiversity?
The term "neurodiversity" was first used in the 1990s by Judy Singer, a sociologist on the Autism Spectrum. It simply means that all brains work differently and that there is no single "right" way to think, learn or behave.
Neurodivergent individuals include those with conditions like Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, PTSD, and more (2024, Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion).
Why adapt your hiring practices to meet the needs of neurodivergent individuals?
Studies show that neurodivergent adults are more likely to be underemployed, partly due to inaccessible hiring processes. Making your hiring more inclusive can help you reach a wider group of students and graduates. Since neurodivergency is not always visible, using a universal design approach makes you a more inclusive employer.
How to adjust your interview process
Be clear about what the interview will look like
Give your applicants as much information as possible about the type of interview you'll be holding, where the interview will take place, how many people will be on the interview panel and who they'll be, and any other key details.
Share the interview questions before the interview
This will help all applicants prepare and feel more confident. It gives them a chance to bring their best self to the interview. You'll also learn more about the candidates in this way.
Let applicants know when and how they'll receive the questions.
Think outside social norms
Avoid putting too much importance on things like eye contact or handshakes, especially if the core responsibilities of the job do not require understanding social cues.
Ask direct questions
Focus on direct or experience-based questions and avoid hypothetical ones. Instead of “imagine a time when...", try using “describe a time when...”
Allow out-of-the-box evaluations
Consider adjusting your assessments to measure the core responsibilities of the role. This will let all candidates demonstrate their skills in a fair and equitable way.
Be patient
Give candidates time to answer. If they go off topic or talk too much about a topic they are excited about, politely and directly let them know that you've heard enough and that you would like to move on to the next question.
Adapting your interview questions
Traditional interviews often use open-ended questions like, “Tell me about yourself," or "How do you solve problems?"
Indirect questions like these can be hard for neurodivergent students to understand, as they may think in a very straightforward and specific way. For example, when asked about a problem they've had to solve, they might focus more on the problem itself rather than how they overcame it.
Here are some ways to reword typical interview questions to be accessible:
Ask:
"Tell us how your experiences align with this role and our company values?"
Ask:
"Give us an example of how you've handled working under pressure in your previous roles."
Ask:
"What are your work-related strengths? How have you used these strengths at work or in school?"
Ask:
"Describe what you find challenging in the workplace. Describe how you have overcome this experience in a previous work or school situation."
Ask:
Think of a time when you had a conflict with a co-worker. Tell us what the disagreement was about and what YOU did to resolve it."
Ask:
Think of a time when you took initiative. What was the situation? What was the result of your initiative?
Get support
Want to take a deeper look at how your organization can make a difference?
Contact the accessibility and inclusion coordinator. We're here to help.