1) Interview Style
Neurodiverse individuals often have sensory processing issues as well as difficulties understanding body language, facial expressions, vocal tone and social norms.
Panel interviews in which multiple people interview the candidate at once magnify these issues since the candidate has to focus on several people’s non-verbal and verbal communication at once. This is both challenging and exhausting for many neurodiverse individuals, resulting in underperformance.
Employers often prefer panel interviews over individual interviews, however, because they have been proven to minimize non-conscious biases in hiring. However, the same goals can be achieved with sequential interviews.
During sequential interviews, candidates see multiple interviewers, but not all at the same time. Candidates with autism can be more fairly assessed using this method, although caution needs to be taken not to schedule too many interviews too closely together. Having interviews on separate days would be ideal when practical.
2) Types of Questions
The nature of the questions asked in interviews can also systematically disadvantage neurodiverse candidates. Avoid vague questions or trendy pop-psychology questions that have no discernable connection to job tasks and responsibilities.
Some employers use questions like: “How many red jelly beans are in this jar?” and expect a candidate to demonstrate their numerical reasoning and estimation skills. A neurodivergent person may take this question very literally, however, and believe that the only way to answer is to actually count the beans.
Instead, ask clear, objective questions to test relevant job skills directly using scientifically validated tests.
It’s also important to avoid overly socially biased (people-pleasing) questions, especially when they are unrelated to job tasks and context. Don’t ask what someone else might do or think (“What would your supervisor say about you,” for example). Ask more direct questions — neurodivergent individuals respond well to questions related to things they have actually experienced.
Phrase behavioral questions, such as “tell me about a time you experienced a disagreement about process flow with a coworker and how you handled it” accordingly. A hypothetical situational scenario can be tough. Avoid any question that starts with “imagine;” instead use “describe a time.”
