How to improve inclusivity in your interview process.
A diverse and inclusive workforce can benefit businesses in so many ways, for example, people with autism are often great at problem solving tasks, as they will often consider a broader range of possibilities and are less likely to make assumptions. This means autistic people can bring unique perspectives and solve problems extremely effectively within a workplace. However for some leaders, knowing how to start to attract diverse talent can be a real sticking point.
The interview process can be intimidating for anyone, let alone for candidates with neurodiversity, so an inclusive interview process is a great place to start. This is often the first face-to-face interaction candidates will have with your business and research shows us that making simple adaptations to the environment and the questions you ask improves the job interview performance of people both with and without neurodiversity.
Environmental Changes
Before someone even walks through the door, there are practical steps you can take to support inclusivity. Here are three simple environmental changes you can easily make to your interview process.
Be on time
Plan to minimise interruptions and avoid unnecessary ‘waiting room’ time. Schedule the interview during a quiet period at a time when interruptions are unlikely (being left waiting can be extremely anxiety-provoking for an autistic person).
Check the space
Adapt the environment for potential sensory issues. Is there flickering/ strip lighting, noises from outside the room, echoes, a ticking clock, buzzing from lighting, fire alarm testing scheduled? If so, you may need to change these or use a different room.
Offer choice
Make changes to the social environment. This could include placing the interviewer and interviewee's chairs at 90-degree angles rather than sitting opposite one another, to reduce the pressure to maintain eye contact during the interview. Offer the interviewee the choice about where they would feel most comfortable to sit.
With an inclusive environment, the next focus is on the interview questions you ask. Here are three simple questions that you can ask in your next interview to demonstrate inclusion and diversity within your workforce, right from the offset.
Ask this question
“Is there anything that you need from us to be able to perform at your best?”. Ensure you ask all candidates this question, it will help candidates discuss any practical reasonable adjustments that they may require to perform at their best during the interview process and in the role if they are successful.
Be Specific
Neurodiverse candidates often respond best to specific questions, if your questions are too general this can throw a neurodiverse candidate off course which does not offer them the best chance of success. Try asking the following question, “I'm going to ask you about your strengths. Please tell me:
What do you consider to be the main things that you are good at?
How have you used these strengths at work?”
Be Direct
Keep social and behavioral interview questions direct, neurodiverse candidates can often find it difficult to know the level of detail required when they’re asked open-ended questions, try asking a question such as, “tell me about a time you experienced a disagreement with a co-worker and how you handled it accordingly.” Hypothetical scenarios can be tough for neurodiverse candidates. Avoid any question that starts with “imagine;” instead change up your language and use “describe a time.”
Inclusive interviewing benefits businesses
By doing the work to make the experience more equitable and welcoming for everyone, you can increase your chances of attracting a truly diverse team. Inclusive interviews are the first step in building a more inclusive and welcoming business to work for. Patience is key, organisational change takes time and resources, but the benefits of a diverse workforce are huge.