To make hiring fairer, focus on clear instructions, quieter settings, and specific accommodations and shift from evaluating emotional intelligence to practical skills.
Job interviews are tough for everyone, but they can be especially challenging for people like me, who are on the autism spectrum. We often struggle with social interactions, which makes it harder for us to get job offers.
Here’s how hiring practices can be made fairer for neurodiverse candidates like me, based on the content of the text “De-bias Your Hiring Practices” by Paul Glassman. Glassman writes
Even without large-scale programs, workplaces can create interview structures that benefit neurodiverse applicants. This can improve fairness not just for them, but for everyone facing social anxiety. By focusing on interview design, companies can build a more inclusive hiring proces.
Background
Emotional intelligence (EI) is a big deal in job interviews. It includes things like understanding your own and others’ emotions, self-control, motivation, empathy, and social skills. But for people like me, recognizing emotional cues and nonverbal signals can be really hard. Sometimes, focusing too much on EI in interviews can be unfair to us.
Challenges for Neurodiverse Candidates
People on the autism spectrum often have great skills, like being good at recognizing patterns and having strong memory. However, traditional job interviews can be a big barrier. Studies show that social interaction during interviews heavily influences hiring decisions, which puts us at a disadvantage because we might not fit typical social norms.
Practical Accommodations: A Step in the Right Direction
The article suggests several good strategies to make interviews fairer for people like me:
- Adjust Interview Formats: One-on-one interviews are better than panel interviews because they reduce sensory overload. Interviews should be in quiet, softly lit spaces without strong smells.
- Specific Accommodations: Allow candidates to ask for fewer interviewers, preliminary phone interviews, or specific times for the interview. This helps us feel more comfortable.
- Clear Instructions: Give detailed instructions and expectations before the interview. If possible, share the interview questions in advance.
- Adapt Interview Questions: Use closed questions instead of open-ended ones, avoid hypothetical questions, and be ready for literal interpretations of language.
Supporting Neurodiverse Candidates
Interviewers should be sensitive to the needs of neurodiverse candidates. This includes understanding our heightened sensitivity to the interview process and making adjustments to reduce anxiety. Here are some tips:
- Learn about accommodations for neurodiverse individuals.
- Make sure we have all the information we need before the interview.
- Remove visual and auditory distractions if the interview is online.
- Choose a quiet, comfortable space for in-person interviews.
- Give us extra time to answer questions and be willing to skip difficult questions if needed.
These adjustments can help us perform better in interviews and ensure a fairer hiring process.
The Role of Disclosure
The advice on whether to disclose a diagnosis of autism is complex. While disclosure can lead to necessary accommodations, it also risks bias and discrimination. The document suggests different timings for disclosure, but this decision should ultimately be left to the individual. In my experience, disclosing early in the process can sometimes lead to preconceived notions about my capabilities, whereas waiting until after hiring can allow me to establish my skills first. Organizations need to foster an environment where disclosure is met with understanding and support, not prejudice.
Systemic Change is Needed
While Glassman outlines valuable strategies, the broader issue of systemic discrimination against neurodiverse individuals requires more attention. Unemployment rates among autistic individuals remain alarmingly high, and addressing this requires more than just tweaking interview practices. There needs to be a cultural shift within organizations to value neurodiversity as an asset rather than a challenge. Employers should be educated on the unique strengths that neurodiverse employees bring to the table, such as innovative problem-solving abilities and attention to detail.
Conclusion
“De-bias Your Hiring Practices” provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges faced by neurodiverse candidates and offers practical solutions. As an autistic adult, I appreciate the focus on making hiring practices more inclusive. However, for real change to occur, there needs to be a broader commitment to understanding and valuing neurodiversity. By shifting focus from traditional social skills to actual job competencies, and by adopting systemic changes, organizations can create a truly inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.
In summary, while Glasmann’s article is a positive step forward, it’s crucial that these ideas are implemented consistently and supported by a deeper cultural change within organizations. Only then can we ensure that neurodiverse individuals are given the fair and equal opportunities they deserve in the job market.
The European Autist 