How to conduct job interviews with candidates who have autism
The unemployment and underemployment of capable workers with autism is a
welldocumented phenomenon , as a British study showed .
Employers are gradually getting better at recognizing
the value of including neurodiverse people in their organizations , and information about
accommodation strategies is starting to become more readily available .
That said , these accommodations aren ’ t helpful to workers if they are unable to land a job in the first place . Recruitment and selection practices can inadvertently negatively impact candidates with autism .
The
job interview in particular can be problematic since people with autism often struggle to understand unstated communication and social norms . Their difficulties in these areas can result in poor ratings during interviews , even when the candidate would be an excellent fit for the job , which puts both the candidate and employer at a disadvantage .
Some simple tactics can help lessen the likelihood of this happening .
Interview setting
People with autism 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 with autism , resulting in under performance .
Employers often prefer panel interviews over individual interviews , however , because they have been proven to minimize non-conscious biases in hiring . But organizations can achieve the same goal 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 .
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The location of the interview can also be important . Employers should select quiet spaces