Attracting neurodivergent talent to your workplace
This resource provides some practical examples of how you can make your recruitment process accessible to Neurodivergent applications
Take a look at some of our suggestions on how you can make small changes to your processes as well as things to consider when advertising roles.
Lets start with website accessibility, here are some things to consider:
- Do you have accessibility functions on your website?
- Are your vacancies easy to find?
- Is it easy to navigate and does it logically make sense where to find information?
- Is the language clear? Can the language be misinterpreted or are you using too many words that are not needed?
- Do you have an alternative method to contact your recruitment team? If you only have access via a portal for instance and you have a candidate with dyslexia, they may not be able to access your site and may need a paper form – is this something they can access easily?
Where and how do you advertise, here are a few ways you can make this more accessible:
- Linkedin or facebook adverts only? – Some candidates that are not very sociable may not be on social media – you could be missing out on fantastic candidates by relying solely on social media
- Does the wording of the advert match the job? – does it make sense what the job will involve or are you using fancy words that loose the concept of what the job actually is?
- How long do you advertise for? By closing an application too quickly you could miss out on applicants that need a little extra time to complete the application
- “Excellent Communication skills required” Are you adding in standard job advert phrases that are not needed as an essential part of the role? this phrase alone could cause a neurodivergent adult to overlook your application and think its not for them or worry about what this means
Offering alternative ways to recruit talent
We need to step away as employers from thinking that an application form, followed by an interview is the only way to recruit talent. Below are a few options that you could offer as alternatives to try and attract employees to your business:
- Work Experience: offering a taster of a week or two will give an individual a good opportunity to see if the business is the right fit for them and give you the opportunity to see if the employee is able to pick up the work by showing you, rather than trying to convince you in an interview.
- Work Trials: this can be used in a similar way to work experience but for potentially just half a day or one day. Just to give the individual and you as the employer to see if this is the right fit for you both by practice rather than communication/ conversation.
- Traineeships: Offering an individual the opportunity to complete a traineeship, which can last up to 6 months and gives the individual a longer period of time to develop skills in the workplace with the intention that this would then lead to an apprenticeship as an outcome.
- Supported Internships: In every local area there are providers that offer supported internships, you as an employer can put yourself forward to take on an intern. This is typically for up to 1 year and will give an individual the opportunity to try out different jobs across your business but with a job coach working alongside them or supporting them on a regular basis.
- Informal Discussions/ Walk rounds: Remove the need for an interview and invite the individual for a tour of your business, have a chat and ask questions as you walk round, making it more of an informal chat than an overwhelming pressured interview.
If you are seeking to recruit Neurodivergent talent and would like some extra guidance then contact our team to find out more about our training and consultancy services as well as how we can connect your business with local talent.
