Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, I'm interested to hear of people's experiences when applying for jobs.
Did you disclose at the outset that you were on the spectrum? If so, do you think this helped or hindered the process?
I realise some employers are more open to employing from a neuro-diverse pool than others, I would just like to get a sense of whether it is a good idea to disclose or not.
Thanks in advance
(and if anyone knows of any online articles on this topic, I'd be very grateful if you could post a link).
I discovered I am autistic whilst in my current job and have met with nothing but positivity and support. I have however known I am dyslexic since my late teens and have often disclosed that where I think a small reasonable adjustment might be necessary at interview. No one ever said 'no' to me.
That said we all know this is an issue that can swing both ways. It might put some employers off interviewing or appointing but then hide their motive somehow. Some, however, have fabulous equality and diversity policies and live up to them (most councils and public service bodies are good at that in my experience) and some even actively want to recruit autistic people with particular skill sets.
Maybe the answer is do your homework on that particular organisation before you decide whether to disclose and ask for any required reasonable adjustments. And the your decision might be different in each case.