Adjustments in interviews

(I am Autistic and a manager who hires people (Yes we exist).  I've also provided some Autistic work placements through some schemes and worked closely with people in your sort of role to facilitate this)

Honestly the problem of unconscious bias is very real and declaring a disability at interview stage is best avoided unless it's absolutely essential.

Have a read of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratfall_effect   Some people don't interview too well.  Most employers already make some allowances for this (interview nerves etc.).  By declaring a disability like Aspergers and asking for adjustments at interview you rewrite this perception.  It's no longer interview nerves it's the disorder.  Little voices start thinking that this person is going to be like this all the time and questioning whether they can let this person be near customers, clients and other employees.  When this usually isn't the case at all.

What sort of work is he trying to get into?

Hello, I'm trying to find the documenand case study you've mentioneabove. Do you have a link? 

Thank you asparagus.

I can understand what you say about him possibly forgetting the answers.  It's just that the uncertainty about the questions is one of the big things causing him anxiety.

I suppose I imagine him taking in some notes to prompt him to answer the questions.

Everyone's answers are giving me a lot to think about - I really do appreciate it!

Wow, thanks caretwo!

Those are exactly the sort of adjustments the person I'm supporting would benefit from.

Have you had success in asking for and getting those adjustments in an interview?

A hiring manager needs to know what Asperger's is but also how it affects the person they are hiring.

I have become heartedly sick of one person and their comment which is meant in the very best light so I am stuck with it. But the number of times 'she' has said to me, 'she' understands why I choose to sit at the back, because her friend has Asperger's and does similar in places'  I am heartedly sick of it because my reasons are different. One part is similar and one part is different and another part that helps me to sit where i  do but is linked to the first part.  But 'she' hasn't listened to my reasoning at all. Just says she knows from her friend. 

I sit at the back in that situation because a) I don't enjoy the feeling 'they' are looking at me, even if they are definitely not. b) I dont like the sound over my head when everyone starts talking the said bits... it too uncomfortable for me and c) which is linked to the a) I join in my own way and feel too much that am destracting? others if they question why am i not verbally joining in. I am joining in but  not verbally and when i am at the back, i feel more comfortable at doing my thing about that. 

The person in charge, knows and allows me to sit where i feel comfortable.  I think they would anyway without any further explanation.  But say if this was in a work place then it could be that the employer needs to know how ASD affects them because they may be trying to put something in place out of total respect and that person actually hates it.

How would having the interview questions ahead of time help him?  He could still forget the answers and feel even worse that he has etc.  Between you, you obviously come through a few interviews. Think of questions and think of answers ahead that he may not use but be there if are used.  General ones, Like Why should we hire you..... possibly comes up and the hardest to give a full answer.  What sort of job is it? Is stuff like, if you are an animal what animal would you be... likely to come up. That style of question. There isn't a right answer but they are interested in how you think things through.  I was watching the Job Interview on Monday was it.... Who is your hero. Really do not be afraid to answer mum or dad. It don't have to be some great known celebrity. Someone close to you., again it is that they want to see how he thinking for the job. 

The only draw back i can see if he has the questions ahead of time is that he will possibly feel even worse because he forgot his answers - or someone else may still have better answers. Allow him to feel rubbish because he didn't get the job in his own right. It natural to feel rubbish after not getting a job. Even if you're perfect for it and someone comes along with no skill in that area.... it isn't necessarily his.

Go and live for the moment.

This whole thing is a bit of a lottery. Some employers are good at this and some are not.

My advice would be that a recuitment agent or someone else (e.g. yourself?) should talk to the employers HR department and do a bit a negotiation before the interview. If the employer won't play ball then they probably won't be a good employer for someone with autism - it is as important to find a suitable employer as it is for the candidate to show themselves as suitable for the role.

Another option is to ask for this adjustment from one or two propsective employers and then review afterwards.

NAS18906 said:

Hi Aspergerix,

Asking for the list of interview questions is not a reasonable adjustment and would probably not be given.

In my opinion this is a reasonable adjustment.

This document from ONS (an org that probably has its share of people with autism) gives this as an example (see case study 1).

It does not create a great burden on the interviewer because the interviewer should be working with a fixed list of questions for each candidate to ensure that each candidate faces the same challenges. If the role does not require great conversational or communication skills then the ability to repond spontaneously in the interview need not be tested.

I think that document might be where I got the original idea from!  I just wasn't sure about how it might come across in a real interview situation.

Can we presume he has Aspergers ?

He does have Aspergers.

For this to work in his favour a hiring manager must know what Aspergers is, and understand it sufficiently, and be willing to employ someone with Aspergers for the role from the outset.

I absolutely agree, I suppose I just hoped that there would be employers who were educated (or were willing to be educated) if it meant that they got a member of staff who would be excellent at the job.

So in my view, asking the average hiring manager in the open job market to make reasonable adjustments for autism in an interview is like expecting to win the euromillions jackpot with your next ticket.

Obviously that's not the answer I was hoping for, but it might be the realistic answer!

Thank you Aspergerix.

Hi Aspergerix,

Asking for the list of interview questions is not a reasonable adjustment and would probably not be given.

In my opinion this is a reasonable adjustment.

This document from ONS (an org that probably has its share of people with autism) gives this as an example (see case study 1).

It does not create a great burden on the interviewer because the interviewer should be working with a fixed list of questions for each candidate to ensure that each candidate faces the same challenges. If the role does not require great conversational or communication skills then the ability to repond spontaneously in the interview need not be tested.

You make a number of points that ultimately says this person has no chance. Yes, the odds are against this person, yes, it will be difficult, yes he may not be able to outshine other candidates in some skills but an interview is about finding someone who can do a job. Many interviews end up identifying reasons why a candidate does not match preconceived ideas about what people should look like - these interviews do not select the candidates who can do the job but who have flaws that are not relevant to the role.

Hi Kate,

Interviews are a nightmare for people with Aspergers. I am going through this myself at the moment. I originally sought diagnosis after yet another interview had gone spectacularly and incomprehensibly wrong. being unable to establish a rapport with other people and not being able to understand other peoples body language and not being able to give the right signals is a big disadvantage in an interview.

His worries about cheating are not surprising - autistic people are sometimes over-scrupulously fair and do not want to take advantage. If you explain that this is a Reasonable Adjustment then he may accept this - having autism is not fair!

What sort of work is he trying to get? What stage of his career is he at?