Neurodivergent candidates are not all the same.
Autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and other neurodivergent experiences can affect recruitment in different ways.
So the adjustment should not start with a label.
It should start with the barrier.
Common barriers
Government recruitment can create barriers through:
- vague questions
- multi-part verbal questions
- noisy or bright rooms
- large panels
- timed online tests
- unclear assessment stages
- group exercises
- abstract behavioural interviews
- inaccessible written materials.
Adjustments that may help
Useful adjustments may include:
- clear process information in advance
- one point of contact
- questions in writing
- questions before the interview
- one question at a time
- clear and direct wording
- reduced sensory distractions
- small panel where reasonable
- practical work sample
- extra time or breaks
- ability to use notes or assistive technology.
Why this helps
These adjustments help the process test capability instead of testing masking, sensory tolerance, fast verbal processing or comfort with ambiguity.
That is the whole point.
What to ask for
> I am requesting recruitment adjustments because the standard interview format creates barriers for me as a neurodivergent candidate. It would help me participate fairly if I could receive the interview structure in advance, have questions provided in writing, and answer one question at a time.
You can adjust the wording to match your actual needs.
Do not ask for every possible adjustment. Ask for the ones that will genuinely help.
Useful next steps
If this topic is relevant to your application, these related Team 3Thirty guides are the best places to go next:
- ADHD recruitment adjustments
- autism recruitment adjustments
- Services Australia Aurora
- APS RecruitAbility scheme
Useful resources
These official resources are worth checking if you need the source guidance behind the adjustment examples: