Ameliorating the disadvantage for autistic job seekers: An initial evaluation of adapted employment interview questions

Abstract

Despite possessing valuable skills, social communication differences mean that autistic people are frequently disadvantaged in job interviews. We examined how autistic and non-autistic adults compared on standard (unmodified) job interview questions, and then used these findings to develop and evaluate supportive adaptations to questions. Fifty adults (25 autistic, 25 non-autistic) took part in two mock job interviews. Interview 1 provided a baseline measure of performance when answering typical, unmodified interview questions. Employment experts (unaware of participants’ autism diagnoses) rated all interviewees on question-specific performance and overall impressions and then provided feedback about how interviewees could improve and how questions could be adapted to facilitate this. Interviewees also provided feedback about the interview process from their perspective. Adaptations to the questions were developed, with Interview 2 taking place approximately 6 months later. Results demonstrated that, in Interview 1, employment experts rated autistic interviewees less favourably than nonautistic interviewees. Ratings of both autistic and non-autistic participants’ answers improved in Interview 2, but particularly for autistic interviewees (such that differences between autistic and non-autistic interviewees’ performance reduced in Interview 2). Employers should be aware that adaptations to job interview questions are critical to level the playing field for autistic candidates. Lay abstract Despite possessing valuable skills, differences in the way that autistic people understand and respond to others in social situations mean that they are frequently disadvantaged in job interviews. We examined how autistic and non-autistic adults compared on standard (unmodified) job interview questions, and then used these findings to develop and evaluate supportive adaptations to questions. Fifty adults (25 autistic, 25 non-autistic) took part in two mock job interviews. Interview 1 provided a baseline measure of performance when answering typical, unmodified interview questions. Employment experts (unaware of participants’ autism diagnoses) rated all interviewees on their responses to each question and their overall impressions of them and then provided feedback about how interviewees could improve and how questions could be adapted to facilitate this. Interviewees also provided feedback about the interview process, from their perspective. Adaptations to the questions were developed, with Interview 2 taking place approximately 6 months later. Results demonstrated that, in Interview 1, employment experts rated autistic interviewees less favourably than non-autistic interviewees. Ratings of both autistic and non-autistic participants’ answers improved in Interview 2, but particularly for autistic interviewees (such that differences between autistic and non-autistic interviewees’ performance reduced in Interview 2). Employers should be aware that adaptations to job interview questions are critical to level the playing field for autistic candidates.

Inclusive Communication Model Supporting the Employment Cycle of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…We partly answer the calls for existing mainstream HR research to stop treating employees as an undifferentiated mass [ 63 ], and we acknowledge the importance of differentiated HR practices that capture the unique needs of diverse groups of employees [ 41 ]. This appears to be particularly important against a backdrop of calls for more theoretical and empirical research exploring the inclusion of individuals with autism into employment [ 38 , 43 ], and the majority of research efforts not focusing beyond the first stages of the employment cycle (e.g., [ 36 ]).…”

“…First, most existing research on ASD and employment focuses on the challenges related to the recruitment and selection processes of people with autism [ 35 , 36 ]. By exploring potential improvements in the onboarding and retention practices, we contribute to the lacuna of research addressing these subsequent stages where individuals with ASD are reported to suffer most from stress and ill mental health [ 19 , 37 ].…”

Supporting autistic adults’ episodic memory recall in interviews: The role of executive functions, theory of mind, and language abilities

“…Recall quality in employment interviews. Maras et al (2021) examined the efficacy of adapted employment interview questions for improving the quality of candidates' recall. A total of 25 autistic and 25 TD participants underwent mock employment interviews, in two phases approximately 6 months apart.…”

“…The explicit use of support (such as using specific questions and detailed instructions) has also recently been shown to reduce inaccurate and improve accurate reporting (Almeida et al, 2019;Maras et al, 2013Maras et al, , 2020Mattison et al, 2015Mattison et al, , 2018, improve recall specificity (i.e. of specific events with rich contextual detail), and relevance (Norris et al, 2020), and improve the quality of autistic adults' responses in employment interviews (Maras et al, 2021).…”

Examining the Use of Game-Based Assessments for Hiring Autistic Job Seekers

“…Despite an increasingly virtual and asynchronous world, the most common selection tool likely remains the face-to-face or two-way interview ( Campion et al 1997 ; Huffcutt et al 2001 ). They are so ubiquitous, in fact, that most previous hiring and autism research has focused on how to prepare the autistic candidate for the interview (e.g., Higgins et al 2008 ; Kumazaki et al 2019 ; Smith et al 2014 ; Strickland et al 2013 ) with only a recent shift to how the interview can change to be more inclusive ( Maras et al 2021 ). Growing in parallel to this literature is a growing body of evidence that, put simply, traditional interviews are poorly suited for assessing autistic candidates.…”