Neurodiversity in hiring: what needs to change, and why it matters
This blog includes examples from leading companies on how to create a more neuro-inclusive hiring process.
19th Apr 2026
For many organisations, building a diverse workforce is a clear priority. But diversity isn’t just about who gets hired. It’s also about how people are hired.
When it comes to neurodivergent talent, the hiring process itself can often be the biggest barrier, with the unemployment rate estimated to be around eight times higher than for neurotypical candidates.
Across many industries, recruitment still relies on traditional processes such as polished CVs, high-pressure interviews, timed assessments, and unspoken expectations around communication style. These methods were never intentionally designed to exclude neurodivergent candidates, but in practice, they often do.
If organisations want to access a broader and more diverse talent pool, the hiring process itself needs a rethink.
The hidden barriers neurodivergent candidates face in hiring
Neurodivergence includes a range of conditions, with dyslexia, autism, and ADHD accounting for approximately 70% of all neurodevelopmental diagnoses.
Many neurodivergent individuals bring valuable strengths to the workplace including creative thinking, strong focus, and different ways of approaching problems.
However, the way many companies hire today can unintentionally filter these candidates out.
Some of the most common barriers include:
Vague job descriptions
Many job descriptions prioritise soft skills such as “excellent communication” or “strong interpersonal skills” without clearly explaining what the role involves day to day.
For neurodivergent candidates, particularly autistic candidates, vague language can make it difficult to assess whether they are genuinely suited to the role.
High pressure interviews
Many interviews place heavy emphasis on confidence, quick responses, and strong eye contact. These behaviours are often treated as signals of competence.
In reality, these traits do not necessarily correlate with job performance.
A candidate who needs time to process questions, communicates differently, or finds eye contact uncomfortable may be unfairly judged as less capable.
Time-pressured assessments
Timed tests, surprise tasks, or rapid questioning can create additional stress for neurodivergent candidates, particularly those with ADHD, dyslexia, or processing differences.
These formats often measure how someone performs under pressure rather than how well they would perform in the role.
Unclear expectations and limited preparation
Many candidates receive very little information ahead of interviews. Without clarity on interview format, question types, or assessment tasks, neurodivergent candidates may struggle to prepare effectively.
When preparation becomes guesswork, talented candidates can be overlooked.
What inclusive hiring actually looks like
Some organisations are already rethinking recruitment to better support neurodivergent candidates. In many cases, the changes are not complicated. They often come down to creating more clarity, offering flexibility, and focusing on the skills that are actually required for the role.
When hiring processes are designed this way, they give a wider range of candidates the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do.
Clear and structured job descriptions
Inclusive hiring often starts with the job description. Instead of relying on broad or vague language, inclusive employers focus on explaining what the role actually involves.
This means outlining the day to day responsibilities, what success in the role looks like, and which requirements are essential versus simply desirable. For example, rather than listing “excellent communication skills,” a job description might explain the type of communication the role involves, such as writing reports, presenting ideas, or collaborating with specific teams.
Providing this level of detail helps candidates better understand the role and assess whether it aligns with their strengths.
Transparent interview preparation
Another important shift is giving candidates greater visibility into the hiring process. Many companies now share information ahead of interviews so candidates know what to expect.
This might include the structure of the interview, who they will be meeting, and the themes of the questions that may be asked. Some organisations also share details of any assessments or tasks in advance.
When candidates are able to prepare properly, the interview becomes less about navigating uncertainty and more about demonstrating their skills.
Alternative ways to assess skills
Forward-thinking organisations are also recognising that interviews alone are not always the best way to evaluate someone’s capability.
Instead, they are thinking about different ways for candidates to demonstrate their strengths. This might include reviewing a portfolio, completing a work sample, or preparing a short presentation related to the role.
For example, a marketing candidate may be asked to analyse a campaign or write a short piece of content, while a product candidate might be asked to walk through how they would approach a particular problem.
These approaches focus on how someone thinks and works rather than how they perform in a traditional interview setting.
Open conversations about adjustments
Inclusive hiring also means making it clear that adjustments are available during the recruitment process.
Many candidates are unsure whether it is appropriate to ask for support. By clearly communicating that adjustments are welcome on the job description, organisations are helping remove that uncertainty from the start.
Adjustments might include extra time for assessments, receiving interview questions in advance, or taking breaks during longer interviews. These changes do not alter the standard of the application. Instead, they ensure candidates are able to demonstrate their abilities in a fair way.
Organisations should also liaise with neurodivergent employees who have gone through the interview process to understand what worked well and what can be improved. Listening to the lived experiences of neurodivergent employees will help improve the process and help a wider range of candidates to succeed.
Insights from leading companies
To better understand what inclusive hiring looks like in action, we spoke with organisations that are actively working to make their recruitment processes more accessible for neurodivergent candidates. Their insights highlight that creating more inclusive hiring experiences often starts with small, thoughtful changes to how candidates are supported throughout the process.
You may hear questions such as, “Which jobs do you offer for neurodivergent candidates?” At SAP, we do not have specific jobs for the neurodiverse we hire candidates who are able to perform the roles our business needs. There continues to be stigma and myths surrounding the capabilities and potential of neurodivergent people; however, there are no role limitations as to what neurodivergent individuals can or cannot do, other than specific knowledge, skills, abilities, and interests relative to the job. Neuroinclusive pre-hire and workplace adjustments can make all the difference for uncovering those capabilities and creating the right conditions for the person to be successful:
Adjust job postings to be neuroinclusive. Start by asking yourself:
- Is the language clear and straightforward?
- Are the ‘must-have’ requirements clearly delineated from the ‘nice-to-have’ or beneficial skills/abilities?
- Is there any unnecessary information or jargon that can be removed?
In 2013 we launched our Autism at Work program and since then we’ve continued to support neurodivergent talent thrive at work. Our knowledge centre is full of resources to help organisations hiring neurodivergent talent and support candidates during the hiring process.
We built the Microsoft Neurodiversity Hiring Program to support neurodivergent talent during the hiring process. The program provides candidates with the training and support needed for career growth and success. Once candidates have applied to a role they are able to engage in an extended interview process that focuses on interview preparation activities, workplace insights and life at Microsoft. This gives candidates the opportunity to showcase their unique talents while learning about what it’s like to work at Microsoft.
You can find out more about our program here.
At EY, we encourage candidates to request any support or adjustments they may need throughout the application process so they can perform at their best. You only need to share what you feel comfortable with, and our recruitment team is always happy to discuss any questions or requests. We carefully consider all adjustment requests to ensure candidates who are neurodivergent or have disabilities or long-term health conditions have a positive and inclusive experience. Support can include adjustments such as extra time for assessments, assistive technologies, captions on videos, or early access to assessment venues. Our commitment to inclusion is also reflected in our Neurodiversity Centres of Excellence across the world which are designed to help create more inclusive pathways into work for neurodivergent talent.
At Merlin, we’ve been rethinking what it really means to open doors for talent, especially for neurodivergent individuals. Traditional hiring methods don’t always give everyone a fair chance to shine, so we’ve taken a different approach. At one of our attractions, Chessington World of Adventures, we’ve partnered with Ambitious About Autism to offer supported internships for school leavers with autism. In this programme, individuals join us for a school year and rotate to different placements across the attraction, with the goal to build the soft and hard skills to support them into the world of work. Instead of focusing on formal interviews and rigid processes, we focus on potential, support, and creating an environment where individuals can truly succeed from day one.
During our application process, we actively encourage candidates to tell us what they need to feel comfortable and confident. We understand that traditional recruitment processes don’t work for everyone, so we create space for individuals to request adjustments that help them show up as their best selves. That might mean offering alternative ways to communicate, providing additional time, or adapting the environment to reduce stress and sensory overload. This gives all our candidates the best chance to succeed here at Merlin.
When our candidates become part of the team, they are also offered the chance to be a part of our Merlin Accessibility Group- a space where a global team of our people with lived experience of neurodivergence and other disabilities come together to champion accessibility, spark meaningful changes and ensure inclusion is at the heart of everything we do at Merlin.
At Northern, we’re evolving our hiring approach to make sure neurodivergent candidates can take part with confidence and on a level playing field. We’ve made adjustments more visible from the outset - sharing clear examples such as having interview questions in advance, alternative assessment formats, and additional processing time. By being upfront about the support available, we’re helping to remove uncertainty and create a more accessible experience for everyone.
But this doesn’t stop once someone joins us. To support colleagues beyond hiring, we launched 'Neurobuddies' - the rail industry’s first parents and carers network of its kind - offering a safe space to share experiences, ask questions, and access support. We also delivered our first Neurodiversity Celebration Week, bringing together lived experience, practical insight, and awareness activities that reached both office-based and frontline teams, helping to shift everyday conversations and challenge stigma.
We're now developing an enhanced Neurodiversity Policy alongside practical guidance for managers, to ensure support is consistent, meaningful, and embedded throughout the colleague experience.
For us, neuroinclusion isn’t a single initiative. It’s an ongoing commitment to creating an environment where everyone who joins Northern feels supported, understood, and able to thrive.
At Vodafone, we aim to create a hiring process that is flexible, transparent, and accessible for all candidates. We provide a dedicated application adjustments page where candidates can learn about the hiring process and request any support they may need. This helps remove uncertainty and ensures that conversations about adjustments are open from the beginning.
Flexibility is a key part of our approach. Candidates can request additional time for assessments, invite a supporter such as a family member or carer to be present, and choose alternative assessment formats that best suit their needs, including phone-based, in-person, or written options.
To help candidates prepare, we share interview questions in advance and provide clear guidance on what to expect. Our assessment platform also includes accessible tools such as Recite Me, allowing candidates to adjust settings like screen colour and text size.
These adjustments help ensure candidates can demonstrate their abilities in a way that works best for them.
At OVO, we know that great talent thrives when barriers are removed. We’ve designed our hiring process to be as accessible and supportive as possible, ensuring everyone, including neurodivergent candidates, has what they need to do their best.
We proactively check in about reasonable adjustments at every stage of the hiring process, offering clear examples of support to show what’s possible. Even if it isn't mentioned in an initial application, we'll remind candidates again when we book their interview, just in case they've changed their mind about disclosing this information.
Whether it’s sharing interview questions in advance or giving extra time for an assessment, we want to help people feel comfortable and perform their best. To keep things fair, we also make sure every task is relevant to the job we're hiring for.
This commitment goes beyond hiring, too. We've worked closely with our Belonging Networks to create various collateral pieces, ensuring our people are well equipped to support every individual at OVO. This includes an inclusive hiring training module, a dedicated neurodiversity toolkit for our people leaders and specific neurodiversity learning modules to educate and build awareness and understanding.
This year, as part of our wider people offering, we've also added the Neurodiverse Pathway to our Private Medical Insurance policy. Developed in close collaboration with our Neurodiversity network, the pathway covers assessments for ASD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia, along with neurodiversity coaching sessions which focus on navigating day-to-day life with a new diagnosis. It's been a brilliant addition to our benefits offering, reflecting our commitment to building OVO as an inclusive place where everyone feels valued, respected and supported and where neurodiverse people can thrive.
At NHBC, we recognise that one of the construction industry’s biggest opportunities to address skills shortages, improve productivity, and future-proof the workforce lies in how we attract and support neurodivergent talent. While neurodivergent individuals already contribute valuable skills and perspectives across the sector, traditional hiring processes can unintentionally exclude them, particularly through interview methods that don’t always allow candidates to demonstrate their strengths. By shifting towards more skills-focused assessments, such as practical tasks or work trials, and making simple adjustments like sharing questions in advance or allowing more processing time, organisations can remove unnecessary barriers without lowering standards. Just as importantly, building awareness and fostering an open, supportive culture helps individuals feel confident to be themselves at work. This matters because construction relies on safety, problem-solving, and teamwork, areas strengthened by diverse ways of thinking. Inclusive hiring is therefore not just about fairness, but performance, helping organisations build more resilient, capable teams. At NHBC, we see this as an opportunity to create a more inclusive and effective industry, because building better should apply not only to homes, but to the teams behind them.