How do we make our recruitment process accessible to neurodivergent candidates?

Start by making the offer of adjustments routine

Offer adjustments at every stage: name them in the advert with a contact, send interview questions in advance, use quiet rooms and allow extra time. The Equality Act duty covers applicants - no diagnosis needed. The single highest-leverage move is one line in every advert and every interview invite, sent to all candidates rather than only the ones who have already disclosed: “We’re happy to adjust any part of this process. Tell [name] what you need to take part.” A named contact lets a candidate ask without feeling they are flagging a problem or damaging their chances.

Then build the adjustments into each stage

Most of these cost little or nothing, and Acas neuroinclusive-recruitment guidance sets out the ones that help most:

• Write plain-English adverts that separate the criteria you truly need from the ones that are merely nice to have, so candidates aren’t screened out by jargon or a wishlist.
• Offer more than one way to apply, and send interview questions or topics ahead of time so people can prepare rather than perform cold.
• Hold interviews in quiet, low-sensory rooms, allow extra time on any test, and offer alternative formats such as a short paid work trial or a practical task.
• Brief interviewers not to mark candidates down on eye contact, body language or small talk, which measure social style, not the job.

The two legal points most employers miss

First, the duty to make reasonable adjustments already applies at the application stage. Schedule 8 of the Equality Act 2010 names a job applicant as a person the duty is owed to Sch.8, and the duty bites wherever your process puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage s.20. It does not depend on a formal diagnosis, so “they never told us they were autistic” or “they’re undiagnosed” is not a defence.

Second, the section 60 trap. Before you make an offer you generally must not ask candidates about their health or disability s.60. The Act carves out one exception that matters here: you may ask what adjustments someone needs to take part in the recruitment process. So the lawful, useful question is “what adjustments do you need to take part?” asked of everyone, not “do you have a disability?” That keeps you the right side of both duties at once: ask the narrow question, and act on the answer.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.