Interviewing for a new job when you’re neurodivergent can provide its challenges, especially when most organisations will have their own way of doing things, which can make it hard to know quite what to expect from the interview process. Our top tips are here to help you navigate a job interview, no matter how your brain ticks!

Tips for before your interview

Learn about the company and role you’re being considered for:

Before your interview, find out what you can about the organisation by looking at their website, social media pages, news articles – anything you can get your hands on to help build up a picture of what their company values are and how they operate. This background info will help, but equally try not to get too bogged down by all the details, as knowing about the job itself, and what you can bring to it, is what’s going to be more important.

Make sure you have a good read of the position description and job ad – take notes if that helps you to form potential talking points or draw comparisons to your own experience.

Think about how you would answer common interview questions:

If you can, find out in advance what interview style you should prepare for. Being prepared and having examples of your work experience that you can talk to will help ease the nerves and allow for a better interview experience.

We have a list of common interview questions that can help you start thinking about how you would approach them here. Some organisations will now provide their interview questions ahead of time, so it’s always worth an ask.

Often interviews will start with open-ended questions such as “tell me about yourself?” – these types of questions can be tricky when there’s no right or wrong answer to give, but seek.co.nz has some great advice including examples on how to approach it here.

Think about your own questions:

Just about every job interview ends with you being given the opportunity to ask them questions. While it might be tempting to politely thank them for their time and get out of there as soon as possible, having some prepared questions really shows you’ve put thought and effort into considering this opportunity.

It’s good to have a few options up your sleeve as you may find that some are answered throughout the interview. Some examples of questions you might ask are:

• What does success look like in this role?
• How do you celebrate good work?
• What do you enjoy the most about working here? Or What attracted you to (company name)?
• What do you see as being the biggest challenges in the role?
• How would you describe the team culture here?
• How would you describe a typical day here?

Know who you’re meeting with:

If you’ve been selected for a job interview, it’s important to understand who you’ll be meeting with and what their relationship is to the job in question. Sometimes people misunderstand who they’re speaking with, which can impact their answers and make them sound less prepared than they really are.

When interviewing for a role, you could be meeting with:

The Hiring Manager or Direct Line Manager – the person who this role will be directly reporting to. They’ll be able to give you good insights into how the role functions, what the team dynamics are and what their expectations are.

HR or an Internal Recruiter – in bigger organisations or sometimes when the direct manager is unable, you might be interviewed by someone from the HR or internal recruitment team. Though they work for the organisation that you’re interested in, it’s important to remember that they aren’t going to be your direct manager and very likely don’t work in the area you’re being considered for. However, they can still give you good insights into what the company culture is like.

An External/Agency Recruiter – many organisations outsource their hiring needs to recruiters that will run the recruitment process on behalf of that company. While they will have been given a thorough brief on the role and what the company is looking for, keep in mind that they don’t work for the organisation you’re interviewing for, so asking them why they enjoy working for that particular company isn’t applicable!  

If you haven’t been provided with information on who you’re meeting with prior to your interview, just ask.

Tips for on the day of your interview:

Arrive at the right time:

It’s good to arrive earlier than the agreed interview time, but showing up too early can sometimes be just as bad as showing up late. Arriving bang on time can also present problems, for example, if there’s a pre-interview check-in process that delays you getting to the person/s you’re supposed to be meeting with. We recommend arriving 5-10 minutes early, which should allow you enough time to get to the right part of the building and give you time to catch your breath before things get underway.

It’s always a good idea to figure out how long you’ll need to get to the interview location in advance. Winging it on the day can be a recipe for disaster if there are unexpected road works, or you have trouble finding the address. Google Maps and street view functions can help you know the building you’re looking for, or if you have the time, try a test run of getting to the location to see how much time you should give yourself on the day.

If your interview is an online one, make sure you’ve tested things out such as the audio and video settings to ensure you’re ready to go at the arranged time. We have some handy tips on how to prepare for an online interview here.

Ask for clarification:

If a question doesn’t quite make sense or you’re not sure what’s being asked of you, it’s perfectly fine to ask for clarification, because it’s better to ask than give an answer that’s off topic or not relevant to the interviewer’s question.  

Interviews are naturally a stressful experience and when you’ve got lots of things going through your brain it can be hard to focus on the nuances of a job interview. Even the most qualified person can still struggle to articulate strong answers on the spot, so if you need it, ask them if you can have a moment to think before responding.

Nailing nonverbal communication:

Sometimes it can be the unspoken things that are just as important to the interviewer as the answers you give. If you find reading non-verbal cues challenging at times, try to follow the interviewer’s lead as much as you can when it comes to things like handshakes, body language and posture.

If you have trouble making eye contact, try focusing on the person’s forehead or nose. If you find it easier to think when you’re not looking at the person it’s OK to let them know that, or just make sure that you do try and make eye contact when you can.

Interviews are typically confined to a set time, so giving longer answers than required could be doing you a disservice. If you notice your interviewer is trying to get a word in or seems to have stopped listening (looking at something else in the room, sighing, fidgeting etc), then it’s time to wrap up your train of thought.

Picking up on social cues and nonverbal communication can be hard for anyone, especially when you add nerves into the mix. All you can do is try your best and pay attention to how your interviewer is responding to you.

Own your strengths:

Neurodiversity is not something you need to hide. In fact, some of your traits may be superpowers when it comes to work, so don’t be afraid to highlight them during your interview. Some of the strengths that tend to come with neurodiversity are:

• Ability to think outside the box, be creative or see new ways to solve problems
• Being able to really focus or concentrate on specific tasks or issues (particularly when there’s a repetitive element to them)
• Persistence when it comes to completing tasks or achieving goals
• Good eye for detail

You don’t have to name your specific diagnosis (for example, “because I have ADHD I’m really good at getting into the zone and focusing on a specific task”) but do make sure you highlight the things you know you do well.

Should I tell a prospective employer or interviewer that I’m neurodivergent?

Whether you’re comfortable talking about your situation is entirely up to you. However, if you believe it could have an impact on your work, how you might be perceived by others, or if you need some additional support in the workplace, then it’s something worth considering.

Whether you front-foot it in your application, bring it up at your interview or wait until things have progressed further is your choice and it’s best to do what feels right for you and your situation. While employers cannot discriminate against people for being neurodiverse, it’s important that they’re aware of any areas that you might need support in to ensure they’re able to accommodate those and provide you with a suitable and safe working environment.

While we’re advocates for ‘honesty is the best policy’, whether you disclose your situation and how you go about it is your choice. In some cases, it helps the interviewer understand where you’re coming from, but if it’s not something you’re comfortable with and it doesn’t impact your ability to do your job, then it’s completely up to you.

Good luck with that interview and let us know if you have any questions.

Best wishes,

Kirsty and Nikki