Fri 14 June 2024
Make Your Interviews More Inclusive
An accessible, inclusive interview process doesn’t just foster a more equitable workplace—it also widens your talent pool. Here are some strategies for creating an interview experience where all candidates have opportunities to demonstrate their strengths.
(1) Educate yourself on disabilities. Understand that disabilities are diverse and often invisible. They’re also common—for example, almost 25% of Americans live with a disability and about 9% have a learning difference. Recognize that people may need accommodations and that strict conformity to traditional interview methods can perpetuate bias.
(2) Look critically at your current practices. Are there unnecessary hurdles in your interview process? Avoid stress-inducing tactics, which disproportionately affect disabled and neurodivergent candidates, and ensure your interview practices reflect the actual job requirements.
(3) Ask candidates what they need. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for making interviews inclusive. Create a menu of possible accommodations and work with candidates to identify their specific needs for additional support.
(4) Build flexibility and humanity. Create comfortable interview environments. Limit the number of interviews in a day, provide quiet spaces, and provide questions in advance to reduce stress.
Use structured interviews. Implement predetermined questions to reduce bias and ensure a fair assessment. Focus on the candidate’s abilities and strengths, not their interview performance or appearance.
This tip is adapted from “How to Make Job Interviews More Accessible” by Rebecca Knight
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