Action 4.2C Use flexible and accessible interview and assessment methods that offer equity of opportunity to showcase talent.

Guidance

It is important to recognise that the recruitment methods you select are not neutral. Any given assessment method will advantage some individuals and disadvantage others.

To make your recruitment process as inclusive as possible, use flexible and accessible assessment methods that provide all candidates with greater equity of opportunity to showcase their talents in line with a universal design approach. Where possible, have good alignment between the mode of the assessment and the skills required for the job (e.g. a coding task for a coding job), and be open to proving alternative assessment options which test the same skills.

One big benefit of making your practices more flexible and accessible for all, is that less candidates have to formally ask for accommodations, more candidates benefit from the flexibility embedded, and you have to arrange fewer individual support interventions. Some considerations to increase flexibility and accessibility of the assessment stages include:

• Select Accessible Locations as Standard: Ensure assessment venues are accessible. This includes ensuring the availability of accessible parking and transport links, that wheelchair users can access and navigate the building easily, that accessible bathrooms are present and that the interview room is laid out to allow space for a wheelchair to enter and move about. It is useful to ensure the location of the interview will not cause difficulty for candidates with sensory or hearing impairments or conditions (e.g. that it is not in a noisy location, that the room is not echoey, and that the lighting is not harsh).

“Interviews should cater for all disabilities. They should be sensory friendly and low sound.”

WIDE Consultation Participant – Disabled Person

• Support Preparation and Accessibility for All: Provide all candidates with interview questions/tasks and format ahead of time, allowing candidates ample preparation. Share photographs of the interview/assessment room and clear directions to it, parking details, and information about physical accessibility. Include details and photographs of the interview panel to help candidates feel more comfortable and prepared.

“(The) employer provided me with a list of the interview questions in advance, this was very inclusive and allowed me to prepare and not panic.”

WIDE Consultation Participant – Disabled Person

• Offer Flexible Interview and Task Options: Where appropriate, offer the option of both in-person and online interviews, allowing candidates flexibility in how they participate. Provide flexibility in scheduling where possible to accommodate different life circumstances and needs. Build some choice and flexibility into how candidates demonstrate their ability in assessment tasks by for example allowing choice in topics chosen where appropriate or allowing a variety of assessment formats to be submitted for the same task brief. Consider “working interviews” as an alternative to traditional interviews for certain positions as appropriate, enabling candidates to demonstrate their skills in a more practical setting.

“I think that flexibility in recruitment is crucial. Some companies are very rigid in their approach in how they recruit and assess, and it doesn’t always suit a lot of our clients.”

WIDE Consultation Participant – Disability Organisation

• Avoid Assessments with Known Barriers: Design assessment methods which are commonly described by large cohorts of disabled people to be a significant barrier out of your process unless they are closely linked to core skills of the role. Examples include psychometric tests (mode rarely linked to core skills) and group assessments (mode often not linked to core skills). Neurodivergent minds for example process information differently, which can clash with psychometric tests designed around a ‘standard norm.’ If psychometric tests are absolutely unavoidable, ensure a universal design approach is considered in their design and implementation (see resources), and offer alternatives as a reasonable accommodation.

“Psychometric tests are a major barrier. They are commonly used but I think it’s mostly because they make it easy to narrow the candidate pool and it’s not fair.”

WIDE Consultation Participant – Disability Organisation

It’s useful to embed as many of these practices into your formal recruitment procedures and associated guidance as appropriate to the size and scope of your organisation, to ensure that they happen as standard and become a part of your recruitment culture. By implementing these practices, your organisation can create a more equitable and inclusive recruitment process, ensuring that all candidates could demonstrate their suitability for the role.

“We worked with companies where a few small changes have made a difference, like providing accessible application materials, providing sample interview questions and offering alternatives to aptitude tests.”

WIDE Consultation Participant – Disability Organisation