Recruiting neurodivergent talent: The application pack how to make it more inclusive.

Three inclusive ‘gems’ to get you started!

1.       Let’s talk about the application form…

Enable the spellcheck function on the application form. Being able to spell does not determine the worth of a teacher, so let’s not put any unnecessary barriers in the way for dyslexic teachers.  On more than one occasion while applying for a teaching job, I experienced the frustration of mirroring the application form in Word due to the spellcheck function being disabled in the actual application document, I then had to cut and paste my developed answers into the application form.  The extra step made the application process so much longer and added to the fatigue experienced during the application process.

2.       The key ‘need to knows’ only….

The history of the college and the recruiting department may be of interest, but is it necessary to include such detail in the application pack? I would suggest the recruiting college keep this to a minimum, if the candidate is interested they can seek this information from the college website.  Instead of providing lengthy textual information, why not present the same information in an infographic.

Key points like the success rate of a department, the subjects delivered, and even the demographics of the students, can fit nicely into an infographic. This will help to avoid information and sensory overload for the neurodivergent applicant. 

Better still, an infographic on ‘essential’ attributes for the role could be provided alongside the candidate spec. This would aid dyspraxic candidates by providing them with a structure and sequence to follow and check their skills and experience against.

3.       Recruitment process – what happens next…

A flowchart could be included in the application pack documenting the application process.  Keep it succinct, next steps is all that is required.  For example, those who are shortlisted will be required to attend an interview (state duration), microteach (state duration), any additional assessment (state duration). Add a friendly note stating for any shortlisted candidates requiring reasonable adjustments, the opportunity to request will be provided in the interview documentation.  Knowing next steps in advance, and in a clear and uncomplicated way, will enable the neurodivergent candidate time to process and prepare for what may be expected of them.