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Learning to dance the interview dance: the job interview as an obstacle to employment for autistic university graduates

Brian Garrod Orcid Logo, Marcus Hansen Orcid Logo

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal

Swansea University Author: Brian Garrod Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1108/edi-10-2023-0339

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines how the traditional job interview might form an obstacle to autistic people obtaining employment. It then offers a range of strategies that could make the traditional job interview more effective in allowing employers to identify and hire autistic employees. Design/metho...

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Published in: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal
ISSN: 2040-7149 2040-7157
Published: Emerald 2024
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67160
first_indexed 2024-07-22T15:24:32Z
last_indexed 2025-08-07T08:04:34Z
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spelling 2025-08-06T13:58:53.2494133 v2 67160 2024-07-22 Learning to dance the interview dance: the job interview as an obstacle to employment for autistic university graduates 4f81981d78ed3082b232463da24d1bb9 0000-0002-5468-6816 Brian Garrod Brian Garrod true false 2024-07-22 CBAE Purpose: This study examines how the traditional job interview might form an obstacle to autistic people obtaining employment. It then offers a range of strategies that could make the traditional job interview more effective in allowing employers to identify and hire autistic employees. Design/methodology/approach: A triangulated, qualitive approach is employed, comprising (i) five focus groups with a total of 23 students at a UK university who identity as autistic, and (ii) semi-structured interviews with five of their professional support practitioners. Thematic analysis was then applied to identify causes, effects and possible solutions of the use of traditional recruitment interviews. Findings: The analysis identified three main strategies, and two sub-strategies, for refining the traditional job interview with the aim of assisting more autistic people to find suitable work: abandoning the traditional interview, adapting it (divided in to adjusting and augmenting substrategies), and accepting it as necessary. Originality: Three original conclusions were drawn from the analysis: first, that while the traditional interview tends to be biased against autistic people, it is not in itself a particularly acute method for selecting job candidates; second, that the application of universal design to adapting the interview process would be beneficial not only to neurodivergent people, but also to neurotypicals and employers; and third, that the fear of disclosure represents a major obstacle to autistic people trusting in schemes intended to assist them. Journal Article Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal 0 Emerald 2040-7149 2040-7157 Autism; Employment; Interview; Neurodiversity; Universal design 16 8 2024 2024-08-16 10.1108/edi-10-2023-0339 COLLEGE NANME Management School COLLEGE CODE CBAE Swansea University Not Required 2025-08-06T13:58:53.2494133 2024-07-22T16:17:22.2550954 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Management - Marketing Brian Garrod 0000-0002-5468-6816 1 Marcus Hansen 0000-0002-5053-9667 2 67160__30938__40f29208efa245c4a2725bc50af933bf.pdf Dancing the interview dance Jly 2024.pdf 2024-07-22T16:23:56.4767523 Output 359197 application/pdf Accepted Manuscript true Author accepted manuscript document released under the terms of a Creative Commons CC-BY licence using the Swansea University Research Publications Policy (rights retention). true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
title Learning to dance the interview dance: the job interview as an obstacle to employment for autistic university graduates
spellingShingle Learning to dance the interview dance: the job interview as an obstacle to employment for autistic university graduates
Brian Garrod
title_short Learning to dance the interview dance: the job interview as an obstacle to employment for autistic university graduates
title_full Learning to dance the interview dance: the job interview as an obstacle to employment for autistic university graduates
title_fullStr Learning to dance the interview dance: the job interview as an obstacle to employment for autistic university graduates
title_full_unstemmed Learning to dance the interview dance: the job interview as an obstacle to employment for autistic university graduates
title_sort Learning to dance the interview dance: the job interview as an obstacle to employment for autistic university graduates
author_id_str_mv 4f81981d78ed3082b232463da24d1bb9
author_id_fullname_str_mv 4f81981d78ed3082b232463da24d1bb9_***_Brian Garrod
author Brian Garrod
author2 Brian Garrod
Marcus Hansen
format Journal article
container_title Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal
container_volume 0
publishDate 2024
institution Swansea University
issn 2040-7149
2040-7157
doi_str_mv 10.1108/edi-10-2023-0339
publisher Emerald
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Management - Marketing{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Management - Marketing
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description Purpose: This study examines how the traditional job interview might form an obstacle to autistic people obtaining employment. It then offers a range of strategies that could make the traditional job interview more effective in allowing employers to identify and hire autistic employees. Design/methodology/approach: A triangulated, qualitive approach is employed, comprising (i) five focus groups with a total of 23 students at a UK university who identity as autistic, and (ii) semi-structured interviews with five of their professional support practitioners. Thematic analysis was then applied to identify causes, effects and possible solutions of the use of traditional recruitment interviews. Findings: The analysis identified three main strategies, and two sub-strategies, for refining the traditional job interview with the aim of assisting more autistic people to find suitable work: abandoning the traditional interview, adapting it (divided in to adjusting and augmenting substrategies), and accepting it as necessary. Originality: Three original conclusions were drawn from the analysis: first, that while the traditional interview tends to be biased against autistic people, it is not in itself a particularly acute method for selecting job candidates; second, that the application of universal design to adapting the interview process would be beneficial not only to neurodivergent people, but also to neurotypicals and employers; and third, that the fear of disclosure represents a major obstacle to autistic people trusting in schemes intended to assist them.
published_date 2024-08-16T05:21:02Z
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score 11.089572

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