At Kiddy & Partners, we work with a range of clients to offer selection and development-focused assessments from managers through to executives. We’re committed to sharing this expertise and, in leveraging our wealth of experience working with various organisations and leaders, enabling employers to meet the unique needs of their neurodiverse candidates and participants effectively.
Article / 8 Apr 2024
6 tips to make assessments more accessible to neurodivergent participants
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Neurodiversity encompasses natural variations in thinking, learning, processing, and behaviour, with approximately one in seven people in the UK population identified as neurodivergent. Ensuring that assessments are inclusive is crucial for providing an excellent participant experience.
We understand that while there’s abundant guidance for psychometric testing and high-volume recruitment campaigns, there’s often less available for senior-level assessments. That’s why we provide top tips and insights tailored to senior-level assessments, to ensure clients have the resources they need to effectively meet the needs of candidates and participants.
By rethinking your assessment process to better engage and support neurodiverse talent, your business can tap into previously overlooked talent pools.
Six tips for making assessments more accessible
- Clear onboarding experience: Ensure that every individual has the necessary information ahead of the assessment through clear communication, an in-depth welcome guide, and a briefing call. This empowers them to prepare at their own pace, eliminating surprises.
- Individual support requests: Offer multiple opportunities for individuals to request the support they require. Adopting a person-centred approach allows you to accommodate diverse needs in alignment with workplace practices.
- Accessible materials and communications: Adhere to guidelines such as those provided by the British Dyslexia Association’s style guide to ensure that all assessment materials and communications are accessible to participants, regardless of neurodivergence.
- Bias reduction training for assessors: Ensure that your assessors undergo training to mitigate bias, focusing on relevant criteria and avoiding penalising individuals for traits like lack of eye contact helps maintain fairness.
- Balanced insights: Analyse all gathered information on individuals, emphasising factors that could affect their role performance. This approach enables you to consider necessary accommodations while also highlighting strengths for personal development.
- Feedback collection: Solicit feedback from all participants to continually improve the assessment experience for future candidates.