Neurodivergent Job Interviews: Why AuDHD Talent Is Being Filtered Out Of The Hiring Market”

Since last July, Edward James Herath, a brand and strategic comms consultant, has taken part in more than 120 job interviews. The feedback is often the same: he’s “too direct,” “too honest,” “abrupt,” or “confrontational.”

Herath, 39, who is diagnosed with autism and ADHD (AuDHD), believes his literal and questioning demeanor is costing him jobs.

He finds interviews particularly difficult because of their “indirect, passive-aggressive, and theatrical communication style,” he tells HuffPost UK. He believes they measure how he performs under pressure rather than his ability to do the job, and his real self – someone who cares deeply about his relationships and career – doesn’t come across.

“There’s a strong emphasis on reading between the lines and softening language,” he says. For someone who values clarity, that’s a difficult tone to strike.

Hearth is by no means alone in this struggle. Research suggests neurodivergence is widely seen as a barrier to employment. A 2024 Zurich survey of 1,000 neurodivergent adults in the UK found more than half believed recruitment processes were designed to filter them out, while over a third said interviews had triggered panic. A 2025 UK survey also found that 40% of young people believe being neurodivergent was a hindrance in the hiring market.

The consequences are significant for employers, says Sharawn Tipton, Chief People Officer at Greenhouse. She says traditional hiring often favours similarity over talent, despite evidence that diverse teams perform better. Neurodivergence, she says, is “no different than height or personality.”

“When you think about neurodiversity, it’s really around understanding that the mind works differently for everyone,” she says. “Different ways of thinking and communicating are things that help companies innovate faster.”

Christal Castagnozzi, a psychologist with ADHD and autism who specialises in neurodivergence, says traditional interviews prioritise skills like eye contact and quick verbal responses. Executive functions like memory and processing speed are suddenly tested too.

“Neurodivergent folks will struggle in all of these areas, especially when we are put on the spot,” she says. “You’re literally being judged while standing in front of someone. That’s a neurodivergent person’s worst nightmare.”

For many, interviews become less about competence and more about navigating unwritten social rules, according to Elise Minkin, a neurodivergent career coach. She tells HuffPost UK that interviews can feel like “a game” where not everyone knows how to play.

“There’s this kind of secret code that a lot of neurodivergent people feel like they were never told,” she says.

Even common questions, such as why someone wants the job, can cause trouble.

“Obviously for a paycheque,” she says. That’s the true answer – and one which someone with neurodivergence would be inclined to say. “But of course it’s not what the interviewer wants to hear,” she added.

Office environments are not always comfortable spaces for neurodivergent people. Those with autism may struggle to concentrate under harsh fluorescent lighting. Flickering or humming lighting can also be distracting and even sometimes painful.

The location may also affect performance. Some candidates may communicate better over Zoom, where they can make notes, comfortably take more time to answer questions, or use a sensory fidget tool off-screen, which have been shown to help reduce anxiety and increase concentration for people with ADHD and autism.

Without flexibility, neurodivergent candidates “can’t always show up as their best self,” Minkin says.

Many neurodivergent candidates face the difficult decision over whether to disclose their condition up front. Tipton recommends those who want to do this to ask to be connected with anyone at the company who can offer support, such as an employee resource group (ERG).

“You can ask the company, what do you do?” she says. “Because interviewing is a two-way street, and you want to make sure you’re going to an environment where you’re going to thrive and the company is going to be able to support you.”

Those who don’t may result to masking, which is a term for suppressing natural behaviours to appear more socially typical.

“I’m not at all a fan of masking,” Austin says, citing its mental and physical toll. But she acknowledges the decision is personal.

Castagnozzi believes the responsibility should not fall on candidates at all, and adjustments should be built into hiring by default.

“This should just be a best practice,” she says. “Even someone that is not neurodivergent, or does not know that they are neurodivergent just yet, may benefit from accommodations, especially during a stressful time.”

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers in the UK must make reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants. Similar protections exist in the US and Canada.

But reasonable adjustments are often applied inconsistently or denied altogether. Many neurodivergent people are speaking publicly about their experiences, sharing frustrations and finding solidarity.

Darcie, who has autism and ADHD, shares her experiences with her 14,000 TikTok followers. She says that receiving interview questions 15 minutes in advance is a reasonable adjustment that helps her organise her thoughts.

In a TikTok posted in January, she described a recent interview where an employer initially agreed to provide the questions. But when she arrived, they backtracked, which undermined her confidence.

In the comments, viewers shared their own thoughts, with many agreeing that the way the company behaved was a “red flag.” Some urged Darcie to take the employer to court for discrimination, noting that reasonable adjustments are a legal requirement.

“This is really bad,” one said. “Definitely report this if you can.”

Viewers who also had ADHD and autism said they often made the same requests to potential employers, with mixed results.

“There really should be no excuse for employers not to do this when requested,” one viewer wrote. “For most jobs it shouldn’t be based on how quickly you can answer on the spot anyway.”

Some employers worry adjustments provide an unfair advantage. But Kristin Austin, VP of Culture and Community Health at Rewriting the Code, disagrees, arguing they actually improve fairness.

“If the goal is truly for people to show up at their best, why would you not give them those resources?” she says. “Are you evaluating my ability to think under pressure, or my ability to do the job?”

Software engineer Shea Belsky has experienced hiring from both sides. He says neurodivergent job-seeking experiences vary widely, making it difficult to generalise. Sometimes he has had a good experience, and sometimes he hasn’t. But meaningful change, he adds, must come from company culture, and that’s something he always strives to be a part of.

“It has to be baked into an organisation’s DNA,” he says. “We want people to feel like they can come and be their authentic selves.”

For Herath, and many others, the hope is to be assessed on their ability rather than arbitrary, performative skills. Until hiring models evolve more broadly, interviews may continue to filter out the very talent that can make a difference.