Retail giant publishes the questions jobseekers will be asked in interviews in inclusivity drive

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

John Lewis is publishing interview questions online, in a move set to benefit autistic people, or those with ADHD or dyslexia.

People applying for jobs at the retail group, which also includes Waitrose, can now view a list of compliancy-based interview questions on its website.

The move is designed so applicants can take the time to think about their past experiences and skills, and prepare different examples to take to interview.

It is expected to help the retailer attract people from a variety of backgrounds, and to have specific benefits for neurodiverse people.

The group stressed that interviews will still be in-depth with detailed follow-up questions, and that people will not know which specific questions will be used during their interview.

“Interviews can feel daunting, and for some – particularly those who are neurodiverse – nerves can seriously impact performance,” said Lorna Bullett, the head of talent acquisition for John Lewis Partnership (JLP).

“Anyone who has ever recruited will know that there are sometimes candidates who would be capable of performing to a high standard in a role but don’t always give the best performance at an interview.

“It made us question why we couldn’t do something different with the assessment process and we decided to publish our interview questions.”

She said there had been early signs the move was working well for the company and its candidates.

The National Autistic Society recommends that employers provide questions a few days in advance for autistic people who can have more difficulty processing information quickly.

The charity says it means applicants have a chance of constructing more meaningful responses.

JLP’s initiative goes further than making “reasonable adjustments” to the recruitment process for disabled people, which is a legal requirement for UK companies.

Tom Cornell, a psychology consultant at HireVue, said employers should be encouraged to rethink their hiring processes to embrace neurodiversity.

He said: “When organisations seek to enhance neurodiversity within their workforce, a crucial starting point is evaluating their recruitment processes.

“Frequently, traditional hiring methods, such as lengthy cover letters and face-to-face interviews, directly put neurodiverse candidates at a disadvantage.

“The qualities highly valued by employers in these settings, such as maintaining eye contact, engaging in small talk and interpreting body language, can pose challenges for certain neurodiverse applicants.”