Why recruitment matters
Most recruitment processes were designed, often without anyone realising, around neurotypical candidates. Automated sifts, psychometric tests and traditional interviews reward a particular way of thinking and presenting, and often filter out neurodivergent people before an employer has seen what they can actually do.
The changes needed are usually small and cost little or nothing. They make recruitment fairer for every candidate, and widen the talent pool at a time when good seafarers are hard to find.
Here’s the whole process, stage by stage.
Advert
Clear, specific and honest about what the job really needs.
Application
More than one way to apply, and an easy way to ask for adjustments.
Screening
Tests that measure the job, not the neurotype, with adjustments as standard.
Assessment
Workplace trials or structured, skills-based interviews.
Offer and feedback
Clear next steps, time to respond, and useful feedback.
1. The advert
First impressions count. Many neurodivergent candidates won’t apply if the advert suggests a workplace that won’t accommodate them, or lists requirements they can’t honestly claim.
Instead of
- ”Must be an AMAZING communicator!"
- "A real team player who thrives under pressure"
- "Exceptional attention to detail” for every role
- Two pages of company history and values
- ”Rockstar”, “ninja”, “hit the ground running"
Try
- "Able to give clear instructions to a deck crew of six"
- "Works as part of a watch team of three”
- Only listing qualities that are genuinely essential
- Duties, location, rotation, pay and requirements up front
- Plain, literal language
Also:
- separate essential requirements from desirable ones
- say that you welcome neurodivergent applicants and will make adjustments to the process
- make sure the advert works with text-to-speech software
2. Applications
- Offer more than one way to apply: online, by email or by phone.
- Don’t let online forms time out, and let people save and return.
- Provide forms in accessible, editable formats.
- Ask every candidate whether they need any adjustments to the recruitment process, and make it easy and confidential to answer.
- For open questions like “why are you a good fit?”, explain what you’re looking for.
Don’t assume that someone holding a seafarer medical certificate needs no adjustments to your recruitment process. The two are completely separate.
3. Screening and tests
Psychometric tests often measure how someone thinks, not whether they can do the job. Many have strict time limits, ambiguous questions or “situational judgement” scenarios that rely on reading social cues.
In Government Legal Service v Brookes (2017), the Employment Appeal Tribunal upheld a finding that requiring an autistic candidate to sit a multiple-choice situational judgement test, without adjustments, was discriminatory.
- Ask whether each test is genuinely needed for the role. If not, drop it.
- If it is, offer adjustments as standard: extra time, a different format, or moving straight to a practical assessment.
- For job-specific exams, such as on regulations or COLREGS, write clear, unambiguous questions and offer extra time (often 25%).
4. Assessment
Consider a workplace trial
A workplace trial often tells you much more than an interview. If a candidate holds a certificate of competency, consider a supervised trip and review how they perform in the role itself.
If you interview, structure it
Before the interview
- Give as much notice as possible, ideally two weeks
- Send who will be there, what will happen, how long, and where, with directions and photos
- Offer an arrival window, not a fixed minute
- Offer to share the questions or topics in advance
- Check in a week before to confirm adjustments
During the interview
- Provide a quiet place to wait
- Introduce everyone and explain their role
- Explain the structure and timings
- Ask specific, direct questions, one at a time
- Allow thinking time and breaks
- Allow notes, fidget items or a support person
Ask about real examples (“tell me about a time the plan changed at short notice”) rather than hypotheticals (“where do you see yourself in ten years?”). Avoid idioms like “toot your own horn” or “under the pump”.
If a candidate gives a very long or very short answer, guide them gently: “Thanks, that’s all I need on that. Can I ask you about…” or “Could you tell me a bit more about…”.
Don’t judge the wrong things
Eye contact, tone of voice, fidgeting and small talk say nothing about honesty, interest or whether someone can keep a safe watch.
Avoid points-based scoring that rewards “presentation”. Skills-based assessment is fairer and better at predicting performance.
5. Offer and feedback
Tell candidates when they’ll hear from you. Give clear, specific feedback, whether or not they’re successful. If you’re making an offer, explain exactly what they need to do next, give them time to respond, and follow up by phone.