Webinar Summary and Recording
AuDHD coach and recruitment expert Lisa Gills shares insights from over 13 years in recruitment.
She is ready to help you become confident and comfortable at interviewing by challenging common interview myths and exploring how masking can drain energy.
What is Neurodivergence?
Neurodivergent describes people whose brain development or functioning differs from what is considered neurotypical. The term covers a broad spectrum of conditions, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, Tourette’s, and others.
Lisa highlights how people are all different; it’s not about being better or worse, just about variation. That neurodiversity is real and more common than we often realise, and differences in how we think are a natural part of being human.
15 to 20% of the UK population is neurodivergent. That’s approximately 10 million people.
The Biggest Interview Myth
The myth is that interviews measure performance, not skill.
Lisa emphasises this is not true, your performance at an interview is something that can be learnt and done so without masking.
Interviews are meant to find the person who is the best fit for the role.
When you are masking and trying to be who you think the interviewer wants, it uses up a huge amount of energy. Many people end up presenting a version of themselves that is not genuine just to get through the interview.
That effort comes at a cost, and it stops you from bringing your best self into the room.
Mastering the art of interviewing is not about learning to perform in a certain way or to be a completely different person, but about showing up as your best self.
Mask vs Real Exercise
Lisa reviews some behaviours that you may exhibit in an interview, how the interviewer could perceive these, and what they actually mean.
For example, if you are quiet and slow to respond, this is not you being hesitant, but you’re contemplating and considering your answer.
When you can recognise these behaviours and understand the reasons behind them, it becomes easier to reframe them in a positive way and explain it to your interviewer.
Lisa then goes on to further reflect on ways people mask and common struggles, and then why that is.
For example, needing to stim is often due to the need to regulate your nervous system or your mind going blank at a question, which is due to processing under pressure.
There are ways to communicate these difficulties or behaviours to the interviewer to address them professionally.
If you go blank or need time to think of your answer, then say this, ‘I’d like to take a moment to think before I answer’.
If you didn’t understand a question, ask for them to explain further, ‘I work best when I understand the full context’.
This is how you can begin to reframe things, by adjusting your language and turning those actions into something positive.
Reasonable Adjustments
Reasonable adjustments are not something a company gives you to be nice; they are a legal right.
Under the Equality Act 2010, if the interview format puts you at a disadvantage because of how your brain works, the employer has a legal duty to adjust it.
You do not need a formal diagnosis to ask for and receive reasonable adjustments.
Some examples of reasonable adjustments you can ask for include:
- Interview questions in advance
- Extra time for the interview
- A quiet space to decompress beforehand
- To bring notes into the interview
- Written instructions as well as verbal ones
- Taking short breaks during longer interviews
A company’s response to you asking for reasonable adjustments can also tell you a lot about the culture and how they value different ways of working and thinking.
How to Prepare for an Interview
There is no right or wrong way to prepare for an interview; it is just about finding what works for you.
The important thing is that you do prepare. Lisa quotes a saying attributed to Benjamin Franklin.
‘If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail’.
First suggestion is to write out your answers in full. Break down your answer into bullet points. Lisa says she used to use highlighters to mark out how she had answered each part of the job description with corresponding colours.
Second, record yourself speaking. This gets you used to hearing your own voice and can help you prepare by recording voice notes of your answers.
Thirdly, a verbal brain dump. If you don’t prefer writing your thoughts, perhaps if you have dyslexia, then speaking to someone out loud could help.
Lastly, plan the interview day. Before the day, pick what outfit you will wear, figure out how you will get there, and what time you will arrive, etc. This will reduce decision fatigue on the day and leave you in a better headspace for the interview.
Managing the Day
Arrive on time, giving yourself time to decompress but not too much time that you waste energy.
Know your sensory plan, bring earphones, a grounding object or a fidget device.
Remember that blanking is okay. Pause and acknowledge that you are taking time to consider your answer. The silence feels longer to you than it does to the interviewer.
Pausing is not failure, you are allowed to pause, own it!
Strengths Framing
Lisa says to lead with your strengths and not apologies!
At the beginning of the session, you reflected on the behaviours you might exhibit during an interview. Now you will look at how to reframe those into strengths.
Some strengths could include –
- Attention to detail
- Analytical thinking
- Creative problem solving
- Heighten empathy
- Teamwork
Q&A
- How to keep track of answers while speaking?
- What adjustments can I request, and how can the panel accommodate?
- How/should I disclose my neurodivergence for an interview?
- How can I ask for support without a diagnosis?
- How can I spot a neurodivergent friendly workplace?
- How do I approach competency interviews?
- How can I read into the subtext of questions and expand on my answers?
Final Takeaways
Lisa closes by asking you to do three things this week: complete the mask vs real exercise, contact an employer asking for reasonable adjustments (can be hypothetical), and write down three strengths you will bring to your next interview.
Her final tips are –
Ask for the adjustments that let you show up as yourself, because the version of you that’s masking isn’t the version that should be hired.
It’s fine to be nervous.
Always plan for your interviews. Never just go in and wing it.
Remember your strengths are what make you worth hiring.
Ultimately, enjoy it.
Meet the Host
Lisa Gills
Lisa Gills is an AuDHD entrepreneur, coach, and digital product builder whose work sits at the intersection of neurodiversity, career development, and accessible technology.
As founder of Harness the Spark Ltd, Lisa coaches neurodivergent professionals, particularly those in creative industries, helping them decode how their brains work, build on their strengths, and navigate careers in workplaces that weren’t designed with them in mind. Her coaching methodology is grounded in lived experience: Lisa is autistic and ADHD, and spent 13 years in advertising recruitment before her own journey of discovery led her to completely reimagine her career.
Alongside her coaching practice, Lisa is the creator of Dave, a free mental wellness companion app designed specifically for neurodivergent people. Built with low cognitive load, warm non-clinical UX, and neurodivergent-affirming language, Dave is available on iOS and Android and reflects Lisa’s belief that support tools should actually feel good to use.
I would like to join the webinar for interview-skills-for-neurodivergent.
I am on the Autism Spectrum and I am struggling to get any job interview or any job.
I have IT skills and have qualification in NVQL3 in higher diploma in creative Media.
I just need an opportunity show my skills and ability so then I can get a employment offer.
I can even do voluntary work