E01¶


Research	R9990 — STAR interview neurodivergent impact
Run	2026-03-20
Claim	C001
Source	SRC06
Evidence	SRC06-E01
Type	Reported

Neurodivergent interview challenges include working memory, sensory overload, and open-ended question difficulties

URL: https://www.ashleighnwilson.com/i-o/neurodiverse-hiring/

Extract¶

The article identifies specific interview barriers:

"Difficulty with eye contact" that "can be misinterpreted as disinterest or dishonesty"
"Trouble with open-ended questions" — "Vague or abstract questions like 'What can you bring to the table?' can be confusing or overwhelming for neurodivergent candidates who tend to think more concretely"
"Sensory overload: Bright lights, background noise, or busy office environments can be distracting or even painful"
"Literal interpretation: Questions may be interpreted differently than intended"

Recommended accommodations include: written questions in advance, extra processing time, breaks, quiet environments, and using notes.

Relevance to Hypotheses¶

Hypothesis	Relationship	Strength
H1	Supports	Identifies multiple interview barriers affecting neurodivergent candidates
H2	Supports	Shows problems are real but accommodations can mitigate them
H3	Contradicts	Documents concrete barriers experienced by neurodivergent individuals

Context¶

This is an I/O psychology practitioner article, not peer-reviewed research. It synthesizes known challenges without citing specific studies for each claim. The challenges described align with peer-reviewed findings on working memory, sensory processing, and literal interpretation in neurodivergent populations.

Notes¶

The article does not specifically name STAR but describes challenges with the exact cognitive demands STAR requires: open-ended recall, structured narration, and verbal fluency under time pressure.