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Let’s face it, long drawn-out job applications can be a drag! Particularly training contract applications where there are multiple stages to go through. The ones I’ve been involved in have been at least five stages long!

In one application cycle, I made it all the way to the assessment centre. But one of those stages stuck out to me, and I believe that this step could be applied to more job application processes to benefit neurodivergent applicants. Not just for training contracts, but for any job.

That stage of that particular application process was a ‘gamified’ behaviour-based assessment. It involved downloading an app and playing through a couple of interactive games that would be assessed by the firm, the results of which would be fed back via a feedback report.

What are gamified assessments?

Gamified assessments are like behaviour-based or aptitude/psychometric tests; they are assessments that look like video games and often offer a much more enjoyable form of assessment. They can resemble short-response games based on memory or risk assessment, or longer interactive scenarios that may take you through a simulated working day or a task that you might be expected to work on as a member of staff/trainee.

It's claimed that they provide a more reliable measure of personality as they collect thousands of data points about applicants’ responses over different games. This in turn provides employers with a clearer indication of how applicants behave, their abstract reasoning, numeracy and decision-making abilities, rather than basing decisions solely on what applicants said. This can be especially helpful because not every applicant wants to talk about times when, for example, they unravelled or got overwhelmed when completing certain tasks or if they took on too much, and were unable to coordinate their time and efforts effectively.

Having completed the assessments for my application, I realised that I hadn’t felt like I was taking part in an assessment when I was doing it. I honestly felt like I was playing a video game, which was great for me as gaming is a real love of mine!

It isn’t uncommon for neurodivergent people to enjoy things like video games. They play to certain strengths, including pattern spotting, clear instruction and unique problem solving, as well as our need for routine, consistency, predictability and immediate feedback.
With this in mind, gamifying the application process could benefit neurodivergent applicants in several ways.

Wondering how to even start with your application process? Check out this Feature ‘How to apply for a training contract: a masterclass’.

Increased engagement

Gamification makes the job application process more engaging and fun, which can help neurodivergent individuals stay focused and motivated throughout the process. Long drawn-out application processes can cause neurodivergent people to lose focus and interest and therefore attention, which can mean we’re unable to give the process our best shot and our applications may suffer as a result. Traditional application processes aren’t always accessible to divergent brains and unique ways of processing and handling information.

Reduced stress

Traditional job application processes can be stressful and overwhelming for neurodivergent individuals, but gamification can reduce stress and anxiety by creating a more interactive and enjoyable environment.

Improved accessibility

Gamification can help make the job application process more accessible for neurodivergent individuals who struggle with traditional written applications and interviews. It can offer alternative ways for people to showcase skills and abilities, such as through interactive challenges and tasks.

Fairer evaluation

Gamification can create a more objective and fairer evaluation process because it focuses on measurable skills and performance, rather than subjective impressions or biases. This can benefit neurodivergent individuals who may be unfairly judged based on social cues or nonverbal communication in traditional interviews.

Increased opportunities

Gamifying job application processes can present new opportunities for neurodivergent individuals who may have difficulty navigating the traditional job application processes. By making the process more accessible and engaging, gamification can help these individuals better showcase their skills and abilities, and potentially land jobs that might’ve been out of reach through traditional means.

As with everything that I talk about that can benefit neurodivergent aspiring lawyers, what works for us could work for everyone else too. Anything that can make a stressful process, such as job applications, more enjoyable would surely be a win for employers and applicants alike. It doesn’t matter who you are, if you enjoy something, you want to do more of it.

Law is of course a challenging profession and for many of us, the application process may be one of the first tastes we have of exactly how challenging it can be. It’s essential that a good and fair process is in place for firms to find the best candidate(s) for the role(s) they’re recruiting for. I believe that the customer experience at each stage of the employment journey is equally important. Firms will want everyone to come away feeling that they’ve had a good experience and formed a good impression that’ll stay with the candidate for a long time. People remember how they’re made to feel much more than what they’re told.

It's important to note that none of this will make the process any easier, nor will it give anyone an unfair advantage. Simply, gamification can make stressful processes like applications more enjoyable and engaging for everyone, while simultaneously removing an inherent barrier for neurodivergent applicants who might otherwise be hindered by a non-inclusive process that’s not been changed due to lack of understanding and awareness.

Real and meaningful neuroinclusion is a very hot topic right now, making this update to the training contract interview process worthwhile for employers concerned with creating a more inclusive process for aspiring lawyers. The best talent may well be stuck behind a barrier that firms didn’t realise was a barrier in the first place, so why wouldn’t employers do something about this?