Microsoft Neurodiversity Hiring Program Overview

This video describes what to expect during the screening, interviewing and onboarding stages of Microsoft’s Neurodiversity Hiring Program.

Additional Resources: Microsoft Inclusive Hiring for People with Disabilities https://aka.ms/inclusivehiring

Neurodiversity Program https://aka.ms/ndhiring

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Unknown Speaker 0:01

Hi, I'm

Unknown Speaker 0:01

Karina, I want to tell you about our neurodiversity hiring program here at Microsoft. We started our journey in 2015, piloting the autism hiring program, which is now evolving to be even more inclusive of individuals with a wide range of cognitive differences, such as ADHD, autism and dyslexia. candidates that would like to apply can do so through our inclusive hiring site@aka.ms slash inclusive hiring. qualified candidates will be invited to attend a multi day hiring event to showcase their skills and talents in a supportive and inclusive manner. Hiring events can be held virtually as well as in person on the Microsoft campus. Monday starts with group introductions where candidates get to know each other and members of the program team. Then as a group, they have the chance to meet with a manager from each hiring team to learn more about the work their team is doing every day. Later that day, candidates participate in small group exercises using Minecraft. challenges within each custom world are designed to support team building and give candidates an opportunity to collaborate with one another. The more the candidates work together as a team, the more efficiently a challenge can be completed. By incorporating Minecraft activities into our hiring process. We're allowing candidates to showcase their skills through teamwork and collaboration activities. On Tuesday, candidates have a practice interview with a Microsoft team member and receive feedback from their interviewer. Receiving real time feedback is valuable for our candidates and helps them identify areas of focus for interview preparation. Completing a mock interview also shows candidates what the structure of the interview will be like for final rounds. We also provide opportunities for open discussion with employees hired through the program to learn more about Microsoft culture and how the program helps support them as a new employee. Wednesday, we continue to build upon Minecraft activities from earlier in the week, diving deeper into activities that allow candidates to showcase how their skills aligned to Microsoft's core competencies, such as collaboration and growth mindset. A term we use a lot at Microsoft and I'll explain throughout the week. On Thursday, candidates have final round interviews with different Microsoft Teams. The interviewers have all received training on neuro diversity job coaches are available, and the interview incorporates longer breaks so the candidates have time in between to regroup and prepare for the next one. Our team helps arrange any other combinations that a candidate may need. After the hiring event all candidates hear back from Microsoft within approximately two weeks. Those candidates who do not receive an offer from Microsoft are provided with direct feedback and areas of focus to improve their skill set and strengthen future candidacy if they choose to reapply again with Microsoft. For candidates that receive and accept a job offer from Microsoft, they'll work with a recruiter to set a start date, we learn the importance of a supportive onboarding structure that includes job coaches training and mentorship. Prior to a new employee starting and neurodiversity in the workplace training is provided to their manager and teammates. job coaches support the needs of the employee for the first year or longer if requested. And each new employee is assigned a community mentor from our employee resource group who helps them learn about Microsoft support systems and our inclusive culture. At Microsoft, we believe that by making adjustments to interviews and onboarding, we provide candidates opportunity to showcase their talents through a more inclusive process. Individuals who are neurodiverse bring creative new ideas and perspectives to our workforce, then enrich our performance and products. Selecting the right talent is not only important for the company we are today, but for the company we aspire to be in the future. Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit the Microsoft inclusive hiring for people with disabilities site. The link is available in the description field for this video.

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