• [Bryan, Interviewer] Thank you Devin for coming in to meet with us today. It sounds like you’ve got some interest in our accounting position.

• [Devin, Accounting Major, Job Seeker] hmm

• [B] Can you tell me a little bit how you found accounting? What went and created the interest? 

• [D] I used to… I wanted to be an architect and back at the County Technical College but due to the fact that we had to hand draw designs… we decided to be involved with accounting because it’s more computer-based rather than with hand drawing.

[Devin speaking] During the interview I quickly noticed the scent of permanent markers and fumes were rather choking. You couldn’t answer the question quickly and clearly and got distracted.

[Chris Bentley – Director, The Fraser Institute, Fraser - speaking] During Devin’s interview there was a permanent marker that had been used in the room. Devin explained afterwards that he had smelled that and had caused him some sensitivities to that smell when others in the room had not even noticed that smell. So it just demonstrates just that heightened sensitivity individuals can have; so some of his characteristics that were showing up is kind of a small cough or just a little bit of agitation. They were just distracting him from answering all of the questions, so that’s an example where the interviewer could notice that kind of symptoms that are happening and just ask the question ‘Is there something I can do to make you more comfortable?’. Individuals with autism often are going to answer that pretty honestly, let you know ‘the lights are really tough for me’ or ‘there’s a smell in the room that is distracting’, you mean something like that too and you may or may not be able to change that situation but at least it gives you information about what’s impacting the individual’s ability to answer some questions.

[Displayed on screen] Be aware of possible sensory sensitivities which diminish attention and focus.

• [B] Can you tell me what your greatest strength is and how it might be applicable to the position that you’re interviewing for today?

• [D] One of them is… I’ve an obsession for detecting and correcting errors. Then we see an error, correcting it immediately.

• [B] Can you give me an example of a time you’ve done that?

• [D] There was one time… One of the clients created an error in one of his financial statements that apparently was worth 10,000 American dollars.

• [B] Wow. So were you able to help recover that or…?

• [D] It wasn’t difficult, actually.

• [B] What maybe three adjectives would best describe you?

• [D] Describe… logical… analytical… and… honest.

• [] Can you give me a type of example that maybe shows the honesty side?

• [D] Mmm… honesty… … Can’t remember.

• [B] OK.

[Chris Bentley speaking] One of the challenges of asking the question… if a person says that one of their strengths is honesty – which many individuals autism spectrum have, that is a great strength – one of the challenges to that, though, is that to explain what it means to be honest. You need to understand what it means to be dishonest, and when it’s not in your repertoire to be dishonest because that’s not right, it’s hard for an individual to explain what it means to be honest because the perception that they have is ‘Well, everybody’s honest. You should understand what it means to be honest and what that strength is, I shouldn’t have to articulate that in that way.’ But to get at the intent of what that means for that individual and where that strength is, probably the best way is to give them a case scenario where honesty or dishonesty would be a decision factor.

• [B] As you know, accounting is certainly about the accountability and integrity of the data and the information, certainly highly regulated. Do you feel like your background, your personality would bring that honest integrity that we need for this type of position?

• [D] That won’t be a problem.

• [B] Can you give me an example of maybe how you show honesty in some capacity?

• [D] Mmm… honesty… There was… One time in… at… … can’t remember.

• [B] You’d like maybe an example? would that help?

• [D] Mmm (nods)

• So for instance we had a situation here where our Accounts Payable Team had identified some fraudulent behavior by one of our staff. And so they brought that to me so that we could make sure that we could do our due diligence and make sure everything was being handled on the up and up, and it wasn’t, so we had to take care of that situation. Unfortunately we had to fire that employee, but, you know, the person on our team that brought that to our attention, it showed that they had the ethical standards that we look for and the morals to make sure that we’re in the loop on those things. Is there a situation where you were involved in showing honest behavior to a fellow person, a friend, a family member, a coworker?

[Bryan speaking] Some of the modifications that I had to make were asking the question a little bit differently. Maybe using example to gain an example. From Devin’s background there were a couple different times where… I might ask a question that he couldn’t answer… here are the examples of honesty and integrity and loyalty, those types of things in those background but then to give an example was a little bit challenging for him, so I had to modify my approach of giving an example so he can have something to adapt to.

[Displayed on screen] Ask question another way to assist the person in understanding the intent.

• [D] Most obvious solution that we gave them was... to examine the financial statements more carefully and don’t be tempted to create an error just because you’re in a debt. They didn’t take that lightly but…

• [B] That goes back to your honesty and your ethics, doesn’t it?

• [D] Yes, but its’ either that or can go to prison, which ones is worse?

• [B] Is there anything else you wanna leave me with, might set you apart from somebody else that might be interviewing for the same position?

• [D] I don’t believe so now.

• [B] OK.

[Devin speaking] Sounded like ‘What do you possess, what more strengths do you possess that would force you to look much better than any other potential employees?’ and that actually sounded highly in vain.

[Chris Bentley speaking] Talking with him about why he wasn’t comfortable answering that question is because he felt that it was a bit of a vain response that he’s better than everybody else. And in his education and with autism and those social coaching… that’s prevalent in services for individuals with autism we teach about using filters and that your first response you need to think about ‘Is it appropriate?’ ‘Can offend somebody?’ and so in his response he potentially was using his filters to say that ‘I could respond kind of offensively if I tell them that that’s kind of an inappropriate question because it would make me look vain’ and then he instead will choose to just not answer the question and not understand it.

• [B] Well, I appreciate you taking the time to meet with us today, thank you.

• [D] Thanks.