Job descriptions are mostly written to attract a specific demographic of candidate — the one the hiring manager wishes they could find again. The phrases that recur across job descriptions are not job specifications; they are vibes-based filtering. Once you start reading job descriptions like an autistic adult does, you see the filtering, and you can either change your job descriptions or change who gets through them.
The phrases that filter out autistic candidates
Here is what an autistic-adult job seeker actually parses when reading these standard phrases:
"Outgoing personality" or "energetic team player." Autistic translation: this is going to be an extrovert-coded office that punishes my regulation style. Skip.
"Strong communication skills." Autistic translation: this means verbal performance in meetings, not actual communication quality. My communication is going to be perceived as weak because it's not vocally performative. Skip.
"Must thrive in a fast-paced environment." Autistic translation: this is going to be a sensory chaos workplace with no quiet hours, constant context-switching, and an implicit penalty on the people who do their best work with focused blocks. Skip.
"Self-starter who can wear many hats." Autistic translation: the role is undefined and I'll be expected to figure out what I'm supposed to do by reading the room — which I don't do well — and pivot constantly between unrelated tasks — which is dysregulating. Skip.
"Comfortable with ambiguity." Autistic translation: nothing is written down, expectations shift, and I'll be punished for asking clarifying questions because asking signals weakness. Skip.
"We work hard and play hard — happy hours every Thursday and a strong office culture." Autistic translation: social participation outside business hours is treated as commitment, and my non-participation will be tracked as lack of engagement. Skip.
What's actually being filtered
Each of those phrases sounds innocuous to the hiring manager who wrote it. From the inside they're describing the workplace culture they wish they had. From the outside, they're filtering against:
- Introverts (substantial slice of qualified workers)
- People who prefer written communication (most knowledge workers, autistic or not)
- People with focus-based work styles (most deep-work professionals)
- People with caregiving responsibilities (parents)
- People who don't drink alcohol or who don't have time for after-hours socializing (significant portion of the workforce)
- Autistic adults specifically, who pattern-match the phrases as "this workplace will exhaust me"
If your job description has four of these phrases, you've filtered out 60-70% of qualified candidates before they applied.
What to write instead
The fix isn't to remove personality from job descriptions. The fix is to describe the work rather than the vibes.
Instead of "outgoing personality": describe the specific interactions the job requires. "This role works closely with three account executives and presents results to clients monthly." That's information. Candidates can self-assess.
Instead of "strong communication skills": name the communication modes. "Written communication primary, weekly team meeting, monthly client presentation." Different candidates have different strengths; you'll attract the ones whose actual strengths fit your actual modes.
Instead of "fast-paced": describe the actual pacing. "Project cycles are 6-8 weeks with two delivery points per cycle. Some weeks are heavier than others." Honest. Attracts the right pacing-fit.
Instead of "self-starter who wears many hats": list the actual tasks. "70% of time on X, 20% on Y, 10% on Z." Roles where 70/20/10 changes weekly should be honest about that — and accept that you'll filter out candidates who don't want that, which is fine because they wouldn't have lasted anyway.
Instead of "comfortable with ambiguity": describe the structure that does exist. "Direct reports to the VP of Marketing. Has 1:1s weekly. Quarterly goal-setting reviews. Projects scoped via written briefs." If your role is genuinely chaotic, say so — "this role involves significant ambiguity in goals and priorities" — and attract candidates who actually want that.
Instead of "work hard play hard": describe the social calendar honestly. "Optional team lunch once a month. Quarterly off-site. No required after-hours events." Or be honest if there are required ones: "All-hands meetings are mandatory and include the team dinner the night before." Either way, candidates can opt in knowingly.
The benefit on the receiving side
When you rewrite job descriptions to describe the work rather than the vibes, three things happen:
- Application volume drops modestly (fewer culture-fit hopefuls apply just because the vibe sounded fun).
- Application quality goes up significantly (more candidates whose actual strengths fit the actual work).
- Retention improves at 12 months and beyond (because candidates didn't sign up for a role that misrepresented itself).
The Fortune-500 autism hiring programs all do some version of this rewriting. They've documented it improving retention and productivity across the board, not just for autistic hires.
The autistic-adult job seeker's filtering pattern
For autistic-adult job seekers reading this — yes, you read job descriptions through this lens and you should keep doing so. The phrases that filter against autistic candidates ARE signaling something true about workplace culture. The skip is usually correct.
The exceptions to watch for: job descriptions that describe the work specifically rather than the vibes. Those workplaces have at least thought about what they're hiring for, which suggests they're more likely to treat employees as humans rather than as culture-fit material. Worth a deeper look.
For the broader workplace context, see my earlier posts: Why Microsoft, JP Morgan, and SAP Hire Autistic Adults on Purpose, Hiring an Autistic Adult — A Manager's Field Guide, and The Las Vegas Autism Talent Brief.
— David