The Hiring Complaint Every HR Leader Should Prepare For

Episode notes

Can a neurodiversity hiring program open you up to “reverse discrimination” claims—and how do you respond if it does? In this HR Voices episode, Rebecca Taylor is joined by Paula Nuzzi, CHRO at Tartar Gate, LLC, to unpack a fictional but highly realistic case: a tech company modifies interviews, mentorship, and accommodations to better hire candidates with autism and ADHD—then faces a complaint from a rejected, non-neurodivergent applicant. Paula breaks down how to design inclusive programs without creating legal risk, what ADA compliance really means in practice, and why communication and candidate experience are make-or-break. She shares an on-the-ground success story of an autistic hire who unlocked AI and process improvements, then outlines a step-by-step investigation playbook: who to interview first, which evidence to collect (resumes, interview notes, job description, ATS and assessment outputs), and how to strip bias from your questions. You’ll also hear how to configure hiring tools (ATS/AI, Predictive Index) to avoid unintended exclusion, and how to iterate your process when perception and optics clash with intent.