Why Justin Nelson Says JP Morgan Must Rethink the Interview

The standard finance interview rewards fast talkers. Justin Nelson thinks that habit is costing firms good employees. As Managing Director and Head of the Asset Management and Financial Principals Coverage Team at JP Morgan Private Bank in Connecticut, Nelson oversees a group managing more than $15 billion in assets, and he has spent years watching capable neurodiverse candidates get screened out before anyone sees their actual work.

“Interviews can be hard for them, so an employer has to think differently about the hiring process,” Nelson says of candidates on the autism spectrum. The problem, in his view, sits in the format rather than the candidate. A conversation built around small talk and quick rapport measures social fluency, not the analytical thinking that finance jobs actually require.

The Skills Standard Interviews Miss

Nelson describes a pattern he has seen repeatedly among neurodiverse candidates once they get past the first round. “Usually what that means is that while they may have a harder time connecting and communicating, they’re exceptional in other areas. They can be extremely creative and have amazing computational skills which far exceed the norm,” he notes. Those are exactly the traits a wealth management or research desk needs.

“For neurodiverse candidates, the biggest challenge is typically communication, their ability to interact with people,” Justin Nelson JP Morgan explains. “Things that you and I probably take for granted, that makes it so easy for us to be having this conversation right here, it’s very hard for them.”

A Call for Employers to Act

Nelson’s answer relies on a different process, paired with outside support, rather than a lower bar. He works with Adelphi University’s Bridges Program and the nonprofit Broad Futures, which help employers get educated and run selection programs built around neurodiverse candidates. “Employers really need to change how they think about engaging with these people,” the JP Morgan managing director states, framing the fix as a matter of process design rather than charity. See related link for more information.

Find more information about Justin Nelson JP Morgan on https://about.me/justin-nelson