‘Must Have’ vs ‘Nice to Have’: Why the Distinction Matters

When every skill is listed in one bullet block, autistic candidates frequently read the list literally and disqualify themselves if they cannot tick every box. Research on women in tech finds a similar pattern.

Split the list into 'essential' (you cannot do the job without this) and 'helpful' (you will pick this up or we can train it). Keep 'essential' to four or five items at most.

You will see the quality of the shortlist go up, not down.