Inclusive Recruitment - meet Tomasz

You’d never know he was struggling. That’s part of the problem.

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Get to know Tomasz

Tomasz is 34 and lives in Birmingham with his partner, Anna. He moved to the UK from Poland with his family when he was 12 and went on to become the first person in his family to graduate from university.

Today, he’s an experienced marketing professional and the colleague people know they can rely on. His presentations are polished, his projects are organised and his deadlines are met. Managers describe him as thoughtful, dependable and professional.

What people don’t always see is how much work can sit behind that calm exterior.

Tomasz has Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). He often prepares extensively for situations other people might approach without a second thought — rehearsing conversations, checking emails several times before sending them, preparing thoroughly for presentations and planning ahead when travelling somewhere unfamiliar.

These strategies help Tomasz perform at a high level, but they can also require significant mental and emotional energy.

Outside work, Tomasz has a passion for motorsport, particularly rallying, and values the life he has built with Anna. His anxiety is part of his life, but it isn’t the thing that defines him.

A day in the life

Preparation is a big part of Tomasz’s working day. Before an important meeting, he might run through what he wants to say several times. Before sending an important email, he’ll often reread it to make sure he hasn’t missed anything. Presentations are carefully prepared and unfamiliar journeys planned in advance.

To colleagues, this can simply look like someone who is exceptionally organised and conscientious. And Tomasz is both of those things. But sometimes the preparation is also his way of managing anxiety and uncertainty.

Recruitment can make that particularly difficult.

An unclear timeline, unexpected assessment, last-minute change or days of silence after an interview can create additional pressure. Tomasz may find himself replaying an interview afterwards or questioning whether he said the wrong thing, despite years of professional experience. His biggest dilemma can be whether to disclose his anxiety at all. He wants an employer to recognise the professional in front of them without assuming that experiencing anxiety means he is less capable of doing the job.

  • Experienced and highly professional
  • Excellent attention to detail
  • Strong organisational and planning skills
  • Reliable and consistent
  • Thoughtful and conscientious
  • Strong structured communication skills
  • Able to anticipate potential risks and plan ahead
  • Calm and considered in his approach
  • Empathetic and aware of others
  • Resilient and committed
  • Anxiety is simply the same as feeling stressed or worried
  • Someone who appears confident cannot be experiencing anxiety
  • Anxiety makes someone unreliable or less capable
  • People with anxiety cannot perform well under pressure
  • Mental health conditions are always visible
  • Someone who needs greater certainty or preparation lacks adaptability
  • Anxiety prevents someone from progressing into senior or leadership roles.
  • Don’t assume you can tell whether someone has a mental health condition by looking at their performance
  • Distinguish between everyday feelings of anxiety and Generalised Anxiety Disorder
  • Focus on Tomasz’s professional skills, experience and achievements
  • Recognise that preparation and planning can be strengths
  • Don’t confuse anxiety with a lack of confidence, competence or ambition
  • Avoid presenting Tomasz as successful “despite” his anxiety
  • Remember that mental health is one part of a person’s life, not their entire identity

Small changes make a big difference

Inclusive recruitment doesn’t mean removing challenge or lowering expectations for Tomasz. It means reducing unnecessary uncertainty so he can focus his energy on demonstrating whether he is right for the role. For someone who experiences anxiety, relatively small changes to the recruitment process can make that considerably easier.

Small changes that could make a big difference:

  • Provide a clear recruitment timeline from the outset
  • Explain the interview format and what candidates can expect
  • Give advance notice of assessments or tasks
  • Avoid unnecessary last-minute changes
  • Keep candidates updated when timelines change
  • Make assessment instructions and success criteria clear
  • Consider sharing interview topics or questions in advance where appropriate
  • Create a calm, respectful interview environment
  • Offer flexibility in interview format where possible
  • Make conversations about adjustments and wellbeing feel normal rather than exceptional.
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