Starting a New Job When You’re Dyslexic

A new role can make familiar skills feel temporarily less accessible. You are learning the job while also learning where information lives, what people mean by an acronym and which questions need asking.

Starting a job creates a high learning demand for almost everyone. Some dyslexic adults may also need more time or a different format for unfamiliar written information, names and instructions. Early difficulty does not predict your long-term capability.

Before the first day: remove avoidable uncertainty

• •Ask where to arrive or sign in, who to contact and what to bring.
• •Request a practical outline of the first day rather than trying to anticipate everything.
• •Review the main responsibilities of the role and note a few questions.
• •Check which technology is approved and available; arrange help with access or setup if needed.

Avoid turning preparation into unpaid completion of the induction. You are not expected to know internal systems before anyone has shown you. If you use assistive technology, ask about compatibility, licences and training rather than installing it on a work device without permission.

The first week: one reliable place for notes

Choose a note system you can find and use consistently, whether a notebook or an approved digital tool. Give each process a clear heading. Record the next action and where the official information lives, rather than copying every word.

Ask for written priorities and confirm key instructions: “I’ll complete the order record first, then send the confirmation. Is that the right order?” Our verbal-instructions guide has more strategies; you do not need to create a second complicated system for induction.

Make the difference between “must know now”, “use this week” and “reference later” explicit. Ask who can answer a question if the person training you is unavailable. Safety-critical processes need the required training and checks; do not improvise because you feel embarrassed to ask.

Learning names, acronyms and processes

Keep a short glossary with the term, its meaning and where it is used. Link a name with a role or team, following workplace privacy rules. A process is easier to revisit if you capture its purpose as well as the sequence of steps.

After a demonstration, try the process with supervision where appropriate. Check your notes against the official procedure. A screenshot or recording may help in some workplaces, but get permission and follow confidentiality rules first. Do not record colleagues or customers without appropriate agreement.

After a demonstration, try the process with supervision where appropriate.

Do not try to absorb the whole induction at once

Ask which documents are essential for the first week and which are reference material. Use a searchable digital version or text-to-speech where available. Break longer reading into relevant sections, then check your understanding against the task you will do.

Repeated practice can help familiar routines become easier to carry out without conscious attention to every step. The pace varies; there is no fixed settling-in deadline. Our assistive technology guide can help you choose support for reading or notes, and the fatigue guide considers the load of learning alongside everyday work.

Deciding whether to tell your employer

This is a personal decision. Think about what you need your manager to understand and who needs to know. Our dedicated guide, Should I tell my employer I am dyslexic?, explores benefits, privacy and practical conversations. You do not have to decide everything before the first day.

Asking for adjustments and considering Access to Work

In Great Britain, employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants and employees where the Equality Act 2010 conditions apply. Dyslexia can meet the definition depending on its effects; a label alone does not determine it. The employer’s knowledge of the disability and the circumstances matter. See ACAS guidance and our practical adjustments guide. Northern Ireland has different legislation. This is general information, not legal advice.

Useful induction changes might include staged information, written process steps, extra practice time, accessible documents and a named contact. State the barrier, the change and how it would help. Agree when to review it rather than assuming it must work first time.

The government’s Access to Work scheme may offer practical support for eligible people working in England, Scotland or Wales. Eligibility and funding are decided by the scheme, and support is not guaranteed. It does not replace the employer’s responsibility to make reasonable adjustments. Check the current eligibility guidance; Northern Ireland has a separate scheme.

A manageable 30-day settling-in checklist

Use this as four review points, not a large daily plan. Adapt it to your working pattern, induction and role. It is a suggested structure, not a deadline for becoming fully comfortable.

• •Before starting: confirm practical arrangements and how to raise an access need.
• •By the end of week one: identify the main priorities, one reliable note system and a person to ask.
• •During weeks two and three: practise key processes, refine a short glossary and trial one useful adjustment.
• •Around day 30: review what is clearer, what still needs training and whether support should change.

At the review, bring one example of something working and one barrier that remains. You do not need a complete account of every difficult moment. If your duties are complex or induction is longer, keep the review but adjust the expectations.

For managers: make induction accessible

Explain the role’s priorities before presenting the full library of information. Provide usable written steps, demonstrate tasks and leave time for supervised practice. Name the source of the current procedure so the new colleague is not trying to reconcile several outdated versions.

Schedule brief check-ins, invite specific questions and confirm how to request adjustments privately. Do not interpret a request for repetition as lack of interest. Keep required safety and quality standards clear, while giving people a workable route to learn them.

A gradual start can still lead to capable work

Learning the systems is part of starting the job, not evidence that you cannot do it. Give routines time to develop and review the conditions that help. If you are unsure whether you need a clearer understanding of lifelong learning difficulties or role-specific support, compare diagnostic and workplace needs assessments, or ask a question before deciding. You do not automatically need a new diagnostic assessment to begin getting support.