Some global corporations have always been receptive to hiring neurodiverse talent for IT jobs. Whether it be for roles that require strong visual or spatial skills, or higher-than-average mathematical and analytical aptitude, individuals with autism are generally perceived to fare better in IT than in other professions. (It could also be argued that people with autism spectrum disorder are not given a fair shot at proving they can also provide a great deal of value in other sectors.)
However, the world of work goes much further than programming languages and microprocessors. With the global talent crunch predicted to affect industries such as financial and business services, manufacturing, media and telecommunications by 2030, forward-thinking companies have started looking at all sources of talent for non-IT jobs in order to drive innovation, reduce turnover and establish stability in the workplace.
As a social entrepreneur committed to creating employment opportunities for people with autism spectrum disorder, I have spent time talking to C-level executives from financial and business services, pharmaceutical/clinical/life sciences, media, telecommunication and several other industries over the past few years. One of the challenges that I often hear about is how many organizations, despite all good intentions and efforts, are still catching up with the IT playbook for inclusive hiring. Because they are yet to formulate neurodiverse-friendly policies and systems, they are focusing more on the risks associated with autism rather than the value that neurodiversity could bring to their organization, bottom line and overall brand reputation.
Why reinvent the wheel?
Businesses don’t need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to the inclusion of individuals who are neurodiverse in the workplace; the best hiring practices are already out there to be replicated, tweaked, tailored and implemented. Like you might do with any employee, focus on the strengths of neurodiverse talent, and help them manage their weaknesses. That’s how you expand the scope of inclusion into any skill area.
Some businesses have developed proven methodologies and programs for neurodiverse talent to succeed in roles that directly contribute to innovation. Those methodologies and programs are applicable and scalable across industries and organizations.
Our job as human resources professionals is to take the existing models and figure out how to introduce those models to other industries. This approach helps open up career opportunities for individuals with autism, regardless of the type of degree they hold or the skills they possess. Currently, much work is being done for individuals with higher skills. However, we need to be more sensitive to all individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Everyone has unique abilities to succeed at work if given the right environment and opportunity.
How do companies grow their inclusive workforce?
Companies want to jump-start the process of building talent pipelines by creating a replicable model of neuro-inclusive hiring, while also setting examples for new players to follow suit. Now is the time to cast a wider net across other skill areas using the tried-and-true means of observation, adoption and integration. My recommendation is a simple, three-step process:
1. Learn best practices from successful disability inclusion case studies. Know what has worked in the recent past.
2. Adopt those best practices for jobs with similar skill sets, and apply them to your organization.
3. Follow the same best practices, and integrate them into other types of jobs.
Expansion into other job categories is vital to the continued growth and success of any inclusive hiring program. Embedding evidence-based practices into the culture of a company will enhance the opportunity for scalability and sustainability of the program.
It’s in the mind, too.
My personal experience of working with both individuals with autism spectrum disorder and hiring organizations has taught me another significant lesson: More than anything, it is our mindset that impacts the scope and outcome of any inclusive hiring program. Having an open and empathetic attitude is the way forward to harness the potential of individuals who may think differently than the rest of their peers, who perhaps have different ways of communicating and who solve problems differently.
Every individual can bring different talent, expertise and skills. It is up to HR professionals to map their strengths to their organization’s needs and bring diverse innovation in the workplace.
Remember ...
If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism. Just as no two individuals with autism have identical personalities, preferences or skills, there is no one-size-fits-all rule when it comes to neurodiversity at work. A basic rule of thumb for all of us is that we need to think differently about the people who think differently.
If we can do it for people with other differences, why can't we do it for individuals with autism?
