Neurodiversity employment has been one of the major concerns in the community. The Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2015 reported that the unemployment rate of autistic people was 40.8%, it was more than three times the rate for disabled people (10.0%) and almost six times the rate for people without disability (5.3%).
Barriers to Employment
The data simply shows that there are significant barriers to employment that need changes and part of it includes the traditional, antiquated recruitment method. Traditional method of recruiting workforce is often advantageous towards people with well-developed interpersonal and communication skills, causing many talented autistic individuals to remain unemployed.
Employment in the Autism Community
Moreover, inclusion in employment of the autism community has been developing frequently in the recent years. Denmark Specialisterne, founded in 2004, aims to transform the traditional recruitment process by providing customised recruitment and assessment programs. This allows autistic adults to focus on demonstrating their skills and capabilities.
Companies of all sizes are looking and offering individuals with a set of skills including critical skills, attention to detail, superior pattern recognition, perseverance, high diligence and a low tolerance for error or mistakes that can be of benefit.
Making Things Possible
Specialisterne is devoted to assisting more organizations understand what neurodiversity can bring to the workforce and can help create pathways to access untapped talent pool.
Furthermore, Specialisterne works with international companies namely SAP, PWC and Microsoft to expand the programs globally, engaging with more diverse industries.
The highest profile effort in 2016 targeting recruitment of autistic adults is the Microsoft’s “Autism at Work” initiative. In addition, Westpac partnered with Specialisterne in 2017 to tap more into neurodiverse talent.
Getting More Support
Westpac managed to create new pathways for potential individuals on the autism spectrum using the “Tailored Talent” program of Specialisterne to incorporate them into meaningful roles and create a huge impact in the neurodiversity employment.
Westpac is considered to be the first of the big banks in Australia to employ many employees on the autism spectrum as incorporated staff members with access to long-term opportunities within the company. On top of that, the development of the internal support structure will ensure long term sustainability of the program and will enable the company to build an inclusive and neurodiverse workforce.
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