Autism Awareness in the Workplace: How can we rethink our neurotypical approach to work
This April we celebrate Autism Awareness Week, but what does this mean for employers and hiring managers in the workplace?
Have you ever stopped to think about the neurotypical approach we have towards our work environment, interview processes or team activities, especially in industries that are less creative and more corporate? When you take a second to think about how our jobs and daily activities are structured, the realisation of how these might not be comfortable or easily accessible for everyone becomes apparent.
Just 30% of Autistic people are in work, with 75% wanting to be. How much of this is due to the way we hire? Is our approach to interviews geared too much towards social interaction, and less about skills? It is true that you can find out plenty from meeting somebody face-to-face, however, watching the way somebody works or approaches problems can be equally as insightful. Many autistic individuals may struggle in these social styles of interviews due to difficulties with communication, sensory sensitivities, adapting to unpredictability, limited flexibility in responses, and misunderstanding social norms. Yet, balancing the interviews to be a mix of both social and practical skills can help to not only mitigate these challenges, but let Autistic individuals thrive and excel in other ways, showing their potential for the role in a way that might previously have been missed.
According to an article in the Harvard Business review (2021), Autistic individuals can be up to 140% more productive in well suited roles than a neurotypical person. Being a part of this spectrum brings many valuable strengths and assets to roles, ones that are often overlooked by employers or colleagues. Autistic individuals are often stereotyped and can be forced into roles that are seemingly more suited to them, however, this is inherently damaging to society’s views on those with Autism.
To find out a bit more about the barriers within these environments, I thought who better to speak to than my younger sister, Sophie, who was diagnosed with Autism a few years ago when she turned 17. In Sophie’s opinion, the most worrying thing about applying to jobs is whether or not to disclose your diagnosis, and how it may or may not affect the interview process. This is due to:
- Negative preconceptions about Autism in the workplace that can be concerning due to the lack of education surrounding it.
- The fear of possible bias when disclosing her diagnosis upfront. Will this affect her once she is in the role?
- Would interviewers accommodate her needs if she disclosed her diagnosis beforehand or would it subconsciously make her the ‘worse’ candidate?
Another issue to consider is the interview process itself. Not every job is people oriented, or requires social skills/ the ability to work well in a team. For those with Autism, sometimes these can be the most challenging part of applying to a new role. Yet, where there is a role, there will be an interview, so what can we do to make these inclusive for everyone? A recent study conducted by Zak Van Voorhees found that only two small changes to an interview process were needed to ensure this change:
- Each interview should have a ‘practical’ or ‘working’ element to it. For example, asking the candidate to work on a project or task either before or during the interview, or including a technical assessment.
- Avoid asking open-ended questions; these provide large amounts of grey areas that can be confusing to Autistic individuals, as often more time is spent trying to figure out the ‘right’ answer that the interviewer might want to hear, than speaking truthfully about their own experiences.
To tie this all together, there are a few clear solutions: the way to change this issue is to educate those in the workplace, and provide access to training for all employers, but especially those with hiring responsibilities and in management roles. Small and simple changes can help to increase the employment rate of those with Autism drastically, and educating others on how they can help to maintain this inclusive environment is the best way forward.
Autism is a condition that has been – and continues to be – misunderstood by many people.
Increasing awareness of what Autism really means, and making people aware of the many positives associated with the condition, the less it will be seen as a barrier and the more it will come to be seen as simply a personal characteristic that makes people with Autism better at some things and worse at others.
There are many roles that perfectly suit people with Autism, particularly in areas such as Technology, Research, Analytics or Data, We can help by channelling the unique skillsets of individuals towards these roles, mentoring ahead of interviews and working with hiring managers to make them aware that some people may not present or interview for a job as well as they can actually do a job
At City Integration we have extensive personal and professional experience of Autism, so please do get in contact with us for advice or a conversation, either as a candidate or a hiring manager.
It is only by shining a light on Autism, demystifying and debunking some of the common preconceptions that we can help people with the diagnosis to find the right roles, benefitting both them and their employers
