Will 2020 bring 'sea change' for neurodivergent employees?
A few weeks ago, I shared an article from Wired about why employers should hire an autistic person right now. The article is now making the rounds on LinkedIn and has sparked an interesting conversation about a specific claim from the opening statement: “In 2020, there will be a sea change in how autistic people are treated in professional settings.”
Sea change is defined as a “profound or notable transformation,” and many are skeptical as to whether or not companies, despite their talk, are actually prepared or equipped to make that kind of change in their workplace this year.
“I hear people talking the talk, but it isn’t translating into action or real, meaningful opportunities for many autistic people,” commented Catherine Weber. “Sometimes, it’s all just noise to me. What people say and what people deliver are two very different things. I so much want this to be the case. It isn’t. Yet.”
Research supports Catherine’s observation. According to a recent study completed by SHRM, SHRM Foundation, and the nonprofit Workplace Initiative by Understood, while United States employers have trouble filling jobs, only 25 percent of organizations have explicit goals for recruiting and hiring people with disabilities.
While there are several organizations making noteworthy and quantifiable change (Specialisterne, Ultranauts, and SAP among them), we do have a long way to go to truly achieve #InclusionForAll at the workplace.
This is a broad overview, but the following are three areas in which employers should immediately evaluate when trying to better support neurodiversity at their company or organization:
Recruitment. Are your job descriptions made as clear and concise as possible and free of jargon?
Hiring process. Do you conduct “traditional” interviews where you judge a candidate’s interpersonal communication skills over their job-specific skills?
On-the-job expectations. Are you providing easy access to common accommodation needs (i.e. noise-canceling headphones, balance balls, sitting/standing desks, dedicated calm/quiet spaces) and clearly communicating these accommodation policies during interviews, onboarding, and beyond?
Do you think 2020 will be the year for meaningful employment opportunities for neurodivergent individuals? What changes do you think need to be made in order to better support #InclusionForAll? I would love to know your thoughts — please message me!