Dive Brief:
- More companies, like accounting firm EY, are increasing their efforts to hire for diversity by actively recruiting adults on the autism spectrum, The Atlantic reports. The program, EY Abilities, is setting the bar high for other companies that want to hire candidates with autism.
- A recent study by Drexel University indicates that around 58% of young adults with autism are currently unemployed despite having skills that companies need.
- Interestingly enough, the EY program identified the ways in which management communicated concepts to new hires across all diversities and helped to improve training and onboarding processes. Now other companies like HP and Microsoft are modeling their recruitment efforts similarly, committing to hiring more candidates on the autism spectrum.
Dive Insight:
Companies that invest in diversity recruitment and training programs are paving the way for all adults to have meaningful work experiences. It's particularly important, when recruiting candidates on the autism spectrum, to work in a supportive environment where such candidates are viewed not as handicapped, but rather as assets to the company.
The programs that EY, HP and others have put together are an example for all recruiters to follow. You may want to read up about this in our brief on Microsoft's coding program. Organizations have everything to gain from harnessing the talent and insight that every candidates can bring to workplaces.
