It’s no secret businesses are struggling to find skilled staff. For years GeoSynergy searched high and low for talented technical people with skills in logical reasoning, spatial and systems thinking, and an ability to focus on software-related work. It also wanted someone who was dedicated and loyal.

The company's search for talent had generally been a ‘hit and miss affair’ until director Geoff Osborne spotted an ad highlighting the qualities of autistic workers.

“It seemed to fit the bill of what I was searching for,” he said.

“I thought it was worth trying.”

Geoff contacted the advertiser, Xceptional – a company that assesses neurodivergent candidates for their potential and skills and then places them in employment. He then developed and ran a technical analytics challenge through Xceptional, and one candidate’s results were “a complete standout”.

That candidate, Aiden, was still at school. He was also non-verbal and only used text-based communications. But Geoff wasn’t deterred. GeoSynergy already used tools like Skype, Discord and Teams and was mostly an online/remote company.

“The potential downsides didn’t seem that applicable,” he recalled.

He was right. Aiden is now one of the team’s development stars and a joy to work with.

“We just have never verbally chatted or done video, or physically met,” said Geoff.

Changes in the workplace

GeoSynergy didn’t need to make any major adjustments to accommodate its new recruit. Workflow is through a ticketing board and daily message-based check-ins/clarifications.

“Occasionally there’s been an online meeting, where I’ve explained Aiden is listening and uses text comms. No one’s been bothered. Clients love the story and the results we can give,” Geoff said.

Why your business benefits

According to Geoff, the business now has a ‘super-smart dedicated team member who is a great problem solver, and is always polite and industrious’. 

With a growing team of neurodiverse employees, Geoff said there were “very few office politics and personality management. It’s busy but peaceful. There’s a low staff turnover”.

He cautioned, however, that it was important not to shift the goalposts.

“Aiden’s skillset is performing specialist development work from home, and he does very well at it. I don’t throw him into a client meeting to persuade people and win work. I don’t phone him up and chat about my latest and greatest idea (but can over text, which helps me formulate my thoughts). Then again, what he can do with software technology, very few people can do, and that’s what I wanted.”

Geoff advised other employers to be clear about work requirements. 

“Find the right work for the employee and set them up to succeed,” he said.

“Autistic people can move rapidly and in (what you may think are) surprising directions. Check in regularly initially to make sure they’re on track. Ask them to explain what they are doing, estimate things and check this all lines up.”

Where do you sign up?

So, how can your business tap this talent pool?

Aron Mercer, chief growth officer at Xceptional, said it was easier than most people thought to hire and manage autistic staff. Xceptional provides all businesses with resources, training, ongoing coaching support and workplace inclusion training.

“You don’t need to be a big corporate with HR and support functions,” he said. 

Aron said neurodivergent candidates were routinely overlooked for a variety of trivial reasons: lack of eye contact in an interview, being caught off guard by an unexpected phone screen, or not having the right keywords in their cover letter and CV. 

Some employers also believed that neurodivergent people only wanted to work in tech. Many autistic people are both visually oriented and hugely creative, making them a great fit for jobs in areas such as architecture and graphic design.

Another common misconception is that neurodivergent people require significant support once employed. Partially this is because neurodivergent conditions like ADHD and autism are invisible. 

“One of my biggest frustrations is confronting the myth that employers need to wait for ‘perfect’ conditions before hiring people who present differently,” said Aron.

“The underlying assumption is often that the rapid pace of change would not suit people who may prefer stability, routine and appreciate written instructions. The reality is there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to neurodivergent people." 

Aron said most of the obstacles or challenges were in the minds of employers who may be fearful of doing or saying the wrong thing or may have an unconscious bias towards people who don’t act like them. Some of this can be overcome through education and coaching. 

“We understand there is fear and uncertainty,” Aron said.

“But the reality is many organisations have already employed neurodivergent people even if they don’t know it. There are numerous examples of employers of all sizes who have successfully integrated neurodivergent people into their teams.”

The time is right

Aron said the pandemic had led to a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink how and where we work. Workplace changes due to COVID-19 had led to improvements in employment accessibility which SMEs could take advantage of.  

“The rapid adoption of remote work, for example, makes it easier for autistic people, who often prefer to work at home. In 2019 we surveyed our largely autistic candidate base and found that 92% preferred to work from home at least part of the time.” 

Throughout the pandemic, Xceptional has helped employers from state government departments to rapidly growing tech companies to solve talent problems with a diversity lens. 

“It’s our view that neurodiversity should be an essential part of any organisation’s talent strategy,” he said. 

World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated on April 2. Find out more here.

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