Reimagining Recruitment for Autistic People, An Employer’s Guide
True reform of the recruitment processes is not the responsibility of the employees. Following on from the first instalment of ‘Reimaging Recruitment for Autistic People’, today’s article will address the more systematic issues of the employment gap. It is the duty of the corporations and organisations that design and implement their recruitment processes to make the entire procedure accessible.
It doesn’t take much research to realise that finding and keeping a job is particularly difficult for disabled individuals, with a large percentage of the disabled population being out of work. There is a hugely talented and capable sector of the population who employers are not reaching due to a lack of sufficient measures.
When it comes to employment, the term disability has an especially broad definition which specifically addresses the fact that “a condition doesn’t have to be clinically well-recognised or diagnosed” to be catered for.
This is especially important for employers to take onboard as autism spectrum disorder is notoriously under-diagnosed. It is not right nor is it fair to expect an employee or applicant to suppress their natural state of being for the sake of professionalism, even if that individual does not have a formal diagnosis. The following points could be considered the most essential measures a corporation can take in order to target deficits in their equality and accessibility measures.
Photo: @officestock, Unsplash. Two white men in suits, sat at a table, shaking hands. They are both smiling.
Make your stance clear
Employers are not currently required by law to have a published Inclusion and Discrimination policy (CIPD). However, without one a disabled individual cannot feel confident that their needs are being recognised and directly addressed. Dedicate time to making it clear that you care, and you are putting that into action through an official declaration.
2. Don’t hesitate, act
Your autistic employees need to feel protected by their managers, fellow team members and the company as a whole. They need to know how to report any incidents that may occur and what the course of action would be should it be required. Outline a clear zero-tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind.
3. The importance of the workspace
The workplace environment can literally make or break an autistic person’s experience. This is because they often have certain sensory sensitivities that neuro-typical people do not. Excessive noise or overly colourful displays can be distracting at best and downright overwhelming at worst. It can be valuable to consider an autistic perspective when designing your office or space to understand what would make for a productive environment for everyone present.
4. Adjust your manner
Miscommunication can be a key factor contributing to a feeling of isolation in autistic individuals if they feel unable to clearly understand you. This can be particularly problematic during the interview and training processes where face to face interactions are essential. Social anxiety on the autistic individual’s part can cause both applicant and employer to miss out on the opportunity to work with each other. Just remember that a direct communication style is always the best choice. Reduce the complex or colloquial language you use and try not to overly gesticulate so as not to distract from the important stuff.
5. Implement specific training
A really important aspect of adequately preparing a team to work with autistic people is to provide thorough, quality training. Autism has a long history of being misunderstood, being misrepresented in the media, and having an ever-changing definition over decades to remove terms with harmful histories. Programmes that inform your staff of the history of autism, ways to communicate with autistic people, and how autism may present itself will be extremely useful in making a workplace feel welcoming.
It is important to address as we draw towards the conclusion of this article that not all discrimination is conscious. However, all discrimination is detrimentally harmful to the victim. Luckily, we have the power to target disability discrimination that is a direct result of a lack of knowledge.
We must empower autistic individuals to feel they have the right to demand the appropriate measures be implemented. For employers, the above approaches should be built into the very core of your practice. This way an employer can ensure they are always providing inclusive processes for those who are both diagnosed and undiagnosed.