“Hiring a neurodivergent person was the best thing I have done in my career”

Specialisterne shares successes from their journey

Specialisterne is an international not-for-profit social enterprise dedicated to supporting businesses to recruit autistic people. Specialisterne supports successful recruitment of autistic and neurodivergent applicants through enabling employers to provide fair and equitable recruitment processes which focuses on an applicant’s skills and suitability for a role.

Vicky Little, National Manager, Quality and Practice for Specialisterne Australia shares an example of where both the employer and the candidate have experienced positive outcomes.

“We had an instance within a company where the hiring manager was really keen to be involved in the process to hire new talent, but they were nervous as it wasn’t how they normally recruit”, referring to Specialisterne’s recruitment methods. Vicky says that, although there was the initial hesitation and fear “…they were willing to come on the journey” to see the outcome.

Through Specialisterne’s practical and patient recruitment process, an autistic individual was hired.

“The individual that was hired had come from academia… who had the skills … and had never been able to get a job through the interview process”.

The manager was aware that the individual could take some time to adjust to the workplace expectations and etiquette but knew that this was just a part of the process.

“3 months in, after he was settled, the individual was able to solve a system problem that had been sitting around for 5 years” says Vicky. This had been said to be a significant problem impacting many parts of the business and external vendors, which no one had been able to resolve.

“The individual’s ability to come from a different perspective helped him to offer a solution,”

From this positive outcome, the individual has been able to progress in his career, receiving promotions and being regarded as a subject matter expert in his field of work. He still works at the business today.

Vicky says that,

“after 12 months of his placement the manager said to me that hiring him was the best thing he has done in his career… as this individual has added so much value to the team”.

This is a great example of both positive outcomes for the individual and for the business.

The image used in this case study is sourced from Unsplash.

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“As an employer I believe and have seen that supporting neurodiversity isn’t just about being inclusive, it’s good for business. It attracts a wider talent pool, boosts innovation, improves employee well-being, and reduces costs. In short, it strengthens your employer brand and builds a successful work environment.”

“As a small business we create policies and procedures collaboratively with staff, making sure that the policies are designed for them by them”.

“When you’re in an inclusive workplace people identify and understand the strengths you bring and accommodate work to focus on your strength areas”

“In an inclusive workplace neurodivergent employees should feel that they are understood by staff.”

“Inclusive onboarding for me really enhanced the comfort. Your first day can be really scary as you don’t know what to do, who to meet. At one place started at they told me what the plan was, who I was to meet and gave me clear instructions of where to go which helped me have a plan until the person who was collecting me arrived which made the whole thing a little bit less stressful.”

“I found work tours really helpful when they are part of the interview. It helped me sell myself during the interview as you can look at the types of equipment you will be using and get a better idea of what they want from you and the employer gets to see how you react to the environment”

“Feeling understood by my manager meant that I felt valued by the workplace, and that my unique perspective was valuable. When managers have understood me and my strengths, I have definitely felt more motivated to do my best for the business or company as a result.”

“I’ve noticed that in workplaces I’ve been in positive changes have been really successful when they come from the top down.”

“In the business I work in, to show job seekers that we are inclusive we have inclusivity statements on our website and our job ads. We also offer adjustments and accommodations as part of the recruitment process”

“The advice that I would give to businesses wanting to be inclusive is you have to start somewhere, even with something small. Be open to new ways of thinking and get input from staff to start making inclusive changes. Get it going, get it moving and let’s start doing something.”

“Your workforce needs to reflect your customer base. It really allows your customer base to feel more welcome and like they belong. I have found also that diversity of thought, skills background and knowledge also reduces bias and group think within an organisation, that’s one of the key things I have found”.

‘In an organisational setting, inclusion is seen as a means to improve performance and employee satisfaction. It improves employee loyalty, creative problem solving and teamwork.

“In my previous role I did not disclose this information because I was already having difficulties with colleagues. In my current role I have disclosed to team members I am comfortable with.”

Autism SA completed a National Survey in 2023, where 72 neurodivergent people were asked if they had disclosed during the recruitment process or in a workplace. 33% shared that they had not disclosed, 40% said that they had disclosed their diagnosis, while 26% partly disclosed.

“I love sharing my experience of being on the spectrum with people. It’s all about awareness”

“The number one thing that neurodivergent jobseekers look for when determining if an organisation is inclusive, is inclusive statements and language”

“Inclusive workplaces enhance teamwork and collaboration by valuing diverse contributions and perspectives.”

“Neurodiverse workplaces better reflect and understand the needs and preferences of diverse groups of people. This helps to expand the market and customer base and provide a wider range of products and services.”

“A diverse workforce is able to tackle a wide range of work challenges, thereby increasing overall efficiency and productivity.”

“This diversity can promote innovation and creativity, as different ways of thinking can lead to different perspectives and approaches to problem solving.”

“As an autistic employee, feeling valued motivates me to do my best”

“Inclusive recruitment has allowed us to build a diverse talent pipeline, ensuring our organisation’s long-term success.”