Over the past few years, diversity-focused hiring programs have increased all over the world. These programs are increasingly helping organizations to expand their search while hiring new talent. This includes hiring of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Autism hiring program has now become an important part of the human resource (HR) policy of the several leading companies.
What the numbers say
Data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) in 2016 state that one in every 68 school-aged children are on the autism spectrum. More than 50,000 teenagers having autism leave school every year. The numbers come from CDCP’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, a nationwide tracking system which provides estimates regarding the characteristics and prevalence of Autism among 8-year-old children in 11 communities in Arkansas, Colorado, Arizona, Georgia, Missouri, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Utah. Approximately 2.5 million adults on the spectrum live in the US and the number has increased over the last few years. Under-representation of this group, according to CDCP, is now an endemic. This is probably the biggest indicator as to why we should have more autism hiring program jobs.
The global rate of unemployment and underemployment of adults on the spectrum is as high as 90 percent. It’s a situation which has remained unchanged for several decades. Businesses, considering these numbers, are now looking to bolster their diversity-focused initiatives through an autism hiring program.
The need for an autism hiring program
Hiring differently-abled people, like those on the spectrum, can bring unique understanding and experiences that help to transform a workplace. A business gets access to innovative problem-solving ideas while helping it improve the products and services.
Here are some common skills and strengths that people with autism have.
- Strong visual thinking
- Honesty
- Problem solving ability
- Above average intelligence
- Consistent and committed approach to work
Differently-abled individuals, including those with non-apparent disabilities like autism, usually have a much lower attrition rate than their neuro-typical peers. They also remain less absent. Since the unemployment rate for adults on the autism spectrum is around 90 percent, there’s a huge, untapped talent pool of differently-abled individuals out there.
Boost your company’s image through an autism hiring program online
Seeing your organization’s commitment and effort to hire differently-abled people will increase the willingness of existing staff members to self-disclose. Workers, who know of someone on the autism spectrum, will develop a stronger appreciation for the employer who is interested to hire differently-abled people through an autism hiring program.
As an employer, you must remember that inclusion is a key factor to achieve success while hiring people with autism or for that matter any differently-abled person. Inclusion at your workplace can be demonstrated in many ways. For instance, you can set up a quiet working area for the employee on the spectrum, since people with autism are usually sensitive to noise. Other employees with noise-sensitivity will also benefit from it. Embrace the opportunity to hire people through an autism hiring program to maximize your full potential.