The autism spectrum: An untapped talent source

By Kate Smith

Over the past several years, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace has come to the forefront of many industries, including the accounting profession. Firms are developing strategies to ensure that all employees feel valued and included at work and that opportunities are available to those traditionally underrepresented in the profession. Race, gender and disability are examples of some of the areas of focus for DEI.

When it comes to disability, at an 80% rate of unemployment/underemployment (the highest rate of all disabilities), those on the autism spectrum are underrepresented in the workplace as a whole — although they may have the skills, talents and education to be high-performing employees. As an autistic full-time employee myself, I am in the minority, but it does not have to be that way.

As we are still in the midst of the Great Resignation, it is an opportune time for any profession to learn about this largely untapped talent source, and the accounting profession is no exception. Generally, autistic people have many positive qualities that the accounting profession is looking for in new hires — attention to detail, the ability to deeply focus, visual skills, a methodical approach, tenacity and loyalty are a few. For accounting firms and other organizations focused on building a more diverse workforce, hiring autistic talent can not only move their DEI goals forward but also bring unique and creative ways of thinking and problem solving to their organizations.

In this article, we will first cover the definition of autism and then discuss how hiring autistic employees can benefit the workplace, including within the accounting profession. We will then review some tips for employers who have autistic employees on staff or who are interested in hiring those on the spectrum.

Defining autism

According to the CDC, about 1 in 44 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As more is understood about autism, more people of all ages are being identified as autistic, and many of us may know someone in our life who is on the spectrum. But what exactly is autism?

Autism is a neurological developmental disability estimated to affect 1%-2% of the population. Although symptoms and support needs are varied, autistic people have a neurological profile of atypical language and communication, social interaction, motor coordination and sensory processing, and executive functioning.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), published by the American Psychiatric Association, states that a diagnosis of ASD requires “persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts” as manifested by the following, either currently or by history: deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction and in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships. Additionally, at least two of the four following types of restricted, repetitive behaviors are required for diagnosis, either currently or by history:

Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects or speech.
Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior.
Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus.
Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment.

Before the 2013 publication of the DSM-5-TR, individuals with these characteristics may have received a diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, or childhood disintegrative disorder. Under the DSM-5-TR, all of these diagnoses are included within autism spectrum disorder.

With the DSM-5-TR autism diagnosis changes also came the levels of ASD. There are three levels of autism: Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. The levels are assigned to two of the domains of symptoms of the ASD diagnosis, social skills and restrictive or repetitive behaviors, in order to help identify the severity of symptoms and the amount of assistance in performing daily activities the autistic person may need.

With the addition of the levels and the merging of four previous diagnoses under one umbrella term of autism spectrum disorder, it became more understood that autism is a spectrum and that each autistic person’s strengths and struggles can vary from one area of life to another. For example, award-winning public speaker and autism advocate Kerry Magro says, “I cannot ride a bike and have trouble buttoning my shirts … I am also a doctoral graduate and have a job as a public speaker.” On the other hand, I enjoy dancing and kickboxing and also struggle making small talk. We are both autistic adults, but Kerry has more difficulty with balance and motor skills, and I have more trouble with conversational cues. However, both of us are able to make a contribution in our work environment.

How autism benefits the workplace

Although no two people on the autism spectrum are the same, there are certain qualities that are common in the autistic neurological profile, and several of these qualities can provide benefits to the accounting profession and the workplace in general.

Many autistic people have the capacity to perform highly detailed work due to a heightened ability to focus on a single task for an extended period of time. Combined with a more visual way of processing information, excellent long-term memory and exceptional pattern recognition abilities, autistic employees can provide innovative solutions and increased productivity to professions where attention to detail is crucial.

For example, in the first two years of Hewlett Packard Enterprise South Pacific’s neurodiversity hiring program, its neurodiverse software testing teams working with the Australian Department of Human Services were 30% more productive than its other software testing teams. This success prompted the Australian Defense Department to engage Hewlett Packard Enterprise in developing a neurodiversity program in cybersecurity where employees examine complex data for signs of intrusion. The hiring process for the program utilizes assessment methods used by the Israeli Defense Forces, whose Special Intelligence Unit 9900 responsible for analyzing aerial and satellite imagery includes a group staffed primarily with people on the autism spectrum due to their pattern-recognition abilities. Using these same assessment methods aided the Australian Defense Department in finding cybersecurity employees whose abilities are “off the charts.”

Within the accounting profession, Deloitte has recognized the value those on the spectrum can offer as employees. As part of the firm’s DEI efforts, it has created a program called Neurodiversity@Deloitte with the goal of “training high performing talent across the autism spectrum.” The program is in collaboration with Specialisterne, a Danish consulting firm that works with employers to recruit qualified neurodiverse employees and create inclusive work environments.

Potential candidates for Deloitte’s program apply on the Specialisterne website, and qualified applicants are invited to attend a virtual one-day employment workshop. If successful during the workshop, applicants are invited to a virtual two-week assessment period where they have the opportunity to demonstrate their technical skills. Those who complete the assessment period successfully are then offered a three-month paid apprenticeship with an opportunity for full-time employment upon completion of the apprenticeship. At the conclusion of the program’s first session in 2019, full-time employment offers in Deloitte’s Risk and Financial Advisory practice were extended to two of the autistic participants who had completed the three-month program.

In addition to their unique thought processes and skills, those on the autism spectrum can also be a good match for the accounting profession because of their personal qualities. People on the spectrum are typically thought to be very honest and value integrity in work and in life. In a profession such as accounting, where ethics play a key role, an autistic employee can be a natural fit. Also, those on the spectrum are thought to generally be more accepting of people’s differences and less likely to judge others — positive qualities for an employee to possess within any workplace.

Hiring and working with autistic employees

Now that we see how those on the autism spectrum can benefit the workplace, including in the accounting profession, how can we ensure that these potential employees are not overlooked during the job application and interview process, and that when hired, they have the best chance of success?

As the traditional job interview focuses heavily on nonverbal communication and social-emotional reciprocity, it makes sense that an interview would be difficult for an autistic person to navigate. An autistic job applicant may be overlooked in the traditional interview process due to verbal communication difficulties or lack of eye contact, for example, although the autistic candidate might be the perfect fit for the position in terms of their skills.

When German software company SAP started its Autism at Work program in 2013, it was one of the first major companies to implement a program designed to recruit autistic employees and provide support to them once hired. The company received initial applications from people with master’s degrees in fields like electrical engineering and biostatistics and bachelor’s degrees in computer science and engineering physics. Some had earned dual degrees, and one applicant held a patent. And they had all struggled to find a job in their field because of difficulties with the traditional hiring and interview process.

To help make the job application process more equitable, employers may want to consider utilizing outside-the-box ways for prospects to show their skills. Companies such as SAP and Deloitte are able to recruit successful autistic employees — SAP’s program boasts a 90% retention rate of hires who are on the spectrum — because of their hiring processes that provide autistic candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in practical ways.

For organizations that may not have the resources to develop a full autism program, allowing job applicants to perform a task, solve a problem or provide a portfolio of samples can help even the playing field for autistic job seekers. Hiring managers should also keep in mind that an autistic applicant’s resume may not be an accurate representation of their capabilities due to periods of unemployment or underemployment. This is another reason why outside-the-box methods of evaluating job applicants are important for employers to consider.

Once an autistic employee is hired, there are many ways an organization can provide accommodations for their new employee to give them the best chance at working to their potential for the organization and, of course, to provide them with a supportive and inclusive work environment. One of the accommodations that can be most helpful to those on the autism spectrum has also proven to be helpful to a wide range of professionals during the pandemic — the ability to work from home either part time or full time.

For those on the autism spectrum, working from home provides a comfortable and familiar work environment that minimizes social expectations and sensory stressors, making it easier to focus on work. When in the office, there are many items that can be used by the autistic employee to help with sensory issues. Of course, since office environments are all different and autistic sensory issues vary from person to person, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but items like sensory lighting, noise-canceling headphones and stress balls are a few common examples of items used by autistics.

When it comes to communication, there are also things organizations can do to provide a more equitable and inclusive work environment for autistic employees. Managers should be clear in what they expect of their autistic employees, as autistics can have trouble “reading between the lines” of what people say and also in reading nonverbal cues.

People on the autism spectrum can also have difficulty with knowing when to enter a conversation or may think of something to say about a topic after the group has moved to the next agenda item during a meeting, so it can be helpful for the person leading a meeting to allocate time for each attendee to give their thoughts in order to ensure that those on the spectrum have a chance to contribute. As you have hopefully seen in this article, you may be missing out on more than you realize if you miss out on the contributions of this largely untapped talent source.

Resources

The following organizations offer a variety of resources on autism:

Sources

About the Author

Kate Smith has worked as a Communications Associate for the Tennessee Society of CPAs since 2018.

Reprinted with permission from Tennessee.