Neurodiverse employers are proving disability is an asset

Employers should pay heed. So should a government that is trying to sanction people into working, writes James Moore

- James Moore

What's the plan for getting more disabled people into the workplace? The government's approach is predicated on bullying, and on reforming the welfare system to make life more difficult for them. Little enough attention is being paid to employers and recruiters, who frequently discriminate and throw up barriers even in the midst of the profound labour shortages that are holding back the UK economy.

The scale of the problem with employers is revealed in polling conducted by Auticon - an IT consultant, social enterprise, and majority neurodiverse employer - which focuses on the experience of autistic people in the workplace.

An online survey, conducted for the organisation by OnePoll, found that 31 per cent of respondents viewed the recruitment process as the most challenging part of their career. Traditional interviews don't suit neurodivergent adults. There is a multitude of unwritten rules about how candidates should conduct themselves, and succeeding in interviews demands that they pick up on social cues and play the corporate game. Autistic people can find this extremely difficult. Ditto the idea that they should "sell" themselves.