Google Campaign To Hire More People With Autism Spectrum

One of Google’s recent goals is to hire more people with autism spectrum.  The company is also interested in other illnesses and disorders such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficit disorder, and Silicon Valley office managers know the potential of these young people.

However, Google has had to formulate its approaches to hire more people with autism spectrum. This is because the selection mechanisms for this population group may not be the same as for other groups (non-autistic people), but they must use other approaches that adapt to the characteristics of people with autism spectrum.

The unemployment rate for these groups is high. However, those in the autism spectrum are qualified and often specialized. For this reason, employers must seize their opportunities and promote their employment.

It is important to remember that many autistic people avoid eye contact in a job interview.

It is important to hire more people with autism spectrum disorders

Autism spectrum disorder manifests itself differently in each person. For example, some are very functional people who don’t even know they are suffering from the condition. On the other hand, there are children, young people and dependent adults who have not developed communication skills. Thus, the autistic community constitutes a very diverse population.

Data on student numbers and employability of autistic people are interesting. A study by the University of Washington in the United States found that 34.7 percent of young people with autism spectrum disorders have attended college. However, their employment after training is very poor.

Even those who do not have a higher education take a long time to find a job. The figures for other countries are very similar. It is usually not easy for people with nervous system development problems to integrate into society. And if these people have difficulty getting a job, there are other, rather invisible, disadvantaged groups who have even more difficulty doing so.

Empowerment of deviant people

Google has already launched a campaign that has become official. It aims to hire more people with autism spectrum disorders. The company seeks to work with the Stanford Neurodiversity Project to empower neurodivergents. In other words, it includes all those young people who belong to the autism spectrum and who cannot find work due to various prejudices and barriers. With this project, they can demonstrate their potential.

Google executives explain that it’s time to create a more humane and diverse work environment.  What does this mean? That means we’ve long advertised companies run by people who always have the same practices. We are focused on maintaining a culture where vulnerabilities and specificities are not allowed to show.

Therefore, disability, like neurodiversity in all its forms, has been taboo. However, we now know that the more ways there are to work, invent and think, the richer the environment.  Google wants to take advantage of this, and is therefore looking to hire more people with autism.

New ways of recruiting

An autistic person often does not make eye contact with the interviewer.  He may also not be able to answer questions colored by irony and contradiction. Google’s standard selection processes have always been challenging. Interviews traditionally require determination, innovation, and good responsiveness from candidates.

Until recently, Google focused on recruiting “ordinary” people. However, the perspective has now changed as their new goal is to hire more people with autism spectrum.

• Interviewers are trained to understand how a person with an autism spectrum copes and acts. It is important that interviewers do not misunderstand things such as unusual movements, lack of eye contact, or sounds. There is a lot of variation in the autism spectrum.
• Interview times have been extended. This gives the candidates more time.
• Candidates will be informed of all the steps they have to take in the selection procedures. In this way, everything is well structured for them.
• They may express themselves in writing if necessary.

There is one more goal. This is because after hiring, these employees find an inviting work environment. A sense of acceptance and integration is key.  Only in this way can they demonstrate their potential. This also means training other employees to understand autism.

Hiring people with autism promotes inclusion

Genuine inclusion normalizes rather than discriminates. However, mechanisms need to be put in place to make this possible. While it’s true that Google now has more interview strategies for people with autism, they still end up facing the same challenges as anyone who wants to work for this technology giant.

The idea is to create a culture with optimal settings for people with autism to reveal their ability. This is because neurodiversity is a disorder that manifests itself in many ways. However, everyone needs and deserves the opportunity.

Creating mechanisms for access to the labor market means creating a more inclusive world. A world where we understand that we are all equally important.