With a greater emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, and the war for talent raging, more and more companies are looking to become neuroinclusive – recognizing and including individuals who bring different neurological perspectives to the business. Yet, most employers are recognizing that their standard recruiting and interviewing processes are designed for uniformities in cognitive styles, in particular, the ways neurotypical candidates think; making it difficult for neurodivergent candidates to demonstrate the talents they can bring to an organization.

Understanding differences in social cognition and processing of information is crucial in successfully attracting, developing and retaining neurodivergent employees. To this end, a number of intermediaries have emerged to help employers and neurodivergent individuals come together.  When launching a neurodiversity hiring and/or training initiative it’s important to partner with experts who can provide your organization with knowledge about how to attract and retain neurodivergent talent, as well as how to define and reach your ultimate program goals.

Below are some types of organizations that could be valuable partners in establishing and growing your reach into the neurodivergent talent pool.

Autism Support Programs

It is estimated that approximately 2% of college/university students today are autistic. A number of schools have established specialized support programs for these students. The below organizations track and provide information on those programs:

• College Autism Spectrum, a consulting firm that works with students and parents, lists 70 college and university support programs throughout the U.S. on their website, and this number is growing.
• Top College Consultants, another consulting organization for students with autism and learning differences who are looking for the right college environment, lists over 145 colleges and universities on their website that provide some type of support for autistic students.
• College Autism Network (CAN), a non-profit whose goal is to maximize the success of autistic students and the colleges that support them has a published list of 82 colleges and universities throughout the U.S. with autism support programs.

Employers can build direct relationships with these programs, targeted at recruiting autistic talent. Some of these schools will also work with employers to provide training on supporting their neurodivergent students through the recruiting and onboarding process.

Vocational Agencies

U.S. citizens with a disability are entitled to vocational support services from the government, through a state-based vocational rehabilitation (VR) system. To source candidates through this system, employers should identify the state VR offices and private agencies in the locations they wish to recruit. The state agencies will not go out into the market to source candidates, but only recommend existing clients they serve that can fill your hiring needs. Despite the need to navigate the state-based VR system and limited pool of potential candidates, employers should not ignore vocational agencies as a source of neurodivergent talent. Not all these organizations will provide training support, however, or if they do, it may be limited in scope and time. Be sure to ask about the level of training support that will be provided, so that you can plan your own training efforts accordingly.

Autism Employment Experts

In the past few years, many organizations and individuals have established themselves as experts in the field of neurodiversity employment. These experts provide a range of services including consulting on how to best establish a neurodiversity hiring initiative; training and educating companies on how to recruit, interview and support neurodivergent talent; sourcing candidates; and supporting managers and neurodivergent employees post-hire. When sourcing talent, tap into these experts. However, ask if the expert you are working with is representing a group of candidates they are seeking to place in jobs, as is the case with VR agencies, or tapping into a broader neurodivergent talent pool to find the right candidates for you. Also, ask how transparent the expert’s recruiting process will be to you, so that over time you will learn how to source and train neurodiverse talent on your own.

Below are some questions to consider when deciding which experts are the best fit for your organization:

• What is the background of the key staff re: autism and neurodiversity? Do they have experience in and an appreciation for your work environment?  Do they employ neurodivergent talent on their own staff?
• What services will they be providing (i.e., recruiting, training, ongoing support for candidates and managers)? Will they be subcontracting any of those services? If so, do you have approval over the choice of subcontractors?
• Do they represent you (the employer) or the job seekers?
• How does the organization source candidates for you? What responsibility, if any, do you have for sourcing candidates?  What is the retention rate of the candidates placed by the organization?
• What type of ongoing support and training do you (the employer) receive prior to hiring candidates and once they are on the job?
• Does the organization teach you how to run and grow your neurodiversity hiring program on your own over time?

And most important, neuroinclusion is not just about creating a program to increase the hiring of neurodivergent talent. With an estimated 30% to 40% of individuals in the U.S. having a neurodivergent condition, many organizations already employ neurodivergent individuals. The same training required to create a successful neurodiversity hiring, or learning, initiative is useful in supporting all neurodivergent talent in your company.