Organisations including software giant SAP, IBM and Westpac are hiring neurodiverse talent to give them an edge. | By Jewel Topsfield JewelTopsfield
When Chris Varney was in Year 2 he presented his teacher with an incredibly detailed visual chart of the royal families of Europe from the 14th to the 19th century.
Varney believes there is a need for a positive rethink of autism, a neurological developmental disability that affects how a person thinks, feels, interacts with others, and experiences their environment., with some autistic people also having other conditions, such as intellectual disability, epilepsy, gastro-intestinal issues, anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, sleep problems and speech challenges.
Locally, organisations that actively recruit autistic talent include software giant SAP, Westpac, IBM, ANZ, the Australian Tax Office, Telstra, NAB and PricewaterhouseCoopers., a social enterprise that says on its website “neurodiversity is our advantage – our team is simply faster and more precise at data processing”.
Projects include digital farm maps for the grazing industry, technical documentation for large infrastructure and map creation for land administration. It has grown from three to 80 employees in 18 months and – thanks to philanthropist Naomi Milgrom, who has provided office space in Cremorne – has this year expanded to Melbourne, enabling Australian Spatial Analytics to create 50 roles for Victorians by the end of the year.
“IBM is very big on inclusivity,” says Sheehan. “And if we don’t have diversity of thought, we won’t have innovation. So those two things go hand in hand.”Recruit differently.
One client said if they had to describe the most valuable contribution to the project in two words it would be “ludicrous speed”. Another said: “automation genius.”It has formed a business resource group for neurodiverse employees and their allies, with four squads focusing on recruitment, awareness, career advancement and policies and procedures.Sheehan says that challenges have included some employees getting frustrated because they did not have enough work.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Patients in health care limbo as Bupa and private hospital giant fight over feesA fallout between major health firms will make people question why they should bother with private insurance, according to a prominent health industry advocate.
Read more »
As good a start to Parliament as anyone can rememberThe past fortnight stood in stark contrast to previous years in which the Morrison government regarded Parliament as something to be endured rather than turned to its advantage.
Read more »
Researchers attach body cameras to children to study New Zealand povertyImages from world-first project show ‘shameful’ differences between conditions faced by children in most- and least-advantaged households
Read more »