David McNabb was formed in Science Computer in 2001, but was never able to work, or in your area or in any other, because it failed in every interview.
Meetings with potential employers “undoubtedly were a major obstacle,” said McNabb, 36, who was diagnosed autistic last year.
“I was not in tune with what they sought in a person, or maybe I was not the type of person they would like to work.”
He eventually started his professional life for about five months when he began working from home for the Ultra Testing, a startup of two years and a half testing software for businesses. Eighty percent of the Ultra workforce has autism spectrum disorder.
Many people with autism disorder that obstructs social and communication skills, are unemployed, and those who work tend to have low-wage jobs.
The interviews are difficult because many of these people find it difficult to make eye contact and are sensitive to noise or light.
However, like McNabb, some are highly functional and have an excellent performance on repetitive tasks, to identify data patterns and find flaws in software – good candidates for the technology industry -. Microsoft Corp., SAP SE, Freddie Mac and HP Australia initiated programs to hire people on the autism spectrum.
“No doubt this has been a very good step for me, because I’m taking off and can show that I can work and contribute in a team,” said McNabb, who lives with her father and stepmother in Flossmoor, Illinois.
He spent several years helping their families solve computer problems, offering himself and trying to fix at home operating systems and software to discover how they work.
‘Clever’
Last year, a team of Ultra tests, which is based in New York, devoted himself to find out software flaws to the company responsible for the Webby Awards, which honor excellence on the internet.
“They found 5-10 times more things than us. We were impressed, “said Steve Marchese, executive producer of the Webby Media Group. “This is a very clever way to use the gifts spectrum people have.”
Another incentive for companies to hire people with autism is that it helps them to observe labor laws that went into effect last year in the US.
The regulation requires that, for federal contracts, companies increase hiring people with disabilities so that they equate to at least 7 percent of employees.
The integration can be challenging. To deal with autistic adults is usually necessary to increase the training, adapting workstations, adopt new communication skills and accept unconventional working methods.
Employees need to suit the physical work environment, its noises, its layout and social interactions with peers. Both sides need to be aware of comparable wages to avoid exploitation.
Microsoft and SAP
Microsoft said last month it began a pilot program in Redmond, Washington, in partnership with Specialisterne USA, a nonprofit group that helps autistic people get jobs.
“They have passion for detail,” said Mark Grein, CEO of Specialisterne, in an interview in Stamford, Connecticut. “They tend to be very good at following improvements and optimize a process.”
SAP SE, German software maker, hired 53 employees around the world since 2012 through its Autism at Work program (“Autism at work” in free translation) and aims that by 2020 autistic people compose one percent of company staff, which currently stands at 74,500 workers.
“We have clear evidence of the business benefits of our pilot program”, as gains in productivity, quality, customer relations, people management and innovation, said José Velasco, director of SAP in the US Autism program.
“We are trying to create a culture where we value each other,” said Rajesh Anandan, a founder of the Ultra. The company is hiring four or five employees every six to eight weeks to meet the demand for services, and the vast majority of new employees is autistic, he said. “If indeed we are successful, we will hire hundreds, maybe a few thousand.”
Topics: Real , Labor Market , Microsoft , Business Information Technology , American companies , Technology companies , SAP , German companies , Technology
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