Autism in the Workplace
This web resource is designed for HR professionals, business owners, and hirers. It provides resources and information which can be used to support inclusive hiring practises and workplace support for autistic applicants and employees. These resources have been developed to summarise existing guidance and advice, and to provide downloadable resources which you can use in your workplace. If you have any feedback or suggestions we would love to hear them.
"Ignoring neurodiversity means businesses are overlooking and underutilising a substantial talent pool." The Buckland Review of Autism and Employment, 2024
You can access links to Resources and Guidance which include relevant reports, guidelines for employers, training, and access to tailored support. The Downloadable Resources can be downloaded and adapted for use in your workplace. These give suggestions for how to implement workplace adjustments. You can also watch videos with autistic employees where they discuss their Employment Experiences and the importance of reasonable adjustments in the workplace.
What is autism?
Autism is a lifelong developmental condition.
Approximately 1 in 70 people in the UK are autistic.
Autism can co-occur with other conditions (e.g., ADHD, dyspraxia, learning disabilities) but autism itself is not a learning disability.
Autistic employees may have particular strengths (e.g., ability to hyper focus, high attention to detail) and needs (e.g., difficulties with social communication, sensory sensitivities) compared to their neurotypical colleagues.
Autism is a spectrum condition which means every autistic person is different. Assuming autistic people will have problems in particular areas could lead to the underuse of their skills.
What are the benefits of hiring autistic people?
Autistic people often have the ability to focus for long periods without distraction. They can work with high levels of accuracy and attention to detail, are skilled in technical abilities (e.g., in IT), and have excellent memory and detailed subject knowledge.
Autistic people are often good at problem-solving, error identification and pattern recognition, and have excellent organisational skills.
Autistic people can introduce different ways of thinking and working in the workplace.
With minor adjustments and support, autistic people make reliable and conscientious employees with lower levels of sickness and staff turnover.
Examples of organisations that are targeting recruitment and support to autistic people so as to benefit from their skills include: Google, Deutsche Bank, Microsoft, GCHQ, UK Civil Service.
1 in 70 of the UK population is autistic. Employing a neurodiverse workforce helps to make sure that your employees represent your client base, customers and/or service users.
The employment gap for autistic people and why it is a problem.
Only 3 out of 10 autistic people are in any kind of employment, compared to 8 out of 10 neurotypical and non-disabled people.
Autistic graduates are twice as likely to be unemployed 15 months after graduating. They are also most likely to be overqualified, in zero-hours contracts and in non-permanent roles (AGCAS).
Autistic people have the largest pay gap of all disability groups, earning 1/3 less than non-disabled people.
Most autistic people want to work. Work provides financial independence and has benefits for social inclusion and mental health.
Many industries face significant labour shortages. Having a neuro-inclusive workplace widens the recruitment pool and aids workforce retention.
Research suggests that the autism employment gap costs the UK economy £14.5 billion every year.
Why are existing hiring processes not inclusive for autistic people?
Autistic people may be put off applying for jobs because of job descriptions and adverts. Job descriptions are often generic, long, and use jargon. They can be ambiguous and include specifications which do not relate directly to the job role.
Autistic people can find face to face interviews more difficult than non-autistic people do. They may experience sensory issues related to the environment, or issues with unfamiliar environments and social settings. For example, autistic people sometimes struggle with making eye contact.
Interview questions are often vague (e.g., tell us about yourself or your achievements). Not understanding how to answer abstract questions may lead to anxiety. Autistic people may also be overly honest or need additional time to process complex interview questions.
Interviews and hiring tasks often focus more on social skills than job skills.
Moves towards using AI in recruitment to screen applicants is likely to penalise autistic people (e.g., analysing facial expressions and eye contact, discounting candidates because of gaps in employment history).
How can workplaces be more inclusive?
Provide simple and inexpensive adjustments to hiring processes and workplaces. This could be as easy as allowing employees to use noise-cancelling headphones or allowing flexibility around working times.
Ensure that adjustments are regularly monitored, reviewed, and adapted as necessary.
Make the workplace inclusive as a general rule for all employees. If all employees can request adjustments, this avoids autistic people having to disclose their diagnosis to be able to access support. A recent survey reported that 68% autistic people did not disclose their autism diagnosis when they last applied for a job.
Do not assume that some jobs are unsuitable for autistic people (e.g., customer-facing roles, open-plan offices, noisy workshops). Many autistic people can work in these roles with some simple workplace adjustments.
Do not conflate social skills with skills which would make a person most suited to the job role.
Address stereotypes of autistic people which could lead to misunderstandings in the workplace. Provide access to training, information and resources for the workforce to support good working relationships with autistic colleagues.
The information included on this website is based on research carried out by the ShARL research team, Autistica and on recommendations from the Buckland Review of Autism and Employment. It has been co-produced with autistic people and a stakeholder group of hiring professionals. The project was funded by The Colt Foundation which funds research projects in environmental and occupational health.