85% of adults on the autism spectrum are unemployed — and hiring practices may be to blame

The conversation around fostering inclusive experiences in the workplace has to extend to neurodivergent talent — and it starts with equitable hiring practices. 

Studies in recent decades indicate that up to 85% of autistic adults with a college education are unemployed, as cited by leading organizations that focus on the neurodiverse community. In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the unemployment rate for persons with a disability was about twice as high as the rate for persons without a disability.

"We've all been through an unstructured interview, where we sit down with a hiring manager, there's some small talk, maybe a handshake, some eye contact. They'll ask about you, your dreams and ambitions," says Dr. Colin Willis, senior psychologist at talent experience platform HireVue. "That whole process is actually really having a negative impact on autistic candidates."

A 2020 study of the performance of autistic job seekers by the U.K's University of Bath and University College London found that autistic applicants are less likely to engage in "impression management," which is the conscious or subconscious process in which someone will attempt to influence how people perceive them, using strategies such as persuasion and self-promotion. This causes autistic applicants to often rate poorly in confidence, communication skills and likability. 

Read more:  4 ways employers can attract and support neurodiverse talent

Not only are the conversational contents of interviews more stressful for people on the autism spectrum, but the nonverbal aspects can put them at a disadvantage. Forty-three percent of hiring managers view things like "poor" body language, including a lack of eye contact, not smiling or fidgeting — all things adults on the autism spectrum may present — as an instant dealbreaker, according to a report from career insights platform CareerBuilder. 

"There's this concept of a hidden curriculum in interviews, which are all the typical behaviors that people go through in a social situation," Willis says. "But that's not something that's immediately clear to someone on the spectrum, and so that can immediately set off an interview on the wrong note, because they're not going to necessarily follow that social script." 

The growing employment gap for autistic talent, and the hiring methods driving it, inspired the creation of quality assurance testing company Aspiritech in 2008. Out of over 120 employees at the organization, 90%  are on the autism spectrum. The company's mission statement has always been to provide equal and meaningful employment to this overlooked community.

"The workplace is absolutely set up for neurotypical people," says Tara May, CEO of Aspiritech. "Everything from the interview process to the office environment is built for neurotypical employees." 

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Unlike their neurotypical coworkers who can often maintain productivity in office settings while navigating conversation and distractions, employees on the spectrum often need a quieter space to work or they may even need headphones while they're working. May says neurodivergent talent also often needs more clear and concise written instructions, rather than open-ended instructions that are confusing or misleading. 

Of course, none of these misunderstood nuances mean that autistic workers aren't capable of producing meaningful work and value. In fact, the Harvard Business Review released a study that found that people on the spectrum are 20% more productive than their neurotypical peers if they're given the right environment and right opportunities.

That proved true for Maxwell Huffman, a program manager at Aspiritech and a ​​part of their senior leadership team. At 14, Huffman was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, which at the time was considered separate from the more general diagnosis of autism (the term has since been absorbed under the autism spectrum disorder umbrella). Now, at 32, Huffman has held multiple jobs, most of which were entry-or mid-level or warehouse work, but none made him feel as comfortable as he does at Aspiritech. 

"My mom found an ad for Aspiritech on the internet, and she saw there were opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum in the quality assurance field for tech," Huffman says. "And honestly, when I first heard about it, I was worried that I didn't have enough technical knowledge or technical expertise, but I figured I'd give it a shot anyways." 

Read more: How employer bias is getting in the way of hiring neurodiverse talent

Aspiritech's interview process was different than most. It was a series of easy-to-follow tests to see if Huffman could spot defects or issues in software while using a computer, as well as a test to roughly identify his proficiency in written communications. The interview process was specifically created to have high pass rates among neurodivergent people and is referred to as a "game-based assessment," widely recognized as a  better alternative for autistic applicants.

"These assessments level the playing field by taking a lot of that social curriculum out of the hiring decision-making process," Willis says. "They're not games like those you would find in an app store, but they're taking some of the principal design elements of games and applying them to tests to make them a little bit more engaging and a little bit less threatening to candidates. It feels more comfortable because it includes colors, sounds, leveling up and down — things that make just the whole process just feel a little bit more natural." 

Aspiritech's interview and hiring process also considers flexible hours to better suit applicants' needs and preferences. Huffman anticipated a standard 8-hour day and overtime would be necessary, and was surprised to instead learn Aspiritech's approach.

"One of the first questions I was asked when I joined Aspiritech was how many hours could I work in a day," he says. "I was frankly blown away by the question because no one had ever asked me that." 

Read more: JPMorgan Chase's Autism at Work program opens doors for those on the spectrum

Aspiritech allows its employees to choose between working six and eight hours a day; if that is too restrictive, the company offers some employees four-hour workdays on a part-time basis — but whichever schedule an applicant prefers does not affect their chances of getting hired. Additionally, all company positions have the option of being fully remote. For those that do come in the office, Aspiritech has a sensory break room that is quiet and features soft lighting. It's also equipped with weighted anxiety blankets, fidget toys, a foot massager and everything an employee may need to decompress from the sensory overload an office environment can create. Support specialists are on staff to coach employees through any additional struggles, from anxiety attacks to simply navigating difficult social settings. 

"At other companies in my past work experience that stuff was never even considered," Huffman says. "It's been a tremendous help for finding a good footing here and being able to get the best out of myself." 

Aspiritech wants other employees to understand that these equitable work conditions can improve the employee experience for all workers. Many teams may not know that they already have a neurodivergent workforce — and many employees, whether they're managing ADHD, dyslexia or an autism spectrum disorder, may not feel comfortable sharing. 

"There's such a huge workforce out there of disabled individuals that really have a tremendous amount to offer and the companies just haven't put the investment in enough to tap into that workforce," Huffman says. "But if they did, they would see that that's a huge amount of untapped talent and that it's a worthwhile investment that will pay dividends for these companies in the end."