Supporting autistic graduates into the workplace

Catherine Leggett, employment consultant at the National Autistic Society, sets out the challenges graduates with autism face in getting a job and explains how employers can help them succeed

During my time working with autistic graduates, jobseekers, careers services, supported employment agencies, employability professionals and employers, one thing has become clear: the transition from university to the workplace is one of the most challenging experiences autistic graduates will face.

We know that with the excellent support available to autistic students in university, they have a lower drop-out rate than their non-autistic counterparts and do well in their degrees.1

Despite this, the unemployment rate six months after graduating is over four times as high for autistic graduates than non-disabled graduates, and well over twice the rate for autistic graduates as disabled graduates.2

In addition, autistic graduates are much less likely to enter graduate-level employment than other graduates.

Does your job advert provide a clear picture?

Autistic jobseekers in general have difficulty interpreting vague or ambiguous language in job adverts, and they need clear, 'unfussy' detail and information about:

• what a desirable skill or qualification is, as opposed to an essential requirement
• expected working hours
• pay
• the working environment and location.

Presenting this information clearly in job adverts will make it easier for autistic jobseekers to apply for a job or opportunity.

Could you adjust your recruitment process?

Autistic candidates have difficulty thinking about transferable skills and 'selling' themselves to employers. The strengths common to the autistic community - such as creative problem-solving, reliability and accuracy - are really attractive to employers, particularly in industries where there are serious skills shortages such as digital, cyber and creative.

Increasing the recruitment, retention and promotion of autistic employees promotes a diverse workforce and a socially responsible organisation, which is a business no-brainer in many respects. Careers services and employers can make some adjustments that will help deliver this.

Recruiting managers and recruitment services should be flexible about adjusting their processes to make them accessible. For example, offer work trials or experiential days, so that candidates can get a feel for the role and the workplace before applying for a job. Autistic candidates will also be able to demonstrate their skills and aptitude for the work - rather than focusing on trying to meet the social expectations they might face in traditional high-pressure interviews.

Some other simple changes include offering web-based interviews, providing questions in advance, having a quiet and private place to wait in advance of a face-to-face interview, and allowing candidates to bring someone along to support or prompt them to refer to any prepared notes or scripts.

We encourage all interviewers not to rely on non-verbal gestures or indications, either their own or the candidates', and allow additional processing time in between simple points or questions - for example a five second pause - before asking the candidate whether they need the question rephrased.

With all types of recruitment processes, autistic candidates will benefit from having additional visual and written information about the interview structure, the interviewing panel and the location, with the option to contact a clearly designated person to ask for any further clarification or information prior to the day.

For careers services, it can be useful to work with jobseekers to produce a one-sheet summary of their strengths and what they needed support for while at university. With this information readily available, potential employers can better make adjustments at interview and in the role if the candidate is successful.

How can the stigma around autism be removed?

Thinking about disclosing their autism to employers (why, when and how?) can be difficult for many autistic adults, so organisations should work with them to discuss what the benefits are of doing this.

These benefits could include, for example, having simple adjustments made for differences in eye contact or being provided with written questions. Recruiters should also talk through any drawbacks or worries that the person has, such as being negatively stereotyped.

Adults often ask, when do they need to disclose? This is a difficult question to answer, as it depends on what stage they are likely to need adjustments to be made in order to be successful. And, of course, this isn't easy to judge for someone who hasn't had experience of various types of interviews.

We advise them to think back to what kinds of help and support they had while studying and ask a trusted friend, family member or adviser to work with them on decision-making around whether they are likely to need adjustments for social or processing differences, or because they find it difficult to manage their anxiety in new and unfamiliar situations.

Employers also ask us how they can positively encourage talented autistic graduates to disclose, so that they can better support them. We know that having a robust set of alternative interview options, offering simple adjustments, and letting candidates know about this at the advertising stage will really encourage autistic candidates to apply.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of HECSU/Prospects

Find out more

• Recruiting an autistic employee, National Autistic Society.
• Employment training and consultancy, National Autistic Society.

Notes

1. Supporting people with autism through adulthood, National Audit Office, 2009.
2. What Happens Next? - A Report on the First Destinations of Disabled Graduates, AGCAS, 2015.

Written by

Catherine Leggett

Employment consultant

The National Autistic Society