Firms urged to hire “untapped neurodiverse workforce” to close tech skills gaps
Improving the employment opportunities for the “untapped neurodiverse workforce” could close the current skills gap in the tech industry, said recruitment company Hays.
In a report, Hays stated that adults with conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and Tourette syndrome are ‘hugely underrepresented’ across many sectors of the jobs market.
“With many sectors experiencing acute skills shortages, making organizations more accessible for neuro-minorities could be key to plugging the skills gap,” the recruitment firm added.
Hays Technology Global Head James Milligan said, “There are many benefits that neurodiverse employees can bring to the workforce, particularly in filling technical skills gaps.”
He explained that neurodiverse people approach problems differently and can provide highly creative solutions to complex problems.
To give neurodiverse individuals a chance, Milligan said that organizations should consider changing the nature of interview questions to those with a discernible connection to the tech job, avoiding traditional interview processes, and sending candidates the interview questions in advance.
On job adverts, Milligan added that organizations should include a diversity and inclusion statement in job descriptions.
“Hiring neurodivergent tech professionals can have a positive effect on an organization’s entire workforce, bringing a whole pool of untapped talent into the industry at a time when the digital skills gap is at an all-time high,” Hays concluded.
