October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month – Learn Why You Should Hire Neurodiverse Applicants

Neurodiversity has existed as a term since the 1990s, but it has only recently been popularized in day to day use. Neurodiversity simply means that developmental disorders are normal brain variations and people who are neurodivergent have certain strengths. 

At Woodhaven, we believe in celebrating all abilities and not viewing someone’s disability as a negative but rather as a part of their identity. Recognizing the neurodiversity in our supported individuals is part of what makes Woodhaven and our EnCircle Technologies program so successful. 

Neurodiversity in the Workplace

Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act, many workplaces are incentivized to hire neurodiverse employees who come from vocational rehabilitation agencies through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Employers can receive up to $2,400 in tax credits for each qualifying employee who works at least 400 hours during the tax year.

Many tech companies are leading the way in hiring neurodiverse applicants and have reformed their HR processes in order to accommodate more neurodiversity. Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, and SAP are among the companies that have implemented neurodiversity programs and are already seeing success! Not only are they seeing reputational gains, but they are seeing productivity gains, quality improvements, and increases in employee engagement.

Why Hire Neurodiverse Applicants?

There are many reasons why a workplace should strive to hire neurodiverse applicants, even outside of the Working Opportunity Tax Credit. According to Drexel University’s National Autism Indicators Report, 51% of workers on the autism spectrum have skills higher than what their job requires!

Building a neurodiverse workforce is advantageous in an increasingly technological world. Neurodivergent applicants possess the skills particularly needed in the STEM, artificial intelligence, and robotics fields, and the demand is high for talent in these industries.

According to EY, implementing a neurodiversity program helped them also train and retain better managers; managers now look at individual needs rather than just following antiquated protocol. It also has streamlined company-wide communication, since managers strive to avoid abstract language and provide more specific instructions to a neurodiverse staff.

Working With EnCircle’s Neurodiverse Students

The EnCircle Technology program provides classes and training to neurodiverse students in the technology field. Students learn not only hard skills (the tech), but they also learn soft skills, like how to communicate with managers, work on teams, etc. 

EnCircle students are trained in WordPress, content management, HTML/CSS1, and programs like Excel, Adobe Photoshop, and more! What most employers find great about our student hiring program is that we provide ongoing support and resources to the businesses and employees so that both can have success.

Is your business interested in learning more about hiring or providing hands on-learning opportunities for EnCircle Technology’s neurodiverse students? Contact Emma Rustemeyer at erustemeyer@woodhaventeam.org.