In 2002, the Nobel Prize in economics went to Daniel Kahneman for his work in behavioral economics, a blending of ideas from psychology and economics. Kahneman is also credited with the development of prospect theory which explains how individuals often MAKE DECISIONS using FAULTY REASONING which, rather than being based in logic, evolve from emotions, attitudes and cognitive BIASES.
Biases are filters that shape the way individuals see the world based on prior experience. When filters go unchecked, they can lead to automatic biases that cause well-intentioned managers to overlook highly talented candidates in favor of mediocre performers, who may match their unconscious stereotypes of what top talent looks like.
Managers’ Hiring Bias Fails Companies and Candidates
Economics of RECRUITING
Hiring the right people is crucial to business success but many employment decisions are riddled with faulty assumptions. In fact, managers often make poor hiring decisions because subjective measures are not good predictors of who the right people are and information tends to be filtered through unconscious bias.
Hiring based on objective measures of skills and behaviors allows for better hiring decisions and ensures a broader talent pool. For autistic job seekers who have communication challenges, an opportunity to show skills rather than tell about them can be beneficial. Large companies like Microsoft and DXC Technology, as part of their focus on neurodiverse hiring, use job auditions, an interviewing techniques that asks candidates to work on a project in order to demonstrate what they can do and how go about it. Concrete skills are put on display over several days and inconsistent eye contact or a weak handshake are overlooked in favor of fit for job tasks.
Hiring managers who interview for cultural “fit” rather than cultural “add” are likely to dismiss a job-seeker who they feel might disrupt the cultural status quo.
Making hiring about merit, not background | Omer Molad, Co-founder and CEO of Vervoe
Economics of PRODUCTIVITY
Most organizations see a significant gap between their employees actual performance and their potential performance. Some of that can be attributed to office politics — the time and energy used to navigate relationships with colleagues and manage the challenges of an organizational landscape and power hierarchy.
Job-seekers on the autism spectrum, who can struggle with interpersonal communication, are much more likely to avoid office politics and instead immerse themselves in the work. While colleagues may be initially taken back by the limited social interaction their coworkers on the autism spectrum engage in, once they see the results of their work they are more apt to be pleased with the contributions neurodivergent job seekers make to the team’s success.
Autistic teams in DXC Technology’s Dandelion Program are 30-40% more productive than DXC’s typical work teams.
Economics of RETENTION
Lack of employee retention is costly to a company’s bottom line. When talent isn’t retained, money dedicated to onboarding and training is wasted, production is lost, and company culture can be negatively impacted.
Motivated by routine and predictability, employees on the autism spectrum are at reduced risk for turnover and tend to be highly loyal. Employees with autism are rarely anxious to leave a satisfying position to seek out new opportunities. Providing comprehensive onboarding and quality management and supervision also leads to better employee retention. For employees on the autism spectrum, supportive management and supervision including clear communication and consistent feedback, is critical to employment success.
In DXC Technology’s Dandelion Program autistic teams have a 92% retention rate and 75% job satisfaction rate.
Economics of SUPPORT
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires most employers to provide reasonable accommodations that enable qualified people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their jobs. While employers may worry that hiring people with disabilities will be costly, the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) says that 50% of accomodations cost less than $500 and 19% of accommodations cost nothing at all.
Get information about DXC’s Autism at Work Dandelion Program HERE
Otto, N. (2017, August 9). Avoidable turnover costing employers big. Retrieved November 10, 2019, from http://benefitnews.com
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