Integrating diversity in the work environment to grow humanly and professionally
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 8:38 am
Table of Contents:
Specific talent wasted
Augmented reality and video games for job search
Dynamics adapted to the reality of people with ASD
Preparing the selection process
Success in projects is achieved with diversity
Understanding the differences to get the most out of them
At Dell Technologies we are very aware of the need to include diverse profiles in our work groups as a way of attracting professionals who can think innovatively when undertaking a project or resolving a conflict and of creating a different company culture. That is why we are committed to integrating diversity in our work environment.
According to Autism Europe , an international network made up of approximately 90 national, regional and local autism associations from 38 different countries, representing people on the autism spectrum and their families, between 76% and 90% of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are unemployed and do not carry out any productive or work activity, making them the disability group with the highest unemployment rate and a negative example of lack of diversity in the workplace .
According to neuroscientist and video game expert Leanne Chukoskie , this situation is causing a lot of talent to be wasted due to simple ignorance .
In our country, last December 2021, the Spanish Strategy for Active Support to Employment 2021-2024 was approved , which forms the state framework of reference for public employment services to design and manage their policies and which includes, for the first time and specifically, people with ASD without a link between the disorder and intellectual disability, which, until now, generated problems of access and accreditation for this group .
Specific talent wasted
People with ASD bring high intelligence and a very intense focus on specific tasks . In addition, they tend to be very precise in solving problems, committed and loyal, meaning they tend to keep their jobs, according to Chukoskie.
But it is difficult for them to prove it because they are not given the opportunity.
Companies such as Microsoft and Dell Technologies have developed unique diversity selection processes in collaboration with associations such as the nonPareil Institute , for example.
Augmented reality and video games for job search
The University of San Diego, where Chukoskie works, has begun using augmented reality and video games to prepare people with ASD and help them get a job in the technology industry. And in Spain, the Campus Autismo Ángel Riviere is also dedicated to training future professional candidates with training programs such as “Job coach specialized in autism spectrum disorder” or “The value of employment for the autonomy of people with ASD.”
The Chukoskie team will work with 25 high school graduates over the next few years to help them develop tools for future peers .
The program introduces students to a work environment and teaches them game development skills, as well as CV writing and professional networking techniques.
The interesting thing about these courses is that they apply technology itself to the learning process, that is, part of the training is done through augmented reality and video games.
For example, in some sessions a simulation of social aspects in work environments is used to help students understand specific situations and help them avoid awkward situations. At the end of the programme, each candidate presents his or her own projects and games to the rest of the group.
Dynamics adapted to the reality of people with ASD
The aim of the programme is to help people with ASD understand how to socialise at work . For example, people with ASD often have difficulty maintaining eye contact with their interlocutors.
In one of the practices carried out with Augmented Reality, when the student looks outside the game space, he loses the game. Thanks to these practices, real interactions are much more comfortable for the student.
Non-verbal communication often goes unnoticed by people with ASD. That is why another practice uses the gaze to see how the visual circuit and the attention circuit are connected in the brain.
Preparing the selection process
While the boys and girls are training in this university program, some technology companies also develop specific practices regarding candidate selection .
At Dell Technologies, for example, we are fortunate to have Danielle Biddick how to get uk whatsapp number who previously spent her career at a non-governmental organization that supported recruitment programs at Microsoft.
Biddick says that a job interview with a person with ASD is very different from a traditional interview , not least because of the lack of eye contact we mentioned earlier or because the candidate does not show the enthusiasm that the interviewer would like.
Biddick therefore proposes a slightly longer process that promotes more encouraging results for everyone .
To do this, the candidate shares his time with the selection team and those who will be his bosses, so that everyone gets to know each other better and the candidate's skills emerge on their own as soon as there is some necessary trust.
At the end of the process, it is checked whether the candidate is suitable for the intended position or for another position within the company.
Success in projects is achieved with diversity
Most area managers today admit that diversity is essential to achieving project success, which is why they advocate increasing neurodiversity in their teams as well.
Biddick highlights, without going any further, how many of the managers she has worked with have thanked her for her proposals: promoting diversity measures to work with people with ASD has made them better leaders because they have learned to listen better and to observe the challenges posed by each professional project from other very interesting perspectives, says the expert.
And not only that: although it is true that social skills may be lower, technical capacity is much higher than expected.
“Some candidates have learned to use programs in several days, even though it is normal to spend several weeks to master them,” admit managers who have hired people with ASD.
To make everyone aware of the change, Biddick suggests that team leaders get proper training on what autism is and is not .
This is an essential step to eliminate stereotypes and to better understand the capabilities of the new professional while allowing the company to comply with equity, integration and diversity initiatives .
For example, if the person with ASD is easily distracted by the hustle and bustle of so many workplaces, they can be offered noise-cancelling headphones. Or if they show symptoms of anxiety when meeting other people, virtual meetings can be suggested , something we have all become accustomed to by now.
Specific talent wasted
Augmented reality and video games for job search
Dynamics adapted to the reality of people with ASD
Preparing the selection process
Success in projects is achieved with diversity
Understanding the differences to get the most out of them
At Dell Technologies we are very aware of the need to include diverse profiles in our work groups as a way of attracting professionals who can think innovatively when undertaking a project or resolving a conflict and of creating a different company culture. That is why we are committed to integrating diversity in our work environment.
According to Autism Europe , an international network made up of approximately 90 national, regional and local autism associations from 38 different countries, representing people on the autism spectrum and their families, between 76% and 90% of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are unemployed and do not carry out any productive or work activity, making them the disability group with the highest unemployment rate and a negative example of lack of diversity in the workplace .
According to neuroscientist and video game expert Leanne Chukoskie , this situation is causing a lot of talent to be wasted due to simple ignorance .
In our country, last December 2021, the Spanish Strategy for Active Support to Employment 2021-2024 was approved , which forms the state framework of reference for public employment services to design and manage their policies and which includes, for the first time and specifically, people with ASD without a link between the disorder and intellectual disability, which, until now, generated problems of access and accreditation for this group .
Specific talent wasted
People with ASD bring high intelligence and a very intense focus on specific tasks . In addition, they tend to be very precise in solving problems, committed and loyal, meaning they tend to keep their jobs, according to Chukoskie.
But it is difficult for them to prove it because they are not given the opportunity.
Companies such as Microsoft and Dell Technologies have developed unique diversity selection processes in collaboration with associations such as the nonPareil Institute , for example.
Augmented reality and video games for job search
The University of San Diego, where Chukoskie works, has begun using augmented reality and video games to prepare people with ASD and help them get a job in the technology industry. And in Spain, the Campus Autismo Ángel Riviere is also dedicated to training future professional candidates with training programs such as “Job coach specialized in autism spectrum disorder” or “The value of employment for the autonomy of people with ASD.”
The Chukoskie team will work with 25 high school graduates over the next few years to help them develop tools for future peers .
The program introduces students to a work environment and teaches them game development skills, as well as CV writing and professional networking techniques.
The interesting thing about these courses is that they apply technology itself to the learning process, that is, part of the training is done through augmented reality and video games.
For example, in some sessions a simulation of social aspects in work environments is used to help students understand specific situations and help them avoid awkward situations. At the end of the programme, each candidate presents his or her own projects and games to the rest of the group.
Dynamics adapted to the reality of people with ASD
The aim of the programme is to help people with ASD understand how to socialise at work . For example, people with ASD often have difficulty maintaining eye contact with their interlocutors.
In one of the practices carried out with Augmented Reality, when the student looks outside the game space, he loses the game. Thanks to these practices, real interactions are much more comfortable for the student.
Non-verbal communication often goes unnoticed by people with ASD. That is why another practice uses the gaze to see how the visual circuit and the attention circuit are connected in the brain.
Preparing the selection process
While the boys and girls are training in this university program, some technology companies also develop specific practices regarding candidate selection .
At Dell Technologies, for example, we are fortunate to have Danielle Biddick how to get uk whatsapp number who previously spent her career at a non-governmental organization that supported recruitment programs at Microsoft.
Biddick says that a job interview with a person with ASD is very different from a traditional interview , not least because of the lack of eye contact we mentioned earlier or because the candidate does not show the enthusiasm that the interviewer would like.
Biddick therefore proposes a slightly longer process that promotes more encouraging results for everyone .
To do this, the candidate shares his time with the selection team and those who will be his bosses, so that everyone gets to know each other better and the candidate's skills emerge on their own as soon as there is some necessary trust.
At the end of the process, it is checked whether the candidate is suitable for the intended position or for another position within the company.
Success in projects is achieved with diversity
Most area managers today admit that diversity is essential to achieving project success, which is why they advocate increasing neurodiversity in their teams as well.
Biddick highlights, without going any further, how many of the managers she has worked with have thanked her for her proposals: promoting diversity measures to work with people with ASD has made them better leaders because they have learned to listen better and to observe the challenges posed by each professional project from other very interesting perspectives, says the expert.
And not only that: although it is true that social skills may be lower, technical capacity is much higher than expected.
“Some candidates have learned to use programs in several days, even though it is normal to spend several weeks to master them,” admit managers who have hired people with ASD.
To make everyone aware of the change, Biddick suggests that team leaders get proper training on what autism is and is not .
This is an essential step to eliminate stereotypes and to better understand the capabilities of the new professional while allowing the company to comply with equity, integration and diversity initiatives .
For example, if the person with ASD is easily distracted by the hustle and bustle of so many workplaces, they can be offered noise-cancelling headphones. Or if they show symptoms of anxiety when meeting other people, virtual meetings can be suggested , something we have all become accustomed to by now.