Photo: Colleagues from the Germany SAP office connected to Autism at Work. Photo credit: SAP
A talented workforce is critical to every company’s success. Recognizing that talent isn’t limited to neurotypical individuals is what set the stage for SAP’s Autism at Work program. As part of its initiative to create a diverse, inclusive, and bias-free culture in the workplace, SAP launched the Autism at Work program in 2013 and set the ambitious goal of creating opportunities for 650 individuals who are on the spectrum.
“We want to attract the best talent in our industry,” said Sarah Loucks, global program co-lead, SAP Autism at Work. “The autism community represents a vastly underutilized talent pool, even though many individuals in the autism community are well educated and skilled. Autism at Work was designed to hire colleagues despite autism, and because of autism.”
Autism Stats and Facts
According to the CDC, about 1 percent of the world’s population has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is estimated to be about 1 in 68 people in the U.S. These individuals are faced with high unemployment or underemployment realities. The 2017 National Autism Indicators Report noted that nearly 66 percent of adults with autism are unemployed despite possessing skills such as strong visual perception and the ability to remain highly focused in certain situations.
According to Autism Speaks, 44 percent of individuals with ASD have IQ scores in the average to above average range (i.e., IQ >85). A joint study between the University of Montreal and Harvard University found that individuals with autism were able to problem-solve 40 percent faster than their peers.
Changing Professional Perceptions
There is a stigma associated with ASD that spans social and professional spheres. But as the name implies, it is a spectrum disorder, meaning people with autism may have a wide range of mild, moderate, or severe challenges. Myths and stereotypes may come to mind when thinking about an individual on the spectrum.
SAP wants to change those perceptions and instead focus on individuals and their talents. “By being intentional and open about hiring people with autism,” Loucks said, “it sends a clear message to all job candidates and to employees that SAP is accepting of each individual’s differences, and that we look beyond to understand what that person can contribute.”
The organization has discovered that by bringing different and more diverse perspectives to its creative process, it has helped enhance that process and drive innovation.
Sharing Personal Autism Stories
As for other employees, Loucks said the company has had an overwhelmingly positive response across the board. “I’ve had a number of individuals share with me that one of the reasons why they wanted to join SAP was because of the Autism at Work program and how that reflects upon our corporate culture. We’ve also heard from mentors that being involved with the program and connecting with the colleagues who have joined through the program has really helped them find a renewed purpose in their work.”
There have even been several employees who didn’t originally join through the program. After it launched, they came forward and disclosed that they were on the spectrum. “It’s really a signal that it’s positively influencing the culture. Those individuals clearly felt comfortable and confident in what the reaction would be, so they came forward to share their stories.”
A Barrier-Free Talent Pipeline
To date, the organization has more than 140 men and women on board who fill more than 24 different types of roles around the world. It also has expanded its focus to build a stronger pipeline of candidates by interacting with high school and college students on the autism spectrum in its Autism at Work locations. With this broader focus, SAP believes it can build a better talent pipeline—not just for itself but for many organizations—as it removes some of the barriers in the hiring process for people with autism.
“There are no limitations as far as the type of role an individual on the spectrum can apply for,” Loucks said. “Currently, we’ve hired men and women who have filled both individual contributor and leadership roles in everything from HR and finance to sales operations and technology.”
Mentors and Job Coaches
SAP has created a mentorship program that provides opportunities for employees with autism to connect and network with colleagues. A mentor within SAP’s Autism at Work program is generally someone who is outside of the direct team, but at the same location as the new team member. Their role is to assist with a variety of different organizational social situations. “They often bring together a number of colleagues who have joined through the program,” Loucks said, “such as by organizing lunches and other social events.”
SAP even provides a job coach, who is affiliated with one of the local partners. In each of the countries where the program is active, SAP has a local partner, usually an NGO. The job coach provides support for individuals on the spectrum to help bridge their personal life and their work life. “It’s particularly useful for many of our colleagues during times of transition such as onboarding, or when changing a role,” Loucks added.
As for the SAP hiring managers and the teams, the organization offers awareness sessions to help them support a successful transition for their new team members.
Autism Awareness at SAP
SAP is working with local partners to recruit individuals on the spectrum, but that’s not the only approach. To create a talent pipeline, SAP launched the Autism at Work Enterprise Readiness Academy, a six-week program currently piloted in the U.S. that prepares candidates with autism for the workforce. This includes collaboration, communication, teamwork, social skills, and other skills that help participants get and keep a job.
SAP has been and will continue to be active in a variety of panel discussions and events across the globe to promote the program. “Of course,” Loucks added, “the most important part of awareness is ensuring that the voices of our colleagues with autism are heard. And I think it’s wonderful that these colleagues have very kindly shared their personal stories in an incredibly open way. Not only with their direct teams, but across SAP beyond.”
Paving the Road to Inclusivity Worldwide
Loucks originally engaged with Autism at Work as local lead for the Canadian launch and re-engaged earlier this year as a global co-lead. “I really wanted to get involved because I can see the impact,” she said. “Anytime that we have a segment of the population that is, in a sense, arbitrarily excluded, and we have an opportunity to include them, I think that’s beneficial for all employees.”
The Autism at Work program is launched country by country, building targeted awareness campaigns and support networks along the way. Today, the SAP program has a presence in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Ireland, New Zealand, and the U.S., and is just now kicking off in the U.K.
Other countries are taking notice too. There’s been an uptick in SAP teams around the world reaching out to the program wanting to know how they can get involved.
“I’d love for the program to continue expanding its footprint and to be a catalyst for cultural change,” Loucks said. “It would be amazing if we’re able to influence the organizational culture, the mindset, and broader practices to such a degree that this sort of program is no longer necessary, because the fundamental components of it are mainstream.”
Interested in providing a better employee experience at your organization? Register for our webcast, HR: SAP SuccessFactors Enables a Business Beyond Bias on December 13. You can also watch this on-demand webcast, HR: Is Life Better in the Cloud? Employee Experience and the Design of Self-Service Technology.