If you are operating a small business during the Great Resignation, you may be left with a shortage of talent. However, there may be a help option you don’t know about: hiring neurodiverse workers.
In this latest episode of Small Biz at: 15, Anita Murphy, CEO of One Bridge Center, a company that specializes in training these people for the 21st century workforce, meets Shawn Hessinger, the editor Small Business Trends executive, to discuss the many reasons why it’s a good idea hire neurodiverse employees for your organization.
If you’re someone interested in finding out more about immersing yourself in this neglected talent group, you won’t want to miss this episode: Why You Should Hire Neurodiverse Employees for Your Small Business.
You can catch up with Anita Murphy at One Bridge Center if you need more information after watching this episode.
Understand the value of neurodiverse workers in the workplace
Shawn: What pains for small business owners address hiring neurodiverse employees?
Anita: People with developmental disabilities or people with disabilities, in general, account for 70% of the unemployed. And many entrepreneurs do not recognize its value. I would say that 80% of the people we care for are autistic and don’t usually interview well.
“And so there’s a piece of education that goes into that and educates the employer and makes them understand that just because neurodiverse job candidates don’t interview well doesn’t mean they can’t get the job done.
Some examples of things neurodiverses are good for include:
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- Technical work: They are often overlooked for a very technical job, in which they are very good.
- Memorization: Neurodiverse employees can memorize things. They can contain a lot of information. Not all, but many of them can.
- Using their unique skill sets: Some of them have very unique skills and can learn computer programming. Anything to do with technology, they can usually understand quite easily.
Also, I think employers should consider hiring people with developmental disabilities, especially considering that science is proving that they are more productive in some way. ”
Steps for the management and integration of neurodiverse employees
Shawn: What steps should small business owners take to integrate neurodiverse employees into their workforce?
Anita: When you talk about how to prepare to have a neurodiverse person in your workplace, much of it comes down to partnering with companies or agencies to, first and foremost, provide education on how to work with people who are neurodiverse. And then, secondly, understand what you would need.
“However, it’s a little difficult to answer the question of what they would need because each individual is very different. Maybe you have someone who needs it. or you don’t need certain technology for what the job involves. For example, in cases of autism, they don’t like flashing lights and things like that. This could be a deterrent to them.
So it depends, and every individual is different. But I think if you work with organizations that work with people with disabilities every day, you have more chances of success.
And so … even agencies like mine or companies like mine will work with an employer to place a person with a developmental delay and offer them that job training. Also, we don’t just place a person and then leave them there. Instead, organizations like One Bridge Center offer job training to help both the individual and the employer ensure their success. ”
Shawn: What do you tell small business owners who are concerned that hiring neurodiverse employees could negatively affect their operations?
Anita: In the past, people and employers thought so. But now it’s not like that because they’ve realized that it costs you nothing more than locating an individual who is neurodiverse.
“And it doesn’t necessarily require anything out of the box, you know, just something as simple as having a bathroom, and you have someone with a physical disability and they can come and go.
This is simple and most companies have it. So many times the individual, when being placed in a workplace, usually comes up with what he needs.
Therefore, if a person needs a special keyboard, the state will pay for it. Typically, people go through a vocational rehabilitation program in their state, and that agency will make sure they have any kind of assistive technology they may need so that the employer doesn’t necessarily have to bear that cost. ”
Shawn: What are some of the top misconceptions employers have about neurodiverse employees? And then maybe you could deny some of them?
Anita: The first misconception is that they can’t work. This is a far cry from the truth and they can be taught to do the job like anyone else.
“The second misconception is that they should spend a lot of time teaching them. This is why a neurodiverse individual usually has a job coach who it helps them solve the challenges of the job.
The third misconception is that they may not mix well with the team, which is not true either. Neurodiverse people are very kind and like to be with others.
Another thing people think is that they won’t last long, which isn’t true. They have more assistance. They are usually there every day, all the time. All the time.
In addition, in terms of production, they are usually very high producers. And that’s because they’re excited about their work. They are excited every morning. Now, most Americans are not excited about going to work all the time. But most people who are neurodiverse are. “
How to Become a Neurodiverse Entrepreneur
Be sure to tune in to watch the rest of the video where Anita Murphy gives examples of successful case studies and explains how small businesses can place a neurodiverse individual within their organization.
Listen to this episode on SoundCloud:
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