Thursday, 05 November 2009
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Recruit Autistics
I saw this article in Wired Magazine and thought it was intriguing.Most corporations require people skills. But for some, a preternatural capacity for concentration and near-total recall matter more. Those jobs, says entrepreneur Thornkil Sonne, could use a little autism.
Sonne reached this conclusion six years ago, after his youngest son was diagnosed with the mysterious developmental disorder. "At first I was in agony and despair," he recalls. "Then came the thought of what happens when he grows up."
In Sonne's native Denmark, as elsewhere, autistics are typically considered unemployable. But Sonne worked in IT, a field more suited to people with autism and related conditions like Asperger's syndrome. "As a general view, they have excellent memory and strong attention to detail. They are persistent and good at following structures and routines," he says. In other words, they're born software engineers.
In 2004, Sonne quit his job at a telecom firm and founded Specialisterne (Danish for "Specialists"), an IT consultancy that hires mostly people with autism-spectrum disorders. Its nearly 60 consultants ferret out software errors for companies like Microsoft and Cisco Systems. Recently, the firm has expanded into other detail-centered work—like keeping track of Denmark's fiber-optic network, so crews laying new lines don't accidentally cut old ones.
Turning autism into a selling point does require a little extra effort: Specialisterne employees typically complete a five-month training course, and clients must be prepared for a somewhat unusual working relationship. But once on the job, the consultants stay focused beyond the point when most minds go numb. As a result, they make far fewer mistakes. One client who hired Specialisterne workers to do data entry found that they were five to 10 times more precise than other contractors.
Sonne recently handed off day-to-day operations to start a foundation dedicated to spreading his business model. Already, companies inspired by Specialisterne have sprouted in Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Similar efforts are planned for Iceland and Scotland. "This is not cheap labor, and it's not occupational therapy," he says. "We simply do a better job."
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About the Author
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- From: Gentemann@xanga
- Name: Gerald
- About Me: After working globally for both McCann Erickson and BBDO Worldwide in more than 26 countries I started a mobile marketing consulting firm called Mobilize Worldwide. We help Fortune 500 companies take advantage of the power of mobile devices. Mobilize starts and executes every assignment with the assumption that there is a tangible business goal to achieve and that our communication strategies must align with the business objectives of our clients.
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Comments (6)
I look forward to seeing this type of business expanding to the whole of the UK, and hopefully, the world. Everyone has potential, it's just a case of finding out what it is and making the most of it.
This is such an awesome idea. Ten times more precise? It's about time we recognize the blessings of those with minds wired differently than ours, and stop considering them abnormal. Thanks for sharing.
Martha
This is such a good idea. My father had a factory making furniture and he used to employ two (always two, never one on their own) Down's Syndrome people as floor sweepers. The floor had to be swept all day long every few minutes and the job suited them more than other people who didn't like the repetitiveness or boringness of the job.
My kid is now 15, but local businesses can not yet see his potential as an autistic. It is heartening that a business model is currently being designed to utilize their strengths, and I look forward to seeing it expand here in the US!!
What a fantastic idea! I'll be glad to see this go global.
Let a company model like that go global! Such corporations should combine efforts with alternative high school models, such as what they commonly have in Europe.
"the consultants stay focused beyond the point when most minds go numb. As a result, they make far fewer mistakes"
That describes me so well (though I never fought for an official diagnosis). I can go 8, ten, 18 hours on task and it'll be physical fatigue that'll stop me, not mental fatigue (don't worry, I know when I need to rest). I'm also far more innovative, accurate and thorough than the vast majority of the population. I also have the unusual ability to be both detail and big picture oriented.
Unfortunately, I don't have a degree (severe abuse, poverty, severe illness beyond my control that stopped me one class short of a degree, no child support for ten years, and finally, I ended up taking care of a severely autistic grandson who was constantly rejected by daycare providers who couldn't handle him) and without it, I'm not likely to be given a chance with any job that would more fully utilize my nature.
My husband had a very good job for years but lost it due to very dishonest politics and office politics, none of which he instigated or perpetuated. 50, white, and over qualified yet under qualified, he's been looking for work for, oh, 9 months now.
Now looking for work with numerous holes in my work history, I also can't give people all those personal reference they want. It's not that I made and lost friends, it's that others don't tend to reciprocate, They're not interested despite my being so honest, hardworking and ethical.
Yet I have a fantastic work ethic and would make a most excellent employee.
So now we're probably loosing our house and everything very shortly.
Yes, giving people a chance and accentuating the positive sounds like an excellent plan!