Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Understanding factors that impact the successful employment of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is critical to improving outcomes, including quality of life. Despite employers being critical contributors to the hiring process, the perspectives of these stakeholders have yet to be examined in the literature.
OBJECTIVE:
To understand: 1) employers’ perspectives on factors that influence the decision to hire an individual with ASD, 2) employers’ needs in order to hire and integrate an employee with ASD into the workplace, and 3) the skills employers perceive as important to workplace success.
METHODS:
Interviews were conducted with 13 employers from businesses in the United States to understand their perspectives related to the hiring and employment of individuals with ASD. Qualitative data were analyzed using a data-driven thematic approach.
RESULTS:
Employers identified several benefits to hiring individuals with ASD, including unique individual skills and broader workplace benefits. Employers also expressed concerns related to how ASD symptomology may negatively impact the workplace. Employers want to understand their employees and want to identify appropriate workplace accommodations in order to integrate an employee with ASD into the workplace. Finally, employers emphasized the importance of both “soft” and “hard” skills to workplace success.
CONCLUSION:
Although employers expressed concerns, these concerns can be addressed through employee accommodations, vocational rehabilitation programs, and disability diversity trainings. Limitations and future directions of this area of research are also addressed.
Introduction
In recent years, several federal (i.e., the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 2004; the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 2014) and state initiatives (i.e., “Employment First” policies, tax incentives; Rall, Reed, & Essex, 2016) have been enacted in attempts to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities into the workforce. Despite these concerted efforts, the employment rate for individuals with a disability remains low (less than 54% of individuals with disabilities; Lauer & Houtenville, 2018); and even lower (less than 38%) for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; Roux, Rast, Anderson, & Shattuck, 2017; Alverson & Yamamoto, 2018). While lower employment rates in the ASD population have been attributed to deficits in social communication, the presence of restrictive, repetitive patterns of behavior, and deficits in other work-related skills (Hendricks, 2010), the impact of contextual factors, such as the organizational culture of the employer, perception of additional costs, and negative attitudes or stereotypes of staff are also important to consider (Erickson, von Schrader, Bruyère, & VanLooy, 2014; Chan et al., 2010).
Recent efforts have begun to focus on identifying the roles that these contextual factors play in determining successful employment of individuals with ASD from the perspective of young adults with ASD who are seeking employment. For example, a study by Sarrett (2017) reported that adults with ASD often feel conflicted about how to share their diagnosis with employers and co-workers because of the stigmatization and misunderstandings about ASD that they fear would arise. Adults with ASD also described frustration with the ‘medical model approach’ to vocational rehabilitation programs, which often work on changing the individual to fit the workplace needs, rather than promoting accepting and accommodating work environments in which the individual can thrive. These findings are consistent with that of Gillies (2012), which illustrated the impact that attitudinal and structural barriers can have on disabled individuals’ capacity to achieve and sustain employment. Several participants described the encouragement and inclusivity they felt during post-secondary education, and the glaring lack of acceptance and support within the workplace. Additionally, participants described wanting to work for employers who are sensitive to individual differences amongst employees and who express a desire to know more about the person as an individual as well as their disability. One recommendation about how to achieve a more accepting and accommodating environment in the workplace includes improving understanding about ASD through workplace trainings for employees in which inaccurate depictions of ASD can be debunked.
While these findings provide meaningful contributions to the literature, these same topics have yet to be thoroughly explored from the perspective of employers who are important stakeholders in the pursuit for competitive employment. It is important to consider the perspectives of all stakeholders (i.e., employees, hiring personnel, individuals with disabilities) when attempting to implement effective interventions, as this type of involvement and support helps to promote the efficacy of such interventions while also strengthening relationships and improving the settings within which the intervention is implemented (Perkins, Born, Raines, & Galka, 2005). Employers can provide unique perspectives as to the desires and needs of the business, as well as factors that may impact feasibility of workplace interventions.
Fortunately, previous literature has begun to examine employer perspectives in the hiring of individuals with other types of disabilities (i.e., physical handicaps, individuals with disabilities more broadly; Chan et al., 2010; Chan & Strauser, 2007). Results of these studies have indicated that employers are not enthusiastic about hiring individuals with disabilities, as they view them as unreliable and less productive (Chan et al., 2010). While employers are able to identify positive qualities in employees with disabilities, it is the negative attitudes of colleagues and misperceptions related to the qualifications of individuals with disabilities that result in employers being reticent to hire individuals with who have disabilities (Chan & Strauser, 2007).
Unfortunately, few studies have examined employer perspectives as it relates to the process of hiring individuals with ASD (Black et al., 2019; Dreaver et al., 2020; Scott et al., 2017; Waisman-Nitzan, Gal, & Schreuer, 2019). Those that have suggest that employing individuals with ASD provides a unique opportunity to bring a diverse set of skills to the workplace, while also fostering acceptance and awareness (Scott et al., 2017). However, there also appear to be some challenges associated with the decision to hire individuals with ASD, as well as with the process of integrating an employee with ASD into the workplace (Dreaver et al., 2020; Waisman-Nitzan et al., 2019). Unfortunately, the majority of this existing literature has been conducted outside of the United States, which may limit generalizability of the findings to the hiring practices of employers in the U.S. One recent study published by Black and colleagues (2019) attempted to identify the factors that contribute to the employment of individuals with ASD across the U.S., Sweden, and Australia by interviewing individuals with autism, family members, service providers, employers, researchers, and advocates. Results of this study found that environmental barriers (e.g., lack of supportive relationships in the workplace, attitudes, and available services) were the biggest contributors to success in the workplace for adults with ASD across countries; however, only six employers from the U.S. were included in this study. Furthermore, of the recruited employers in Scott et al.’s study (2017) the majority had previous experience in hiring and employing individuals with ASD. As such, it remains unclear the perspective of employers who may not have previous experience in working with individuals with this diagnosis.
Employees with ASD demonstrate evident abilities and a high motivation to work, yet their employment rate remains low (Waisman-Nitzan et al., 2019). Considering the benefits that employment provides and the noticeably low employment rates for individuals with ASD, it is important to identify contextual barriers that may inhibit individuals with ASD from successfully obtaining and maintaining employment. This is particularly important to consider within the context of the U.S., as many of the organizational and cultural factors that impact the decision, process, and economic cost and benefit of hiring individuals with ASD vary substantially between countries (Black et al., 2019). Specifically, the perspective of employers requires further elucidation, as this information can help inform future employment preparation interventions and workplace trainings. As such, the goals of this study were to understand: 1) employers’ perspectives on factors that influence the decision to hire an individual with ASD, 2) employers’ needs in order to hire and integrate an employee with ASD into the workplace, and 3) the skills employers perceive as important to workplace success.
Method
Participants
A total of thirteen participants consented and participated. Participants ranged in age from 29 to 64 years and were evenly distributed with regard to gender (53.85% male, n = 7; 46.15% female, n = 6). Three participants reported having had previous experience hiring an individual with a diagnosis of ASD, although we did not conduct an independent evaluation of employment records to verify this report. The majority of the businesses that these hiring personnel represented were ‘small’ businesses (i.e., less than 250 employees; n = 11), while the remaining businesses were ‘large’ (i.e., between 500 and 1,000 employees; n = 2).
For the purposes of this study, all participants were hiring personnel. Hiring personnel are defined as employees in a company who are involved in the hiring process (i.e., managers, owners, executive directors, etc.) but are not necessarily solely responsible for hiring decisions. For example, while some participants were responsible for making the sole hiring decisions for their business, others were involved in the review of applications and the interview process but conversed with other business employees (i.e., Human Resources department) to make hiring decisions. In sum, as long as the participants reported some involvement in the hiring process they were included in this study.
Procedure
Participants were recruited via posted flyers and direct contact with businesses (i.e., phone calls, emails, in-person visits). A total of 135 businesses were contacted for participation from which thirteen businesses agreed to participate. Participation involved a brief presentation and interview, both of which could be conducted over the phone (n = 8) or in person at the business site (n = 5); the choice was left up to the participant. None of the interviews or presentations had more than one hiring personnel present while the interview and presentation were being conducted. If the interview was conducted over the phone, the materials were emailed to the participant beforehand and reviewed orally.
Prior to the interview, participants were provided with the consent form, which was then reviewed by a member of the research team. Participants provided written and verbal consent prior to participating. Once consent was obtained, participants listened to a 15-minute presentation on ASD, which included diagnostic criteria and potential impact of these symptoms on workplace performance. The information in this presentation was informed by relevant literature and was created by the research team for the purpose of this study in order to provide a context for the research to the participant. The presentation included historical context of ASD (i.e., when it was first identified), diagnostic criteria and associated features of the diagnosis (i.e., deficits in theory of mind, executive function, sustained attention, comorbid diagnoses), epidemiological facts (i.e., prevalence rate, predictors of adult outcomes), causes of the diagnosis, possible workplace concerns (i.e., reduced flexibility, upsetting environmental conditions, difficulty reading social cues of coworkers and customers), possible workplace strengths (i.e., schedule and deadline adherence, less time distracted), as well as possible accommodations (i.e., sensory considerations, increased structure, repetition of instruction).
Following the presentation, the interview was conducted, in which a member of the research team asked the participant a series of questions (see Appendix A). The length of time and content of the presentation and interview questions was identical across modalities. All interviews were audio-recorded and appended with written notes. These interviews ranged from 30 to 45 minutes in length. All methods were approved by the university’s Institutional Review Board.
Data analysis
Audio recordings of the interviews were transcribed using appropriate methods to ensure accuracy and quality (e.g., providing transcribers with examples about notation preferences, information about interview content, terminology, and abbreviations; MacLean, Meyer, & Estable, 2004). The data were analyzed using a data-driven thematic approach at the semantic level, meaning that responses were coded based on what the participants said, rather than on underlying ideas (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The first and second author read interview transcripts, discussed the content, and identified preliminary codes. They then independently coded each transcript using NVivo 12 Plus software (QSR International Pty Ltd., 2018) and resolved any coding discrepancies through discussion and consensus. After the initial analysis, members of the research team reviewed the coding, generated content themes, reviewed and grouped the content themes into overarching categories. The research team then read all coded data for each content theme in order to ensure coherence and refined themes as needed. Because some participants were more vocal than others during the interview, consensus amongst all participants was not deemed necessary in order for a content theme to be identified. However, the majority of content themes involve contributions (i.e., quotes) from the majority of participants (i.e., 7 or more participants contributed to the content theme). For specific information regarding how many participants contributed to each specific content theme, see Table 1.
Recommendations
Recommendations
N indicates the number of participants who contributed a quote to the specific content theme.
Finally, the research team has reflected on their positionality throughout the development of this research project and presentation of these results (Morrow, 2005). The research team members’ direct experiences with individuals with ASD, with the study of employment issues for individuals with ASD, and with the process of conducting applied research shaped the formulation of the presentation provided to participants, the research questions, and the data analysis.
Factors that influence a company’s decision to hire an individual with ASD
The first goal of this study was to understand employers’ perceptions related to the benefits and barriers to hiring an individual with ASD. Three themes were identified that describe the perceived benefits of hiring an individual with ASD from the perspective of the hiring personnel. These themes were organized into two categories: Individual Skills and Workplace Benefits. Additionally, three themes were identified that describe the reservations employers have about hiring an individual with an ASD diagnosis. These themes fell into a single category: Concerns Related to ASD Symptoms.
Benefits of hiring an individual with ASD
Category 1: Individual skills: Preference for routine and repetition. Several employers indicated that adherence to routines, which is a defining characteristic of ASD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), would be an appealing quality to see in an employee. One employer described how this timeliness and reliability would work well within her business:
Participant 1: “Most of our stuff is very scheduled. We open at the same time every day. We are very consistent with [product] form and stuff like that. So, I think it could definitely be a benefit to have [someone] who is always consistent also on the team.”
Many of the employers also indicated that the preference for repetition and consistency, which are also highly characteristic of the autism spectrum (APA, 2013), would be considered strengths in a workplace setting, as the ability to engage in repetitive tasks is a necessary aspect of the job requirement.
Participant 2: “It needs to be consistent on a daily basis. It has to look the same. It’s pretty much the same schedule every day and there’s not many distractions. [ ... ] The more uniformed and consistent the [product] is, the better; so, they would be well suited for that.”
Other employers reported that the repetitive tasks are often considered to be monotonous or tedious by other employees. As such, having an employee who enjoyed these types of tasks would be beneficial.
Participant 3: “There are a lot of repetitive, structured tasks that have to go in any business and it is very difficult to find people who actually are willing to be that structured [ ... ] Most people want to deviate from your set structure because they just can’t take it every day. While it obviously depends on where you are on the Autism spectrum, [it appears that] they would be much better at adhering to structure.”
Attention to detail. Nearly all hiring personnel felt that the ability to be detail-oriented and focused on the minutiae of work-related tasks is also preferred in a work setting. Two hiring personnel from separate companies who had previous experiences with employees with ASD described how these employees thrived because of their attention to detail.
Participant 4: “She worked in our lab and you need to have a good attention to detail in there to make sure the [product] come out well. And so, she thrived in that environment, being able to dial in and really focus to make the [product] as good as she possibly could. And we had a lot of people mention how much better the [product] looked when she handled their development than somebody else.”
Participant 5: “For years and years, we have relied on him because he does some of the most tedious work. We have time sheets that have 30 categories, and we can have ten to fifteen jobs going at one time, and two pay rates –regular rate and time and a half. So, he has to watch for that time and a half and he has to make sure it enters. He has to make sure the names entering correctly. He takes that data and enters it, and it’s tedious as it can be! I mean, that kind of stuff is really nice [ ... ] the attention to detail.”
Category 2: Workplace benefits: Inclusivity and diversity. Several hiring personnel also emphasized the importance of promoting inclusivity within their various businesses. One employer described the importance of having employees who reflect the community within which his business is embedded:
Participant 3: “The world does not look the same. It’s getting more and more different. It’s really become a world view, not just a local view. You need to, as a business, be more reflective of your customer base. [ ... ] In your workplace, you should look to accommodate if that person can bring something to your business that you need.”
Other employers emphasized the importance of hiring employees from diverse backgrounds both because of the positive impact it can have on the broader community and because of the benefit that diverse hiring practices can have on the functioning of the business. Participant 4 described this by saying, “I think having a diversity of people in the workplace is always beneficial because you have a different perspective.”
Reservations of hiring an individual with ASD
Category 1: Concerns related to ASD symptoms: Social communication deficits. Eleven of the employers that were interviewed expressed concerns related to how social communication deficits, which are a defining feature of ASD (APA, 2013), may negatively impact an employee with ASD’s ability to successfully interact with customers. These interactions often require a nuanced ability to navigate social situations, which would likely be more challenging for individuals with a diagnosis of ASD.
Participant 6: “We have costumers come in with different expectations, and so you have to adjust your tone, or the way that you would approach them, without notice.”
Participant 7: “We’re really looking for somebody whose very friendly and warm? Who smiles and makes eye contact? [ ... ] I guess my concern would be, how would the parents who are paying members of our program, feel about their children interacting with someone who might not seem very warm?”
Interestingly, only one of the employers described concern for the ways in which these social communication deficits may impact social interactions among fellow employees. This employer described a situation in which an employee, who had a diagnosis of ASD, had a negative interaction with his boss and the difficulty he experienced in navigating this encounter.
Participant 8: “He would just start yelling at him [the boss], and I’d say, ‘You can’t yell at the boss! You can’t do that.’ And it happened two or three times [ ... ] but it did change. It would have been great if I had had any resources that I could’ve checked in with ... you know, what do I do now? How can I get this across? Where do I go from here?”
Cognitive inflexibility. Several employers also had concerns related to the ability to be flexible in workplace environments that are susceptible to change. This, paired with a growing demand for employees who are capable of balancing several different responsibilities, is a concern for employers, as rigidity and cognitive inflexibility are common symptoms of ASD (APA, 2013). One employer described this potential concern:
Participant 6: “It has to do with the nature of the work, working with the public and the variables that come with that. Thinking on your feet, adjusting to changing circumstances. [ ... ] More and more of the trend is that, in the retail setting, more and more is asked of you –to be able to be flexible and change your capacity or your scope ... so, it’s an ever-changing environment of responsibilities. And so that would create, potentially, an issue.”
Sensory sensitivities. A final concern was related to the sensory sensitivities that many individuals with ASD may experience as a function of their diagnosis, and whether or not the workplace environment would be conducive to their success given these sensitivities. Specifically, employers reflected on whether the noise-level, lighting, or fabric of uniforms might make it difficult for an employee with ASD to feel comfortable and complete their work in a productive manner.
Employers’ needs in order to hire and integrate an employee with ASD into the workplace
The second goal of this study was to understand employers’ needs in order to hire and integrate an employee with ASD into the workplace successfully. Four themes were identified with this goal in mind. These themes were organized into two categories: Understanding the Person and Appropriate Workplace Accommodations.
Category 1: Understanding the person
Personal characteristics. The majority of hiring personnel that were interviewed for this study emphasized the importance of getting to know the strengths, weaknesses, and unique quirks of any new hire. Identifying the unique needs and strengths of each new employee was considered to be highly critical to a successful transition into the workplace.
Participant 1: “I feel like it would kind of depend on their personality because [ ... ] everyone is different and no same person reacts to something the same way. So, I feel like it would depend on the person and getting to know them more and how they deal with things and what they’re okay with.”
Participant 6: “I think identifying strengths is the biggest thing because I think there is a stigma about autism in our society that they’re awkward? And wouldn’t be able to interact well with the employees or the customers? And so, I think identifying the strengths would help. Because there are strengths that enable them to be a high performer in certain circumstances.”
Information about autism. In addition to getting to know information about the individual, several employers also expressed an interest in receiving general information about the diagnosis of ASD and how other employees can best interact and work with new hires who may have this diagnosis in order to overcome any complications that may arise.
Participant 7: “I think just having an opportunity to ask, ‘What’s politically correct?’ You know, ‘What’s appropriate manners? What’s respectful?’ [ ... ] People receive training about how to interact, and I think there’s more and more of that happening. [ ... ] You know, I think my staff would need more training. Not just training for the hiring manager, but training for the whole staff, on working with someone [with ASD] –the differences, what you might expect.”
Category 2: Appropriate workplace accommodations
Environmental accommodations. Three of the hiring personnel that were interviewed for this study had specific concerns related to how they could best make accommodations to the working environment of an employee with ASD, given that sensory sensitivities can often impact an individual with ASD’s ability to be successful in the workplace (Burt, Fuller, & Lewis, 1991).
Participant 2: “More information about the environmental effects, the lighting, the textures, the fabrics. We don’t have uniforms here, so they could wear whatever they wanted. But if uniforms were an issue, I want to know what else I can do to make it a little easier. Because that kind of stuff, if I changed it to help one person, it wouldn’t affect everybody else.”
Participant 8: “Can you have individual rooms with different thermostats? And soundproofing might be part of that ... but you know, being able to recognize that. Employer[s] or supervisors would have to be ready for that kind of adjustment or paying attention to those things.”
In addition to sensory-related accommodations, one employer considered how he may be able to help create a structure within the workplace that could benefit an individual with ASD and enable them to be most successful:
Participant 6: “If people with autism thrive on standards and repetitive behaviors, then I think training someone to create their own structure in a work environment? [ ... ] Any new job could potentially be stressful due to the changes and new expectations and new people, and so helping them learn how to ... maybe even list out what things are their responsibility and then create a structure so that they can thrive and their environment would be good.”
Vocational rehabilitation representative assistance. Nearly all employers described the potential benefits of working with a Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) representative if they were to hire an individual with a diagnosis of ASD. Most hiring personnel emphasized how helpful it would be to have someone who knew the employee and could help mediate conversations related to performance and navigate problem solving. When asked about how a VR representative might best fit into the workplace setting, responses were somewhat variable. Some indicated that having a person onsite would be best.
Others felt that a contact person who was not onsite would be more beneficial.
Participant 6: “I think just having knowledge of a contact person to be able to coordinate with for better understanding of how to proceed with different issues or concerns, or even how to best utilize or refocus ... Just having a contact person to be able to troubleshoot with.”
Others felt that having someone who could help facilitate during an introductory period would be useful until the employee became acclimated to the workplace and could function more independently.
Participant 1: “I feel like, more hands-on in the beginning just to make sure that they are okay and we are okay. And then may touch base spanning out, maybe once a week and then maybe every other week. But to always stay in contact if there’s ever questions or if anything happens.”
One employer emphasized their willingness to fulfill the employee’s needs, stating:
Participant 9: “I think it would totally depend on the individual that was working with the employee and how much support that person needs. [ ... ] So, if the individual needs a lot of extra support, then yeah, that’s great. Have them come and be part of our daily routine until they figure it out.”
Skills employers perceive as important to workplace success
The final goal of this study was to understand the skills that employers perceive as important to success in the workplace. The hiring personnel were specifically asked to describe the appropriate response to a variety of work-related circumstances. From these responses, five themes were identified. These themes were organized into two categories: Soft Skills and Hard Skills.
Category 1: Soft skills
Emotion regulation. All interviewed employers emphasized the importance of having methods for attempting to regulate emotional extremes while at work. These emotion regulation skills ranged from taking breaks to speaking with someone to taking time off from work.
Participant 3: “We like them to get up and get off the floor and go own into the break room and work through whatever it is that they need to work though; whether it’s calling somebody or just putting their head in a pillow and screaming or whatever it is. Some of them will take a walk around the outside of the building just to clear their heads. The one thing you really can’t do is jump up and scream.”
Several employers also emphasized the importance of maintaining a professional appearance when at work, as this can negatively impact the costumer experience. One participant described this expectation as follows:
Participant 10: “I tell my employees please leave your problems outside the door when you come in. The customers don’t really want to ... they can tell when somebody ‘s in an irritable mood. [ ... ] I mean, they’ve got to interact with the customer. They’ve got to have a smile on their face. They represent my business and if they’re not going to be able to do that then I don’t really want them in that day.”
In addition to the impact that emotion dysregulation can have on the costumer, many of the participants also described the impact that emotional lability can have on coworkers. In this case, most employers indicated the importance of “agreeing to disagree” or seeking another third-party member within the company to help assuage any disagreements.
Planning skills. The importance of being able to think and plan ahead was emphasized in three of the interviews. This topic most often emerged when participants were asked to describe the ways in which employees should self-advocate in the workplace. All three participants indicated comfort and encouragement of their employees’ self-advocacy; however, the ability to plan ahead was critical in order for the employer to provide accommodations.
Participant 11: “Let’s say that something happens and the person just ... they’re feeling depressed and they need some time off. Then that individual would come directly to us, call us, and talk to us. Now, it’s really best that they don’t give us last minute notice. We need to have as much notice as possible.”
Problem solving skills. All employers were also asked to describe the ways in which their employees should approach problem solving in the workplace. Across all of the interviews, an emphasis was placed on reaching out for assistance and moving up the chain of command should an issue arise. One employer, who worked in a corporate setting, described an appropriate response to any problems that may arise within his workplace:
Participant 12: “If they can solve the problem on their own and use the training that they have been provided ... Also, seek out advice from a peer or a senior member of the team. Then, if they aren’t unable to correct it or get an answer, then seek the assistance of a manager.”
Here, the employer described the importance of having the ability to identify when a problem has arisen and decide whether or not the knowledge they have can be applied to this problem so as to fix it. If not, the employee then has to have an awareness of who in their work environment can assist them in addressing the problem and have the ability to approach the team member in such a way that will result in the assistance they require. Finally, the individual must know who to go to next in the chain of command, in situations where their initial problem-solving efforts were not successful. This approach to problem solving was consistent whether the problems were a byproduct of customer interactions or interactions with fellow employees. In sum, this is a multi-faceted skill that requires skill in other areas, as well (i.e., social skills, emotion regulation, planning).
Social skills. As one of the primary concerns that many hiring personnel had about hiring individuals with a diagnosis of ASD, it should come as no surprise that social skills emerged as a crucial skill to workplace success. The types of social skills that employers focused on varied depending on the type of work; however, several employers described the importance of ‘theory of mind,’ which is the ability to attribute mental states (e.g., needs, emotions, intent) to oneself and to others (Baron-Cohen, 2000).
Participant 3: “You really do have to have that sort of innate ability to read people and what’s going on with them and then be able to adjust your response appropriately. Don’t escalate if you mean to deescalate.”
Participant 2: “I think reading social ques from guests. So, if you’re on the floor you need to be able to look around the restaurant and see who needs something. That and general likability.”
Other employers described the need for employees to present as polite and friendly to customers in order to ensure a positive experience and future return to the business:
Participant 7: “Smiling. Complimenting? Being able to give a greeting. You know, a verbal greeting. An appropriate verbal greeting, and possibly trying to make some kind of connection [with the customer]. Whether it’s, ‘Hey I saw you wore your Thomas the Train shirt last week and now you’ve got the matching boots!’ I mean, some kind of, ‘I’m noticing you,’ kind of thing?”
Participant 10: “They need to have strong people skills from a customer standpoint and be patient and understanding and politeness and, you know, those types of things ... ”
Not surprisingly, the types of social skills that employers look for range from the simple and concrete (i.e., appropriate eye contact, smiling) to the complex (i.e., theory of mind). For an individual who has deficits in these areas, a reasonable conclusion may be to seek out opportunities for employment where interactions with customers are limited or nonexistent. However, despite many of the interviews focused on the importance of these skills within the context of customer-employee interactions, it is also important to acknowledge the need for these skills during employee-employee interactions, as well. One employer described the importance of communication between employees in his workplace:
Participant 11: “I guess communication is key. [ ... ] In our environment, in the retail environment, I’ve found over the years that people live together, basically, in a workplace. [ ... ] You spend eight hours a day with these people. Everything isn’t wonderful 100% of the time, so you have to relate to people. You have to be able to talk to people, and you have to be open about how you feel.”
Category 2: Hard skills
Practical skills. Within the disability employment literature, there is an emphasis on skills that are content-based and job-specific. These skills are referred to as hard skills (Moss & Tilly, 1996) and can often impact successful employment as much as soft skills (i.e., social skills, executive function, planning). Interestingly, when asked about the types of hard skills that are important to work related success, employers had a difficult time identifying examples and often returned to skills, such as, “general customer service,” and “the ability to sell,” which often require ability in soft skill areas. Examples of practical skills that employers were able to identify included basic math, cash handling, bookkeeping, computer skills, knife skills, cleaning, reading and following a recipe. These were skills than many employers indicated are preferred but are not a necessity, as they can often be taught in onsite trainings.
Discussion
In this study, benefits and reservation that impact an employer’s decision to hire an individual with ASD were identified, as were the needs of employers in order to be prepared to hire and integrate an employee with ASD into the workplace. Finally, the skills employers perceive as important to workplace success were also defined. This is one of the first studies to employ qualitative methodologies to understand perspectives of hiring personnel within the U.S. with respect to factors impacting decisions to hire individuals with ASD (Black et al., 2019).
Employers were able to identify several benefits of hiring an individual with ASD, including preference for routine/repetitive work tasks and attention to detail. These are skills that are both highly valued and difficult to find in employees. Vocational rehabilitation programs should consider how they may best prepare individuals with ASD to identify their unique strengths and emphasize them during the hiring process. Additionally, employers should consider how these strengths might best be utilized during employment (i.e., finding positions that require these skills). In addition to individual skills, employers identified the added benefits that hiring individuals with ASD can have on their broader workplace and community. Employers indicated that inclusive hiring practices are important in order to promote diversity in the workplace. This diversity is critical as it reflects the community within which businesses are embedded and because of the positive impact it can have on the functioning of the business due to the different perspectives these individuals bring to the table.
In addition to these benefits, employers also described the reservations they would have about hiring an individual with ASD. These concerns were largely related to ASD symptomology (i.e., social communication challenges, cognitive inflexibility, sensory sensitivities) and the ways that these symptoms may negatively impact work performance. These perspectives are consistent with the existing literature that cites the characteristics of ASD, specifically the deficits in social communication and managing changing workplace environments as a function of preoccupations with routine, as partially responsible for employment disparities in this population (Burke, Andersen, Bowen, Howard, & Allen, 2010; Hendricks, 2010). Fortunately, a large body of research has demonstrated the efficacy of VR interventions that aim to improve these deficits through explicit skill instruction (Anderson et al., 2017; Khalifa, Sharif, Sultan, & Di Rezze, 2020).
Employers were also asked to identify what they would need in order hire an individual with ASD and integrate them into the workplace successfully. These needs were largely two-dimensional. First, employers described a desire to understand more about the individual whom they are hiring, which encompassed an interest to know about the individual characteristics of the person as well as information about the diagnosis of ASD. While several employers described wanting to gain a general understanding about ASD, employers more often described wanting to know how the characteristics of ASD may manifest uniquely in individual employees. This highlights an important topic within the disability employment literature regarding the decision of employees to disclose their diagnosis. A recent qualitative study of the perspective of adults with ASD conducted by Sarrett (2017) indicated that many individuals with ASD who are seeking employment find it difficult to talk about their disability at work or during the employment process due to the possibility of stigmatization and discrimination. Sarett therefore suggested that workplace trainings for employers and employees that focus on increasing acceptance of otherness and promoting understanding of ASD would help to create an accepting autism-friendly workplace.
While this recommendation is consistent with the perspectives of employers in the current study, studies that empirically evaluate the efficacy of disability focused diversity training programs are limited (Phillips, Deiches, Morrison, Chan, & Bezyak, 2016). More broadly, workplace diversity training programs appear to be moderately effective at improving attitudes about employees with disabilities (Kalinoski et al., 2013). Additionally, diversity training efforts that emphasize inclusion and focus on job accommodation strategies for employees with disabilities have been found to be associated with a greater commitment to hiring people with disabilities (Chan et al., 2010). Future studies should attempt to replicate these findings with workplace disability focused diversity training programs that provide specific and accurate information about ASD and that are created and disseminated by individuals with ASD. The involvement of individuals with ASD in the creation of these programs is critical in order to reflect accurate experiences of individuals with the diagnosis, rather than inaccurate suppositions (Sarrett, 2017).
In addition to understanding the individual, employers also reported a desire to understand the types of workplace accommodations that are needed to support an employee with ASD. Indeed, the literature does suggest that if workplace accommodations are not made, this can exacerbate difficulties experienced by employees with a diagnosis of ASD and lead to poorer employment retention (Khalifa et al., 2020). However, few studies have focused on how the physical environment can impact productivity of employees with ASD (Khalifa et al., 2020) and no studies have reported how these accommodations are actually implemented within the workplace (i.e., effectiveness studies). Future effectiveness studies are needed in order to understand how these accommodations can be implemented feasibly, under real conditions and using standardized measures that are designed to identify barriers to implementing workplace accommodations.
Employers had generally positive responses with respect to the accommodation of VR services. In these interviews, employers emphasized the preference for workplace supports that are time limited and gradually decrease in intensity in order to foster independence in the employee. Research suggests that, on average, individuals with ASD receive approximately two years of VR services (Roux et al., 2017) and that several VR services are necessary in order for young-adults with ASD to achieve competitive employment (Kaya, Hanley-Maxwell, Chan, & Tansey, 2018). In this study, employers described a preference for work-place support that is consistent with the existing literature. The current model for VR services aims to maximize employment outcomes by providing services such as assessment and diagnoses, counseling, job search assistance, assistive technology, and on the job training (Lawer, Brusilovskiy, Salzer, & Mandell, 2009; Strauser, Tansey, & Chan, 2019). While it is important to understand the evidence base with regard to any intervention, it is also important to consider buy-in from third-parties (i.e., employers/hiring personnel) who may impact the implementation of such an intervention. In this study, we found that employers independently described a preference for this type of approach to VR services thus providing further support for this approach.
Finally, in addition to hard skills that are job-specific, employers identified four additional skill areas that are important to workplace to success, with an emphasis on soft skills such as emotion regulation, social skills, problem solving, and planning. A recent systematic review of interventions that are aimed at promoting employment for adults with ASD (Anderson et al., 2017) found that behavioral skills training was the only evidence-based approach for improving employment outcomes. With this in mind, it is important to identify the types of skills that are most beneficial and most likely to aid in gainful employment. The aforementioned findings are in alignment with that of Anderson et al. (2017) who emphasized the need for VR interventions that target generalizable soft skills (e.g., Project SEARCH; Wehman et al., 2014), as they are likely to increase the prospect of gainful employment.
Limitations
The findings from this study should be considered within the context of its limitations. First, only three of the thirteen employers interviewed had previous experience with ASD, which likely reflects the experiences of the average employer. Because only three of the thirteen employers had previous experience with ASD, the results may not fully depict how employers feel about working with individuals with ASD. Additionally, it is possible that the individuals who chose to participate represent a subset of employers who are more open to neurodiversity in the workplace, and therefore signify input from only that perspective. Despite these limitations, this study is the first to explore the perspective of employers as it relates to the hiring and successful employment of individuals with a diagnosis of ASD and has helped to identify several areas for future research.
Future research
This study provides important information regarding the hiring and employment of individuals with ASD from the unique perspective of the employer. Employers were able to identify a number of benefits and reservations about hiring individuals with ASD, as well as needs that would enable them to feel prepared to hire and integrate an employee with ASD into their workplace and skills that they think leads to workplace success for their employees. This information can help improve VR services for individuals with ASD who require support in their quest for competitive employment, as well as workplace trainings for employers and employees who are interested in promoting inclusivity and acceptance within the workplace. Future studies are needed to evaluate these types of VR interventions and workplace trainings in order to determine their efficacy at promoting targeted outcomes. All individuals with ASD deserve the opportunity to achieve successful employment. These findings reveal important strategies for improving current employment support efforts in order to make competitive employment more attainable for individuals with ASD, while also helping businesses adhere to current policy and improve upon their existing business plan in a way that promote acceptance and inclusivity.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Footnotes
Appendix A
Interview Questions Would you currently have any reservations or concerns about hiring an individual with ASD? If so, please describe. Can you think of any benefits there might be to hiring an individual with ASD? These can be unique strengths the employee might have, or secondary benefits associated with being an inclusive business. In your opinion, what would be a) an appropriate response of each of these abilities, and b) how would the employee’s response affect your workplace and your attitude towards the employee? Dealing with constructive criticism about their performance Handling disagreeing viewpoints (e.g., practice tolerance for different ideas) Using problem solving methods Self-advocating (i.e., an individual’s ability to make independent decisions about him/herself and communicate corresponding desires/needs) Coping methods for handling negative thoughts/feelings in a workplace context) What kind of information regarding ASD and how it can affect employees would be helpful to you if you were considering hiring an employee who had ASD? What kind of training to help handle the transition of the employee with ASD into the workplace would be most helpful? In what capacity would you feel most comfortable working with a Vocational Rehabilitation representative or employment support provider? Some options would include a representative simply introducing you to a potential employee, a provider who helped a new employee transition into the workplace, and/or a provider who remained in contact with your workplace long-term to provide information and support. What support do you feel you would need to transition an individual with ASD into your workplace in the short-term? What support do you feel you would need to transition an individual with ASD into your workplace in the long-term, so that the individual could potentially build a long-term career? In your opinion, what are the most important practical skills an individual should have if they want to get a job/begin a career in your field, and how can those be gained? In your opinion, what kinds of social skills are most important and in what context(s) should individuals be prepared to use those skills?