在这篇思想文章中, ScotlandIS首席执行官, 凯伦Meechan, urges employers to be more open-minded with regards to recruiting neurodiverse individuals, as this could be crucial in reducing the tech skills gap.
Scotland’s growing digital technology sector is forward-thinking, and our hiring and training processes should reflect this.
According to recent research conducted by 技能 Development Scotland (SDS), at least 10% of Scotland’s population is believed to be neurodivergent – a term referring to those that differ in mental or neurological function from what is considered typical or ‘normal.’
As many people will go through life undiagnosed, that’s probably an underestimate.
We have long acknowledged a skills shortage in the digital tech sector. By tapping into this wealth of talent we could help bridge that gap – particularly as we start to navigate post-pandemic challenges and opportunities in the workplace.
记住这一点, so much more could be done to support and offer career pathways to our neurodiverse talent.
患有自闭症等疾病的人, Dyslexia or ADHD often demonstrate strong skills and qualities and can be particularly well suited to the needs of digital technology employers – especially those in the cyber security and testing space.
Neurodiverse individuals are often adaptive to detail oriented, 有条不紊的, 高度专注和解决问题的能力.
Yet much like other diverse groups, neurodiverse individuals often hit societal barriers. A survey conducted by the National Autistic Society found that over 75% of autistic adults would like to work full-time. Yet only 16% are in full-time employment with a further 16% in part-time roles in the UK.
与我们的教育伙伴合作, we must take greater action to attract this rich stream of talent into the digital tech sector. Recruiting neurodiverse talent will not only help to diversify our workforces and provide much-needed skills, 但也将有助于填补一些奇怪的13,每年有1000个技术职位空缺.
Doing this wouldn’t pose a significant challenge for employers, either.
Amending job advertisements to be more inclusive and easier to comprehend, and generally creating recruitment processes that rely more heavily on practical task-based interviews can be easily implemented; yet will make all the difference in attracting a wider breadth of talent.
Practices that include ensuring open and transparent communication in the recruitment process, sending interview questions in advance and not relying too heavily on written CVs will help attract not only neurodiverse individuals, but also open up tech roles to a more diverse demographic more generally, so that people are judged more on practical skill for the role, allowing more diverse backgrounds – from neurodiverse individuals to career changers or apprentices – to be more competitive in the process.
It’s important for businesses to reflect this inclusive recruitment process in the actual job, and cost-effective solutions can also be introduced across offices such as quiet working spaces, this will not only help cater to more diverse individuals once they’re in post, 但要对所有员工都有利 .
ScotlandIS is hosting an event on Global Accessibility Awareness Day (19 May), 与Sopra Steria合作, SDS和包容博天堂入口, to address why neurodiversity is important and beneficial to businesses, what adjustments can be made to help attract and support non-neurotypical people, and what useful resources are available to support with these efforts.
We’re also part of the SDS Neurodiversity Workstream, 还有其他几个合作伙伴, which aims to advise employers of these talent opportunities where appropriate. 作为合作的一部分, resources were developed to help employers better understand neurodiversity and make organisational changes.
By starting with some small changes to our approach, the tech sector could reap significant rewards to champion neuro 包容性.
视图通过 内幕.