We’re working to connect neurodiverse Canadians to trades and career options in advanced manufacturing. By connecting with employers across Halton Region we now know first hand that the talent gap problem needs a new solution.
After speaking with over 25 advanced manufacturing employers across Halton Region, we heard many confirmations of existing employees, family members and candidates already successfully on the job!
What is Autism?
Likely You Already Have Autistic Employees On Your Team
As 1 in 66 Canadians have an autism diagnosis, statistically if you have 100 employees, you’re likely to have 1 or more autistic individuals already on your team.
- Dependable, honest, trustworthy, literal humor
- Original thinkers
- Attention to details
- Problem solvers: seek solutions
- Strong skills in areas such as: art, music, math, literary, etc.
- Once trust is earned, very honorable and trustworthy employee
Autism is a “spectrum”, which means that it affects each individual differently. If you are working with (or think you are working with) someone on the autism spectrum, you may notice the following:
- Awkward eye contact, postures, or gestures
- Difficulty understanding tone, facial expressions, or other body language
- Difficulty initiating conversation
- Blunt, pointed remarks (“brutal honesty”)
Myths / Facts About Hiring People With Autism
Myth
Employees with Autism have high absenteeism.
Fact
86% of employees who are neurodiverse rated average or better on attendance than their colleagues.
Myth
High performance employers are too competitive to hire people with ASD.
Fact
High performance employers are 37% more likely to hire people who are neurodiverse because they are good talent matches for open positions.
Myth
Employees with ASD are at higher risk of injury or workplace accidents.
Fact
98% of people with a disability rate average or better in work safety than their non-disabled co-workers.
Myth
It costs too much to accommodate an employee with a disability.
Fact
The Job Accommodation Network studied 2000 employees and determined that 57% of employers reported no additional costs from hiring a person with an intellectual disability or ASD. 37% report a one-time minimal cost of less than $500.
Myth
Employees with ASD will not be able to contribute as much as their co-workers.
Fact
73% of employees report that they strongly agree that their new co-workers contribute as much as other to their organization.
Myth
Employees with ASD do not last in high performance workplaces.
Fact
Compared with the average turnover rate of 49% across all industries, employees with a learning disability or ASD is considerably lower at just 7%.
RATES OF EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING VARY FROM 21% UP TO 47%. WE CHOSE THE MIDDLE: 37%
Average cost to recruit, hire and train an employee? $4,200
When we looked at the average cost to attract, hire, train and retain an employee, the numbers were quite staggering. Whether a small company of 40 or a global company of 3,000, the impact of employee turnover can be significant.
The perception is that the disability community would be an additional expense vs savings. This simply isn’t true. If an employee needs accomodation, that is usually less than $500 at the start and will usually result in a loyal, hard working employee who will repay your investment faster than you think.