Robin Tommy’s Post

We enjoyed this insightful article that shares examples on how more companies outside of the tech industry are recognizing the value of neurodivergent candidates.

"The benefits and unique attributes that neurodiverse people bring to the workforce prove no different," said Margareta Mucibabici (Chesaru), Public Affairs & Social Impact Director at UiPath to Forbes. "Therefore, companies that strive to foster an inclusive workplace should consider the opportunity to create new employment opportunities for autistic individuals and help reduce the employment gap (currently estimated at over 80%). "By identifying roles that require significant visual focus and execution of routine tasks – skills at which autistic people naturally excel and enjoy – companies can increase their talent pool in addition to seeing enhancements in productivity, service quality, innovative capabilities, and employee engagement.” April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/eQFRUkV #WorldAutismAwarenessDay #DiversityInTech #InclusionMatters

AI Companies Are Leveraging Autistic Talent to Build Better Solutions UiPath and AutonomyWorks have built a team that excels at data extraction and exception management. UiPath, a leader in AI and automation, has partnered with AutonomyWorks to fulfill its tech needs with exceptional results. Founded in 2013 by Dave Friedman, AutonomyWorks connects individuals with autism to tech roles that align with their skills, including digital marketing, transaction processing, quality assurance, and data management. These roles leverage strengths often associated with autism, such as attention to detail and a preference for process. A recent article in Employee Benefit News highlights how businesses can benefit from hiring autistic talent. "AutonomyWorks is here to destigmatize and create a clear roadmap for hiring and managing autistic talent," says Friedman. "Our work with UiPath demonstrates how these individuals can thrive and contribute significantly to various businesses. "https://lnkd.in/dnEVmpmD At UiPath, AutonomyWorks teams play a crucial role in document understanding, teaching AI models to extract correct data, and managing AI exceptions. "UiPath not only trusts our team with critical work but also provides opportunities for us to learn and upskill," notes Friedman. This ensures that UiPath gains a skilled and dedicated workforce, while AutonomyWorks fulfills its mission of providing meaningful employment to autistic individuals. Brigette McInnis-Day, Chief People Officer at UiPath, emphasizes, "Inclusion is important, but it requires a comprehensive talent strategy. Neurodiverse workers are exceptionally suited for technologies like AI and automation, with unique skills such as attention to detail and pattern recognition." AutonomyWorks impact is evident in individual employee stories, such as Brennen Novak, who is autistic and suffers from severe anxiety. Brennen found a workplace that fits his needs while allowing him to tap into his technology talent. “The work I did clicked with me and gave me hope of finding a place I belonged,” says Novak. Since joining AutonomyWorks in 2018, Brennen has advanced to a Team Lead position, exemplifying how individuals with autism can thrive in the right environment. Partnering with employers like UiPath, AutonomyWorks aims to pave the way for greater disability inclusion within the workforce. "Every company can benefit from hiring neurodiverse talent — this is something we prove at AutonomyWorks each day," says Friedman. Contact Brad Cohen if you would like to learn more about how AutonomyWorks helps businesses unlock the talents of people with autism.

People with autism have skills that fit perfectly with the demands of AI and automation solutions. UiPath and AutonomyWorks are teaming to upskill autistic teams for the future. #autismatwork #ai

💰For profit. 🚫Not certified. #knowyourworth Companies looking for integration into their ESG narrative ought to consider solutions like AutonomyWorks. They compete on the same playing ground as anyone else. And if I were a neurodiverse or non-certified provider in AWs space, I’d be concerned. They crush it daily. I’m asked ALL the time how ESG fits into the non-certified small business conversation. By both entrepreneurs and enterprise buyers. It’s not always obvious. Start with the data. And, both brand’s positions and promises. Threading the needle… stay with me… If you know what you need within your supply chain, you look for the best way to keep your brand promise as solid as possible. That is the job of supply chain, isn’t it? To protect the promise of the organization they represent? Ex: if I was a high volume awareness buyer, or in retail I’d want AW to handle my transaction processing, quality assurance and data management - not because it’s a good “story about autism”, but because AW delivers daily on an evidence based promise of quality and accuracy that allows my organization to do more of what we do. And what’s even better, is I’m contributing to something really meaningful by making a solid business decision. 👈 that’s it, right there. Read about Dave Friedman and the team at Autnomy Works. They kill the “S” in the ESG story - but not in the way “industry” talks about it. 1) Their promise is inherently based on accuracy. The buyer gets what they came for. 2) By the nature of the organization and neurodiverse employees the work product brings independence and joy to a cohort in a sustainable way 3) Those utilizing AW as a solution can weave the Social narrative on three levels: ⭐️A product delivered by neurodiverse blessed humans 📏An increase in accuracy at volume. 📊A tangible outcome: community impact that flows from the buyers commitment to the sellers organization, traceable to the individuals impacted, their families and the communities they contribute to. That’s the STORY. Sure, certification makes the story easy to report by the compliance factor, but ESG isn’t just about compliance. It’s about impact. Whether you are buying or selling, thread the needle from the start. ESG impact reporting- start with the data. The impact data. Shameless plug: Autonomy Works - Highly recc’d. Highly impactful.

By aligning technology initiatives with inclusive policies, we can empower neurodivergent individuals to fully participate in the digital age. Let's advocate for #policies that promote #accessibility, support #neurodiversity initiatives, and foster #innovation in the public and private sectors. #neurodiversity #autismawarenessday #inclusion #diversity

Cognitive diversity vs disabilities… There is no competition between the two! Enter AI… Let’s think about this for a moment. Why not conduct research amongst people with disabilities and neurodivergent folks as to how they feel about AI to be utilized to benefit them? Let’s allow their voices and lived experience to be heard and understood, whether it be related to AI, accessibility and overall disability inclusion. #PeopleWithDisabilities #Neurodiversity #BillionStrong #DisabilityInclusion

Preetika Rana published this insightful article in The Wall Street Journal on the value of autistic people growing in the workforce beyond tech. Rana notes, “Now banks, retailers and others are recognizing the special skills of those with autism and other types of neurodivergence.” Marcia Scheiner, president of Integrate Autism Employment Advisors, who is included in the article, commented that the unemployment rate of autistic adults is slowly changing. We believe everyone in our community has the skills and talent to succeed in their careers. #inclusion #autistic #neurodivergent #neurodivergence #neurodiversity 

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿. Welcome to the Transformation Age, where rapid change is the norm. According to Maureen N. Dunne, Ph.D. in her book "The Neurodiversity Edge", harnessing the power of neurodiversity is the key to thriving in this new age. Which is great news as the mother of an outstandingly bright daughter with combined ADHD, a daughter who's "lucky" enough to have a suspected heavy sprinkling of ASD and ADHD on both sides of her family and tracked back at least 3 generations 😎 Catherine Barber-Brown's recent post on neurodiversity prompted me to both delve into this book, and think more about how this often powers the innovative genius behind (particularly) STEM businesses. 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲? In this era of constant disruption, it's lateral and associative thinking that unlocks breakthroughs. Neurodiverse individuals excel at this, viewing problems from alternate perspectives in a non-linear way. So why will neurodivergent talent help you navigate the Age of Transformation? 🎯 Autistic Aptitude: Superior pattern recognition and reduced bias lead to sharper decisions and fewer blind spots. 🎯 Dyslexic Strengths: A knack for finding connections between disparate ideas fuels innovative solutions and unconventional approaches. 🎯 ADHD Gifts: Abundant creative energy and cognitive flexibility drive out-of-the-box thinking and rapid iteration. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 + 𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 Now there's a thought: combine neurodiverse creativity and the ability to ask really interesting questions from a different perspective, with AI's processing power and speed, and you have a powerful innovation engine. Together there's massive potential to discover new productivity pathways and develop disruptive solutions. Neurodiversity isn't a deficit, it's a 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀. A diverse and inclusive team can unlock a wellspring of creativity, innovation, and problem-solving power, propelling your startup towards success in the Transformation Age. However, if you're an early-stage tech Founder, it is possible to have too much of a good thing 😎 Given the higher than chance representation of awesome people with (particularly) ASD and ADHD in the STEM world, your challenges may be the reverse of the above. You will still, however, need to build a team which includes, engages, and listens to people who don't think or behave the same way that you do... #founder #ceo #leadership #startups #neurodiversity #innovation #transformation

As disability is not seen as diversity and inclusion and when industries, companies and organisations DEI agender is only aligned with the governments diversity and inclusion agender; people with disabilities that have abilities miss out on the chances and opportunities DEI was intended to give. People with disabilities have extra skills, knowledge, experiences and abilities that they had to learnt to be able to participate in the work place and society. When a person with a disability that has abilities is given the chances and opportunities, they thrive and the industry, company or organisation is better for it. So it is time that disability is included in diversity and inclusion #DEI #DEIB. #disabilityinclusion #diversity #disabilityawareness #inclusion #disabilityisnotinability #people #diversityinthewirkplace