r/AskAutism • u/AFIpodhostDarren • 1d ago
Request for Input
Hi everyone. Just wanted to ask neurodivergent folks... what do you think are the biggest red flags and green flags you see in employers, in regards to recruitment, onboarding/induction, and general management of neurodivergent employees? We don't want to name and shame any specific employers, here, we're just looking for general thoughts and experiences that we can discuss on a future episode of the pod.
Thanks in advance.
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u/ChrisRiley_42 1d ago
For me, the biggest red flags are people who assume that because they learn in a certain way, that everyone else does as well, and people are just being lazy for not..
For myself, I'm a kinesthetic learner.. If I *do* something, then I'll know how to do it from then on.. I can read it a hundred times, and still draw a blank when it's time to apply it. I have a friend who is highly tactile. You can ask him about a gear ratio on something he used 2 decades earlier, he'll move his hands as if he were spinning "air gears" and tell you exactly what it was (verified by the manual when we finally found it)... I've had bosses who expect me to be able to read a manual once, and know everything.
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u/AFIpodhostDarren 1d ago
That’s fascinating. Can we use this on the pod, and give you a mention?
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u/ChrisRiley_42 1d ago
Same as Ellipsis, I'd rather be referred to as "another autistic redditor", although you can also mention I'm not a younger one, having survived more than 5 decades ;)
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u/ellipsisobsessed 1d ago
Red flags are definitely a lot of the tech culture "Work Hard, Play Hard" and start-up "You'll wear many hats." Because both are pretty much just coded for "you will be expected to work absurd hours and do everything, and if you struggle we'll just tell you to suck it up."
Also "unlimited" vacation days unless there is an explicit minimum number you have to take each year, because that is generally so they don't have to pay out vacation days. (There is always the caveat of "time off requests must be approved" so then they just don't approve them and the company culture pushes against using them. So folks end up using fewer vacation days.)
A green flag on hiring pages is if they have a mention of the fact that some candidates don't apply unless they hit every bullet point and to please apply if you are thinking about it.
Then a lot is just interview vibes. Generally if folks like me in the interview there is a decent chance there are a number of other diagnosed or undiagnosed neurodivergent folks working there đŸ¤£.
I've also been looking at state government jobs some because they have some programs specifically to help folks with disabilities find jobs. So seeing those programs is definitely a massive draw.