As part of National Inclusion Week 2025, JET Ambassador Ryan O’Connell shared his experience in the workplace as an autistic adult.
Here are some key takeaways from the Buckland Review of Autism Employment, published in February 2024:
· Just 3 in 10 autistic adults are in work, compared to 5 in 10 for all disabled people and 8 in 10 for non-disabled people.
· Autistic people face the largest pay gap of all disability groups.
· Autistic graduates are twice as likely to be unemployed after 15 months as non-disabled graduates.
· Autistic graduates are most likely to be overqualified for the job they have.
· They are most likely to be on zero-hour contracts and least likely to be in a permanent role.
Autistic people are hindered right from the beginning of the employment process, the job description. I have read many job descriptions where I could not figure out what the day-to-day tasks in the job would be. How can I know if I want to apply for that job, or if I would be any good at it? When I attended interviews, I learnt to ask “what does a typical day look like?” to figure out whether I would be a good fit.
I think people are worried that the job will sound boring if they just come out and say “it’s emailing, answering the phone and filing” but trying to jazz it up is not helpful for autistic people, and probably not for anyone else. Saying something like “no two days are the same” doesn’t actually help you figure out if a job is for you.
For an autistic person, like me, certainty is very important. What is my job, and what is not my job? That’s a key part of how my brain works, and how I become comfortable. That doesn’t mean that my tasks and responsibilities can never change, they absolutely can, but I need to have clear conversations, and I need to know what the expectations are on both sides.
Interviews are exhausting for autistic people. Firstly, we’re dealing with unknown people asking random things in an unknown location and secondly, many of us have to put on a neurotypical mask. Basically, we tend to get very anxious when we have unknown factors at play, more so than non-autistic people.
The best way that any interviewer can become instantly more inclusive is to send out their interview questions ahead of time, and stick to them. Even if it’s just a loose framework to go on. I’m sure that this idea horrifies some people. In my view, interviews are not really about how skilled or experienced someone is, that’s on their CV. What interviews are really about is how well someone can talk, what the vibes are. Do you like this person? How will they fit in your team? All of this is going to be more apparent to you if the candidate is prepared and relaxed.
Another great thing you can do is include photos when you send out the interview details. Headshots of who the candidate will be meeting, and photos of the entrance of the building, and the reception area if possible.
Masking is something that most autistic people do, either some of the time or all of the time that they are with other people. This is where we learn to behave and speak in a way that is tolerable to other people.
We can be too blunt, too truthful, ask too many questions. Most of us don’t like making eye contact, and we learn to do that, or how to pretend to do it, by focusing just above someone’s eyes, or using another technique. Doing this all the time is really tiring; it’s like an extra full-time job.
When I was younger, I found it very difficult to navigate interviews. I thought that if someone offered me a time slot, then no matter how difficult it was to make that slot, I had to attend. I think a lot of people feel this pressure, and it is another part of the process that doesn’t really serve anyone by being too rigid. It’s better if interviewers can offer a bit more flexibility, a couple of dates and times instead of just one. I think you will get a better interview experience out of a more relaxed candidate.
As I have got older, I’ve been able to advocate for myself much more effectively, and this is something that I want to help to pass on to all neurodiverse young people. I can attend a job interview and say “I’m autistic, and I don’t work well with others, I don’t enjoy group projects, and I need a quiet space.”
That might sound off-putting to some employers. Some people might think: “Well, that Ryan sounds like a bit of a jerk. Probably difficult to manage and work with. Not sure I want them on my team.”
But if you get past that, you will find that I am very kind, approachable, willing to help others, and great at sharing my specialist knowledge. Just don’t ask me to sit in a noisy part of the office.
I have been able to succeed in my career by identifying and using my skillset and ensuring that I spend most of the time doing things that I’m amazing at, and very little time doing things that I’m rubbish at. That’s not the same as saying I never explore other skills. But, because of my disability, there are going to be things that I’m just never going to be good at, even if I practised at it over and over. I would just end up miserable and burned out. That’s been something that I’ve had to learn through experience.
For neurodiverse people to truly succeed in the workplace, they need to let the mask drop all of the time and be honest and open about their skills and challenges. And they can only do this when the workplace is safe for them. That means a workplace where diversity and inclusion is not just some words in the yearly training, or on an inspirational poster, but is part of workplace culture, from interviewing through to yearly reviews and one-to-ones, and career planning.
These are the actions that I would like all local employers to undertake:
· Ask candidates if there are any accommodations that they require, in supportive language that indicates that accommodation requests are welcome and respected.
· Write clear job descriptions.
· Send out interview questions in advance.
· Send out as many details on the interviewers and interview location as you can.
· Deepen your understanding of issues faced by disabled people. Read some blogs, follow disabled content producers, read some books, attend seminars, and listen to people’s lived experiences.
*Ryan spoke at the National Inclusion Week breakfast hosted by Maison des Landes Hotel.
