Buckland and the IT profession

The Buckland Review of Autism Employment was published by the UK Government in April 2024. Its aim was to address the low employment rates, low pay and lack of consistent employment experienced by autistic people. There are clear implications from this report for the IT profession, and BCS has a significant role to play in supporting its aims.

Raising awareness, reducing stigma and improving understanding

Many organisations do a poor job of informing their staff about neurodiversity and why it matters. This can make it hard to understand the struggles colleagues are facing. Events that spread awareness about the social model of disability and which demystify conditions can be very useful. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can support knowledge sharing and self-advocacy amongst staff.

One of the reasons stigma is such an issue is that it prevents people from asking for support, as that requires declaring a condition. Effort is needed to educate managers and leaders so that they understand how employing autistic people is beneficial and relevant, rather than workplaces viewing autism as a negative.

Ultimately, initiatives should be aimed at allowing neurodivergent people to be more themselves at work, and for autism to be an identity that people can be proud of.

Supporting autistic people to begin or return to a career

The career challenges autistic people face begin even before employment, as conventional education frequently fails neurodivergent people. Despite their ability, they have to work much harder than their peers to get qualified.

Because of these challenges, many autistic people find their way into an IT career by unconventional routes. As a result, organisations seeking to attract autistic talent need to be flexible, accepting a range of ways people may demonstrate their skills. ‘Catch up’ qualifications or accreditations allow people to formally demonstrate the skills they already have. Organisations which can demonstrate a commitment to properly supporting autistic employees will gain access to a whole new pool of talent.

Recruitment practices that appropriately support autistic applicants

Without getting recruitment right, there is no way to get more autistic people into the IT profession. Even where there is good intent, many organisations struggle to make meaningful accommodations in their interview processes. Equally, staff training in the recruitment of autistic people is often lacking.

In order to be helpful, accommodations have to be meaningful. Time to prepare for an interview including questions in advance, a clearly designed and explained recruitment process and concretely described role descriptions are likely to make a positive difference. Ultimately, the way to make recruitment truly supportive of autistic applicants is to build accessibility into the whole system. This includes making sure that job roles are flexible, and can accommodate a wide range of different abilities across different areas.

A further challenge is overcoming the interpersonal barriers to hiring autistic people. Many organisations look for ‘cultural fit’, seeking employees who think similarly to everyone else. This, and difficulties in communication between autistic candidates and non-autistic interviewers, means that even qualified autistic people will be filtered out. Training will go some way to improving things, but genuinely supportive recruitment can only come from neurodivergent people being represented at all stages, including on interview panels.

Supporting autistic people already in the workforce

Once autistic people are in the workforce, they need appropriate support — just like any other employee. Unfortunately, many organisations do not understand the needs of their autistic staff well, and struggle to accommodate them. Even before that, organisations need to create a safe enough space for staff to feel comfortable asking in the first place.

Autistic people do best when they are able to follow their own ways of working and play to their strengths. This requires management that treats people as individuals, is flexible about how things are done, and understands the value of complementary skills. Managers who insist that staff follow a strict method, and see autistic colleagues as a problem to be solved are unlikely to provide appropriate support.

Peer led networks which provide feedback to the rest of the organisation are a very effective way of sharing good practice. They can advocate for collective needs, such as remote working, and can share good working practices between teams. The long term goal is to move towards a situation where autistic people are represented at all levels, and genuinely belong. The first step is simply to listen to what staff are saying.

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Encouraging and supporting career progression

Progressing in a career can be a particular challenge for autistic people. Linear career paths with specific qualification criteria do not allow those with different skills to move forward. Where progress is more informal, the close social relationships necessary can also be a barrier.

Flexibility and an approach centred on individual strengths and interests is the best way to support autistic people in developing their careers. This includes allowing people to specialise as a subject matter expert, taking responsibility for products and services instead of acquiring line management responsibility once a certain level is reached. Supporting career progression for autistic people requires an understanding of the range of ways people may demonstrate their skills. It is vitally important that organisations recognise and reward those who contribute in unconventional ways.

Implications for BCS

BCS is well positioned to help more autistic people join and thrive in the IT profession. Explicitly including neurodivergent people in the apprenticeship and mentoring system is a straightforward first step. Reaching out to neurodivergent people considering tech careers using existing BCS connections to educators is likely to have a big impact. Including diversity and accessibility in professional standards indirectly supports people joining the profession, too. However, there is some room for improvement within current BCS offerings, particularly around the accessibility of assessment processes.

In future, providing more information for organisations about the benefits of a neurodiverse workforce and guidance about how technology can support neurodivergent people would be very valuable. By engaging the knowledge of existing members and community groups, and by partnering with other organisations who have expertise in the area, BCS can be a leading voice for neurodiversity in the IT profession. In doing so, it can support the aims of the Buckland Review, and its own mission of making IT good for society.