CHARLOTTE — For many adults on the spectrum, landing a job is only half the battle. That’s why Wells Fargo is challenging that reality and redefining what inclusion looks like in the workplace.
Vivian Nguyen is a software engineer at Wells Fargo. They’ve also been diagnosed as autistic and says too often employers didn’t understand how to approach their non-typical way of thinking.
“1,000 job applications, 400 interviews, 332 days,” they told Channel 9’s Damany Lewis.
For many neurodivergent adults, the challenge isn’t getting hired, it’s staying employed. But at Wells Fargo, hundreds are now finding a different path.
Alex Lieberman, now a Wells Fargo execution consultant, was one of the first employees enrolled in the company’s Neurodiversity Program. Six years later, he’s excelling thanks to workplace accommodations built around how he works best.
“I work in bursts,” he said. “I have to work and then take a break, often big breaks, but when I am working, I can put out a lot very, very quickly.”
The mission is simple — hire the best of the best in the underserved and often overlooked neurodivergent community, which includes people with autism. It’s quite a big untapped talent pool. According to the nonprofit Autism Speaks, currently 1 out of every 45 adults in the U.S. is on the autism spectrum.
Head of Neurodiversity and Disability Employment Sean Passmore says each candidate goes through a unique job interview to accommodate their needs.
“If you and I were to go in to interview tomorrow, we might be expected to describe how we’ve applied our skills before to be successful,” he said. “With our neurodiversity program, we want these candidates to demonstrate their skills, which really is playing to their strengths.”
The results of the program, an 82% retention rate, speak for themselves.
April is Autism Acceptance Month.