Microsoft has decided to extend its Autism and Inclusive Hiring Programme to UK. Microsoft in the UK says it will begin to hire ten people with neurodiverse conditions such as the likes of Autism or Asperger’s syndrome. We understand that all ten jobs will be based in the UK and full-time. This is similar to what Microsoft did at its head office in Redmond where 11 employees with autism became members of the company’s working community. Since this is being done at Microsoft’s UK branch, we believe the interview process will be the same if not similar.
You see, Microsoft does not do the regular face-to-face interviews with folks suffering from neurodiverse conditions, instead, the company does things via a multi-week academy that put the candidates at ease. This way, they can better demonstrate their skills, and from there, Microsoft will make a decision on who to hire.
“One of the challenges facing the UK economy is building a skilled future workforce. We can achieve this aim much better if we have a wider appreciation of the skills that are out there. While each individual is different, many people with neurodiverse conditions have skills which include a strong ability to retain information and analyse data, as well as in-depth and detailed computational thinking skills. The possibilities of what we could create together are limitless,” says Michel Van der Bel, Microsoft UK CEO.
Microsoft believes that it can better connect with its customers by hiring people with autism and other neurodiverse conditions. Many customers suffer from these conditions, so to have a great experience at Microsoft is not only great for the customer, but for the software giant as well.
If you know of anyone who may be interested in applying for the pilot programme, you can ask them to email your CV to ‘msautism at microsoft dot com’.
