Neurodivergent individuals often bring unique strengths to business, such as creativity and the ability to handle varied tasks; however, they still face significant barriers. Dr Dorottya Sallai highlights case of auticon, an IT consulting firm, that is transforming lives and perceptions by seeing success in employing exclusively autistic adults.
By 2030, the demand for skilled workers will outstrip supply, potentially resulting in a global talent shortage of 85.2 million people. In contrast, despite being talented, qualified, and keen to work, in the UK only 30 per cent of autistic people are in full-time employment. The six-fold increase in job adverts mentioning neurodiversity since 2019 suggests that UK firms are beginning to recognise the value of employing this untapped talent and the competitive advantage their employment brings.
Forward-thinking organisations like AstraZeneca, JPMorgan, and Microsoft have embraced neurodiversity by adopting inclusive recruitment strategies and providing support for neurodivergent employees. But, despite these advancements, neurodivergent individuals still face significant barriers to employment and discrimination.
auticon, an international IT consulting firm, are seeing success in exclusively employing autistic adults as IT consultants. Their approach has not only transformed lives and social perceptions but driven organisational growth in an increasingly competitive market.
However, the benefits of successful inclusion extend far beyond productivity metrics. Doubling the employment rate for autistic people could boost the economy by up to £1.5 billion each year in the UK alone and unlock potential for growth.
Autism and neurodiversity in the workplace
In the UK, the NHS estimates that one in seven people are ‘neurodivergent’. The term ‘neurodivergence’ describes alternative thinking and covers conditions such as autism, ADHD and dyslexia. Autism is a spectrum condition that affects how people experience and interact with the world.
In the UK, approximately 1 per cent of working age adults are diagnosed with autism. This means that out of the 41 million working age adults, at least around 330,000 are autistic, however current statistics are possibly quite misleading. According to a recent study, 89 per cent of people over 40 and 97 per cent of people over 60 are estimated to be undiagnosed and hence missing from the statistics.
Historically, neurodivergent individuals have faced unemployment and underemployment rates of up to 85-90 per cent, due to recruitment processes that have a narrow definition of talent and job interviews that disadvantage individuals with unconventional communication styles. This is puzzling given that fostering a neurodiverse and inclusive workplace culture significantly enhances innovative practice, employee retention, engagement and competitive advantage.
The economic benefits of neuroinclusion
Neurodivergent individuals tend to have lower turnover rates than their neurotypical counterparts, with companies like Microsoft, SAP, JPMorgan Chase, and EY reporting retention rates exceeding 90 per cent. Initiatives aimed at neurodiversity, such as Microsoft’s Neurodiversity Hiring Programme, have shown that in these environments neurotypical employees also find their work more meaningful and experience increased morale.
Companies that embrace diversity often see improved financial outcomes as well, with research indicating that organisations prioritising disability inclusion achieve above-average profitability and shareholder returns. Teams that include neurodivergent professionals can be up to 30 per cent more productive, as – according to studies -autistic employees excel at processing information quickly and identifying critical details. For instance, JPMorgan Chase’s Autism at Work programme reported that participants were 90 per cent to 140 per cent more productive than their neurotypical peers.
The organisational benefits of neurodiversity
Neurodivergence is associated with some common strengths and skills that can effectively contribute to organisational growth, such as attention to detail, sustained focus, pattern recognition, innovative problem-solving, creative or unconventional thinking, mathematical or technical abilities, interests or expertise in ‘niche’ areas, as well as loyalty, honesty and reliability. It is not a surprise that auticon’s consultants excel in roles such as software development, data analysis and quality assurance engineering.
Indeed, research shows that having employees with disabilities in its workforce can build a firm’s competitive advantage in four ways:
- Those with disabilities often possess talents that make them better at certain jobs.
- Their presence elevates the organisational culture, fostering collaboration and increasing productivity.
- A company’s reputation for inclusivity improves its value proposition with customers, who are more inclined to form long-term relationships with the company.
- Being acknowledged as socially responsible gives a firm an advantage in the competition for talent and capital.
auticon: A case study for success
auticon’s journey began in Berlin in 2011, when a father, Dirk Müller-Remus, decided to do something about the discrimination of autistic people in the labour market, and create an environment that would provide better employment opportunities for his autistic son. auticon has since expanded to become the largest autistic-majority company globally.
I call it the perfect storm for good. auticon sits at the confluence of surging awareness and support for neurodiversity in the workplace, acute shortages of tech talent and the tragically overlooked community of very specially abled neurodivergent people.
– Eric Olafson, Investor and auticon Executive Board member
Instead of focusing on the challenges that autistic individuals face, auticon promotes its workforce and services emphasising the strengths of autistic professionals.
Challenges and moving forward
auticon’s journey demonstrates how organisations can transform neurodiversity into a distinctive competitive advantage within the technology sector. While the company has established itself as the world’s largest autistic-majority employer, it also faces complex challenges. One of the biggest challenges is the issue of supply and demand. The supply of highly qualified candidates does not always coincide with suitable projects for them or vice versa. The firm may have high demand for their services but struggle to find individuals with the necessary skills and experience.
Another challenge auticon faces is scaling their impact in the labour market. This has prompted them to change their business model and offer complementary neuroinclusion services besides IT consultancy. Organisations increasingly seek to support their own neurodivergent staff internally rather than hiring external consultants.
Finally, with only a third of autistic people being in some form of employment, finding talent on the labour market is not straightforward. Most of auticon’s current employees were either unemployed or underemployed before applying to their current position.
Despite these challenges, auticon has set a benchmark for other companies aiming to integrate neurodiversity into their workforce and shown how the skills gap in the tech industry can be addressed by tapping into the untapped potential of autistic talent.
- This blog post is based on Sallai, Dorottya and Hill, Ian (2025) ‘auticon: promoting a neurodiverse workforce’, in: Sallai, Dorottya and Pepper, Alexander (ed) Navigating the 21st Century Business World: Case Studies in Management, London: LSE Press, pp. 219–238.
- The authors would like to extend their gratitude to auticon UK and especially Andrea Girlanda, CEO of auticon UK for their support and insights, which have significantly contributed to the development of this case study.
- The post represents the views of its author(s), not the position of LSE Business Review or the London School of Economics and Political Science
- Photo by Konstantin Postumitenko on Prostock-studio.
- Read our other latest blog on inclusion in organisations: Inclusion in organisations: roots and routes
The post The benefits of neurodiversity in business first appeared on LSE Management.