Microsoft reports Autism Hiring Program a great success

Microsoft has been running an Autism Hiring Program since 2015, designed to identify and remove the barriers which would keep those with autistic spectrum disorders from finding meaningful employment in the company.

Today on World Autism Awareness Day they report that the program has been a big success, with more than 50 full-time employees joining the company through the program, working across dozens of teams at the company, from software engineers and data scientists to content writers. Microsoft reports engineers hired through the Autism Hiring Program are now responsible for writing code for products and services that are being used by millions of customers daily.

Microsoft gained some experience through the years, which they hope to share with other companies. Microsoft is now working closely with companies like SAP, JP Morgan Chase, EY, Ford Motor Company, and DXC technologies, and together recently launched the Autism Employer Roundtable, a coalition focused on helping other companies advance their hiring approach for people with Autism.

Microsoft is also working with over a dozen companies in various stages of program development to create their own Autism or neurodiversity hiring initiatives.

The 2nd April is  World Autism Awareness Day and April is  National Autism Awareness Month. Microsoft has set out a number of programs to celebrate the month including:

• The 3rd annual Autism at Work Summit at Redmond, Washington, April 24-26, 2018, sponsored along with the members of the Autism Employer Roundtable consortium. The event brings together companies with existing hiring programs and those companies looking to learn more with social agencies, government officials, and academia to share best practices and discuss how they can further collaborate to make an impact on changing the unemployment rate. For those who can’t attend, Microsoft will livestream much of this event here.
• Microsoft will host the Work Virtual Career Fair on April 25, 2018, for candidates interested in careers or want to chat with recruiters in an inclusive environment. Participating companies include Bloomberg, Deloitte, DXC technology, EY, Ford, IBM, JP Morgan Chase, Microsoft, and SAP. Candidates can register for free here.
• Throughout April, Microsoft Stores across the country will also host special events and activities for students with Autism and their families. From learning to code to creating digital art with Fresh Paint, Microsoft will provide classes and workshops in an inclusive and friendly environment. Visit your local Microsoft Store and click on the link to the location in your area to see the list of events.

Microsoft believes talented people from all walks of life to be part of the fabric of the company to help them better serve all of their customers. Read more about their autism initiatives here.