Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER MAY 2019 NEWS 9 — people who help you and you keep learning from. It's a great experience, but I want to apply those experiences to the work- force because I think it'd be very valuable." Different perspectives are a welcome addition to the work- place, said Sophia Dritsas, diver- sity recruitment consultant at Scotiabank — one of the employ- ers at the Toronto event. e job fair provided a general assessment of skills for recruits, then pointed them in the appro- priate direction towards potential employers seeking related em- ployment positions, she said. "We're just doing a general pre- screen because we have limited time. We can't really get into a full-on interview with the candi- dates today, so we're just asking them what interests them about Scotiabank," said Dritsas. "What type of roles are they looking for? What type of job? Full time? Part time? Are they open to internships or contracts, as well? What are their career goals?" "In this particular space, can- didates have strong attention to detail," she said. "We're looking for top talent at the end of the day, and that includes people with dis- abilities and includes people on the spectrum." Events such as autism job fairs give organizations an opportunity to build a database of potential employees, said Dritsas. "Everyone has a different way of working. Everyone offers unique skills and abilities," she said. "It's bringing all those different skills and perspectives together. at offers a competitive advantage, for sure." Employers interested in hiring autistic Canadians should con- nect with an employment agency for more information on the pro- cess, said Dritsas. Advice for employers Inviting autistic people to join the workforce is a truly rewarding task for employers, said Benamron. "To me, it's very important, because they have unique quali- ties that I can tell you I would never be able to do," he said. "In any business, you need to maxi- mize potential of everybody that works for you. at's how you do well." Autistic Canadians continue to deal with workplace stigma where employers refuse po- tential opportunities because they prefer not to deal with is- sues, such as stimming tenden- cies — repetitive movements often used by autistic persons as a calming mechanism, said Benamron. Autistic workers bring ben- efits to companies, including the near-instant creation of a sup- portive environment, where all staff can feel proud when autis- tic employees achieve their goals. "We touched a life," he said. "at, in itself, is worth it." "Honestly, high-functioning (autistic employees) bring every- thing that any other employee does. On the lower-functioning end, if you do the job correctly, you really see them progress and come out of their shell to become more functional." It is critical that employers are not simply creating jobs as a chance to do good, according to Benamron. Positions should be fully inte- grated, and surrounded by flex- ibility to allow workers to take breaks when necessary to stim. Matching autistic workers to specific go-to managers is also recommended, he said. Positions should be fully integrated AUTISM < pg. 3 Autistic recruits await a chance to speak with employers at the Spectrum Works autism job fair in Toronto last month. Credit: Spectrum Works

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