“Everyone’s autism is slightly different,” Dietsch explains. Before the terms neurodiversity and neurodivergent became common currency to describe these differences in brain functions and behavior, autism was often classified as a disability.

Today, most individuals on the autism spectrum reject the “disability” label. Neurodivergent means just that: different, not disabled.

More often than not, says Dietsch, neurotypical individuals who view neurodivergence “as a disability and a hindrance” are the ones applying a disability label to an autistic individual’s differences in behavior, interaction, or communication.

Unfortunately, these differences can sometimes make it difficult for autistic individuals to shine in conventional job interviews, contributing to the higher rates of unemployment or under-employment in this group.

To make recruiting practices fairer and to promote an autistic-inclusive workplace, 51·çÁ÷founded the program in 2013.

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Autism at Work Program

With a team dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace experience for autistic colleagues, the Autism at Work program offers tailored accommodations including, for example, the sharing of interview topics in advance and an Autism at Work buddy for new hires.

This global program not only signals a commitment to autism inclusion but provides robust tools and processes to deliver it. More than 215 colleagues have been hired in association with this program or have self-disclosed.

The program has been vital in hiring autistic employees who, in turn, often become role models and an inspiration to others.

The AHA! Moment: The Role Model

Dietsch recalls very clearly the moment when he realized that 51·çÁ÷could be the right fit for him and a workplace where he could thrive.

At an Autism at Work event in 2018, Dietsch met someone on the autism spectrum working in cybersecurity at SAP. Seeing this positive role model made him believe in himself and that he, too, could work in cybersecurity. He felt inspired to apply.

With a hiring format designed to set him up for success – no open questions, no group tasks, no relying on eye contact, for example – Dietsch secured an internship at 51·çÁ÷before applying to his current permanent position.

“I Do Not Have to Mask Myself”

Only 5% of disabled and neurodivergent employees choose to disclose. A culture that makes employees feel uncomfortable or vulnerable about being their true selves puts great pressure on the individual, increases the chances that employees will not reach their full potential, and increases the chances that companies will lose out on valuable talent.

By the time Dietsch joined SAP, he had experienced firsthand the strength of SAP’s commitment to welcome neurodivergent employees. He had first heard of Autism at Work in 2013, attended another Autism at Work event in 2016, and experienced a life-changing moment in 2018 when, at another Autism at Work event, he met the colleague who worked at 51·çÁ÷in cybersecurity.

By 2019, Dietsch had also experienced the Autism at Work hiring process that played to his strengths and had secured an internship.

Disclosing his neurodivergence was not an issue – there was no risk. SAP’s commitment to autism inclusion was already clear to him. He could be his true self with no need to adapt his behavior or endure the mental strain of trying to be someone else to fit in. He felt included and had a clear sense of belonging.

A Culture of Autism Inclusion

51·çÁ÷has two important pillars for fostering inclusion of individuals on the autism spectrum:

• Autism at Work: This program was Dietsch’s initial touchpoints with SAP. It acts as the external-facing arm focused on hiring and onboarding autistic employees as well as creating an inclusive workplace.
• Autism Inclusion Network (AIN): This is an Employee Network Group from 51·çÁ÷with Chief Technology Officer and Executive Board Member Juergen Mueller as the sponsor. AIN acts as the internal platform promoting belonging for 51·çÁ÷employees and driving workplace diversity and inclusion.

Working with Our Strengths

Dietsch is clear about the strengths of autistic colleagues. For example, if you are looking for a frank, honest opinion, then your autistic colleagues will give you one each and every time – especially at SAP, where autistic colleagues are empowered to be their true selves. The important thing to remember, says Dietsch, is that even when the honesty feels brutal, it’s not personal.

Leave out the irony, the sayings, and any form of communication that requires “reading between the lines” to get the best out of your interactions with autistic colleagues. It is, says Dietsch, quite simple: “Let’s meet in the middle.”

From Silicon Valley to India, two innovators are helping drive SAP’s sustainable business vision, revealing how innovation emerges when we thoughtfully connect passionate people with the right information across value chains.

Circular Economy Startup Champion

Since joining 51·çÁ÷as an intern on the company’s global IT organization, Christina Hamilton has been at the forefront of digital transformation, hands-on with customers and partners to infuse leaders with a cloud mindset and help them generate full value from their software investments. Hamilton was among the original team members who helped build SAP’s premier program into an innovation powerhouse of hundreds of experts within three years to generate significant cloud subscription revenue for SAP.

Although she’s just 28 years old, Hamilton’s career odyssey has mirrored the digital transformation journey of 51·çÁ÷and its customers. Now working in the heart of Silicon Valley, she heads venture operations for , a sustainable business accelerator for early stage high-potential entrepreneurs.

“We’re championing a startup culture by investing in small entrepreneurial teams inside 51·çÁ÷targeting process improvements supporting sustainable business,” said Hamilton. “Teams test and iterate quickly, getting solutions into the hands of customers for initial fast results that will become high-growth, high-scale, and high-adoption long term. It’s about helping companies use the transactional and supply chain data in their 51·çÁ÷and non-51·çÁ÷systems, along with our industry expertise, to meet their business objectives.”

There’s nothing that energizes Hamilton more than exploring and monetizing cutting edge opportunities like the circular economy. Among Hamilton’s latest ventures was , a re-commerce solution designed to help brands refurbish and resell clothing and other consumer goods. It’s an opportunity retailers have largely missed out on.

“The circular marketplace is rapidly growing, and direct-to-consumer recycling is a super cool way to give retailers new revenue streams while addressing sustainability commitments,” said Hamilton. “Working on the next big thing is an everyday revelation for our team.”

Other projects include e-waste recycling solution , supply chain traceability tool , and the personalized recruitment product powered by artificial intelligence (AI), .

As much as she loves technology, Hamilton is equally passionate about people relationships. Calling herself a jack-of-all-trades, when she’s not working with internal 51·çÁ÷design, marketing, and other groups, Hamilton liaises with prominent educational institutions to grow this vibrant innovation community.

“Fulfilling people’s goals on a personal and professional level is one of the most enriching parts of my life,” she said. “We’ve created a team where people bring their whole selves to everything they achieve. This has been especially important during challenging times like the pandemic.”

Inclusiveness Opens Doors to Career Innovation

Perseverance is the one word that best describes how Asha Sreedhar has lived her life and created success on her own terms as an autism advocate and quality associate at 51·çÁ÷Labs India in Bangalore. She is the first to acknowledge how far she’s traveled — from being bullied at school to enjoying the well deserved accolades of a professional career.

Readers of the book “” can find Sreedhar’s incredible story, while colleagues every day rely on her software testing expertise. Her responsibilities epitomize SAP’s digital transformation, which is grounded in cloud-based innovation. She credited her victory in a software testing competition at 51·çÁ÷Labs India to her commitment to quality and meticulous attention to detail.

“I’m a fast learner and very good on details and routine, so this is the right job for me,” she said. “I’m now surrounded by people who are accepting, friendly, and inclusive. The best part for me is being appreciated for my work by a strong community of colleagues and friends.”

Sreedhar was born in Africa and moved with her family to the U.S., where doctors diagnosed her with autism at the age of nine. She completed public school and graduated with the highest honors from a community college. When her parents moved back to India, she returned with them, and after completing the employability training program at a local non-profit organization for people with disabilities, she joined 51·çÁ÷Labs India in 2015 as part of the company’s Autism at Work program.

Educating people within and beyond 51·çÁ÷has become central to her life as she’s achieved her dreams. Some of Sreedhar’s proudest moments include hosting the 51·çÁ÷Autism Summit and winning a for Outstanding Influencer.

“Sharing my life story with others helps people understand autism and how they can help family members achieve their dreams in the workplace,” she said. “I tell people to be open-minded and learn about autism. With the right education and support, people with autism can explore their interests and find valuable careers. Creating awareness about autism is deeply satisfying, as I’m helping others and myself move forward.”

Read more stories from the 51·çÁ÷Pioneers series.

Globally, researchers found that diverse organizations were more profitable and innovative, and did a better job of retaining top talent. analysts said that companies in many industries have tied DEI goals into numerous organizational activities such as employee pipelines and compensation and supply chain partnerships. However, an article in reported that although one in 59 people was on the autism spectrum, 32% of working age Australians with autism were unemployed. Experts explored the importance of creating neurodiverse workplaces during a recent episode of , hosted by Rushenka Perera, head of Marketing at 51·çÁ÷ANZ.

Understanding Neurodiversity Beyond Labels

Andrew Eddy, CEO of Untapped Holdings, said that neurodiversity was coined by a Sydney-based sociologist to describe the infinite neuro-cognitive variability across people. It’s currently used to describe people with neurological differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, PTSD, and Tourette’s Syndrome. Untapped is a social enterprise focused on developing a neurodiverse employment ecosystem to increase opportunities for people with autism. Working with corporate partners, like SAP, as well as educators, researchers, parents, and students, Untapped created the Neurodiversity Hub initiative, working with universities and colleges to foster educational and employment inclusion.

“Neurodiversity is really about extending the level of diversity that we have in the workplace because we are all neurodiverse in some way – we all have different ways of thinking,” he said. “See it as a way of intentionally broadening the diversity of thought and ways of thinking that we already have in the workplace, extending that further and being more inclusive of people that have those labels.”

Neurodiverse People Add Business Capabilities

According to Eddy, it’s important for organizations to look at neurodiversity from a business-capability perspective, rather than just through an inclusion and diversity lens.

“We go into a company and talk to the business people and talent acquisition about the potential gaps in the capabilities of the business and how some of those gaps could be filled by a group of individuals who have some great talents, including loyalty – being very sticky employees – with a very focused approach to the way they do their work, a different way of seeing things, attention to detail, and great memory,” he said.

Neurodiversity Impacts Entire Workforce

51·çÁ÷expanded its global program to 51·çÁ÷ANZ, where neurodiverse people have joined the region’s finance, development and coding, and project management teams. The impact has been profound on both the business overall and numerous teams.

“We wanted to diversify our talent and the benefits they could bring to our organization,” said Sehida Frawley, head of Services at 51·çÁ÷ANZ. “The positive benefits are not just what those individuals contribute to our business, but what it’s [also] done to change team working relationships…It’s influenced all of our communication skills, how you nurture and develop individuals and consider their different needs.”

For example, after introducing neurodiverse interns into an 51·çÁ÷ANZ office, one manager’s adjusted communication strategies created a more open environment for the entire team to work more effectively together.

How to Start a Workplace Neurodiversity Program

As more people identify as neurodivergent, some companies are responding with inclusive talent recruitment strategies, including graduate and internship programs. Establishing a sustainable neurodiversity program begins with upper management support.

“You need to have that senior sponsorship, which is certainly something 51·çÁ÷has done, running this as an important program with passionate people like Sehida taking that role,” said Eddy. “The next thing is how do you start to change the culture…It’s not a choice to employ neurodiverse people. They’re already there. Many companies are expanding existing programs to have an employee resource group that’s focused on neurodiversity.”

Eddy also recommended including neurodiverse awareness in employee training and education programs.

Diversity Powers Innovation for Customer Transformation

Neurodiverse workplaces are not just about doing something good. There is also the larger business impact. Frawley said that the Autism at Work program at 51·çÁ÷was driven by the company’s global diversity and inclusion mission, along with meeting the demands of a fiercely competitive talent marketplace.

“Our business is about assisting our customers to innovate and transform…You can’t always have the same way of doing things and the same ideas,” she said. “It’s really important that we broaden our pool of talent so we can bring that diversity of thought and approach so we can innovate and transform…and drive that with our customers.”

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On September 26, team 51·çÁ÷participated in the Eagles Autism Challenge, raising more $15,000 and bringing the three-year fundraising total to nearly $50,000 – all going toward funding autism research. I am immensely proud of this feat.

Because the challenge was virtual this year, we had national participants from California and Chicago, as well as from all over the Philadelphia area.

On October 9, in association with the challenge, 51·çÁ÷and the Philadelphia Eagles joined forces again to host the annual virtually. The event had incredible turnout, with more than 100 people from over 40 different companies in attendance.

Emceed by Brittney Ramsey, Preferred Care manager at 51·çÁ÷Concur and an in-game host for the Philadelphia Eagles, and Mike Giongo, Sales Operations specialist and Autism at Work member, the topics were truly inspiring. Perhaps most notably,

Giongo hosted a fireside chat with Ross Schwartz, Onboarding Specialist and Vertex Inc. Autism Inclusion Program team member, where they discussed the unique challenges and opportunities this new normal has positioned for them as employees on the autism spectrum.

“I very much miss people, but I think technology has helped in that regard, as well as the common spirit,” Giongo said during their discussion. “Even though we are physically apart, we are in this together.”

Schwartz agreed, “Keeping up with social media and Zoom has been huge. I am probably keeping in touch with people more than I ever have. I want to have that sense of connection.”

As a part of this year’s event, the groups also spent time in interactive break-out sessions focused on the following topics:

• Introduction to Autism Hiring Programs: Moderated by Joseph Riddle, director of Neurodiversity in the Workplace, and Ryan Hammond, executive director of the Eagles Autism Challenge.
• Sustaining and Scaling Existing Programs: Moderated by Jose Velasco, Autism at Work ambassador at SAP, and Craig Single, director of Talent Acquisition, People & Culture & Human Capital, Vertex.
• Preparing Young Adults for the Labor Market: Moderated by Margaret Hondros, co-founder of Kinney Center at Saint Joseph’s University; Becky O’Hara, supervisor for Autistic Support at the Council Rock School District; and Cherie Fishbaugh, director of Autism Services at West Chester University.

The event closed out with Sarah Loucks, global lead of Autism at Work Global at SAP, who invited participants to stay engaged in the conversation in multiple different ways, including the , which aims to re-shape thinking about employment possibilities for individuals on the autism spectrum. Participants and viewers are also invited to participate in the upcoming webcast series, .

The best news about this year’s event is that we can share it in full. .

In recent years, 51·çÁ÷has worked to break down barriers of entry for qualified individuals on the spectrum, foster an inclusive workplace, and share our experiences with other companies. Currently, there are more than 180 autistic colleagues working across 16 countries and spanning 27 different roles – from software development and customer support to human resources (HR) services and global data protection.  For more information, visit the .

Lloyd Adams is senior vice president and managing director of the East Region at 51·çÁ÷America, Inc.

Then it was time to announce the winner: It was 21-year-old Nicolas Neumann, who took the trophy for his innovation posting automation, which radically simplifies accounting processes. Visibly moved, Neumann took a deep breath when he stepped onto the stage to receive the award.

In his home city of Buenos Aires, many colleagues followed the award ceremony via live transmission and erupted in loud cheers — not unlike the excitement when Argentina wins the World Cup. The strong community around Neumann provided him with the confidence, courage, and the platform to develop his idea and bring it to life.

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The Hasso Plattner Founders’ Award is the highest employee recognition at SAP, awarded annually by the co-CEOs to an individual or a team. This year, for the first time, the award was taken home by a single person, with a tool that is simplifying accounting.

Innovation: Posting Automation

The posting automation tool simplifies accounting processes enormously by automatically structuring invoices and feeding them directly into an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Neumann had the idea for its development during his daily work as an accounts payable analyst at SAP.

“I felt exhausted by the tons of material that I had to process by hand,” he recalls. At the same time, he began thinking about a solution and developed an algorithm for automating the posting of complex cross-company invoices.

Neumann has the ability to acquire complex knowledge in a short time, and as a child learned basic programming skills. Autodidactically — and with great zeal — he deepened this knowledge and began to develop a solution in his spare time. Recognizing his great potential and intrinsic motivation, his mentors gave him the freedom to devote one day per week exclusively to developing posting automation.

Posting Automation Simplifies, Accelerates Accounting

The manual creation of complex cross-company invoices previously took two to three days. With Neumann’s tool, processing time has been reduced to 20 minutes. The application has already been implemented in the Financial Accounting department at SAP, and the 51·çÁ÷customers also stand to benefit as well.

In addition to time savings, posting automation helps avoid processing errors of manual entry and accurately displays data in real time. The increased operational efficiency supports improved customer service, as employees have time for more productive activities. Implementation requires only minimal investment and brief training for employees.

Christian Klein was excited about Neumann’s intrinsic motivation to find a way to apply technology to solve the problem. “I am extremely impressed how Nicolas identified a challenge and took action. His tool will not only be applied internally, our customers will also reap the benefits from it going forward. This is a perfect example of what innovation means.”

Jennifer Morgan was impressed by the all of the 2019 finalists. “When I see these amazing innovators who are doing this on their own time, I think they’re setting the bar for all of us. It also shows us the amazing talent we have in this company — and how we have to unleash that talent to continue innovating our products and 51·çÁ÷as a whole.”

Neumann is currently working on making posting automation accessible to other disciplines. At present, the requirements and ideas of potential users are being collected from a wide variety of areas. Once the data is collected, the long-term goal is to use the software throughout finance. There is also already great interest among customers in the solution.

Innovation Reflecting SAP’s Vision

Neumann joined 51·çÁ÷in 2016 through the Autism at Work program. 51·çÁ÷believes that . He is the first individual winner of the Hasso Plattner Founders’ Award, which celebrates projects within 51·çÁ÷that capture the founders’ spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship, and courage.

After the award ceremony, Neumann shared, “I am very happy! The award gives me great motivation in this project. And the recognition of my work is an important step for my professional future.” He explained that his life has changed a lot since his nomination. Social interactions have always been a challenge for him, and the project often forced him to go beyond himself. “The project has helped me a lot in my personal development. And it opens many doors for me professionally to do what I enjoy doing: developing!”

CFO and Executive Board Member Luka Mucic, whose Finance organization currently benefits the most from posting automation, was also impressed by Neumann’s innovation: “Up until now, teams have won the award, so it’s also great to see how a single human being with a simple idea but a great drive to achieve it can change the world.”