woman in wheelchair with office colleagues in background October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which sheds light on the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full and equal access to employment opportunities. (Photo: Shutterstock)

When it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, the disabled community – particularly those with unseen disabilities like autism – is often left out of the conversation. In fact, while a vast majority of companies claim to prioritize diversity, only 4% consider disability in their initiatives. Not only is the disabled community equally important and deserving of more representation in the workforce, but there is a clear business case for hiring neurodivergent candidates in particular.

Andy Valenzuela is the chief human resources officer at HireVue. He is responsible for leading the People Success team, as well as the Information Technology team. He oversees the strategy and execution of all HR functions, including culture initiatives, benefits programs and diversity and inclusion. Andy is also responsible for the oversight of all operations that involved the development and support of information systems and employee experience.

Thirty-five percent of autistic individuals go on to college, yet the unemployment or underemployment rate for those graduates is between 75-85%. Those who are lucky enough to find employment often settle for part-time, minimum wage positions. Too often, their skills go unutilized, and the community is overlooked for positions they would do very well in.

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