Building A Neurodiverse Team At SAP Concur

Blog written by Sonia Nash, EMEA Solutions Consultant at SAP Concur

Reams of articles talk about the benefits of having a neurodiverse team in the workplace: it makes for more creativity, different perspectives on challenges and solutions, and better collaboration.

Yet, most people who identify as neurodivergent still face challenges at work: first, when they enter the workplace, and then throughout their career. At SAP Concur, we are doing our part to create a positive culture for neurodivergent people, whether they are new to the business or have been with SAP Concur for years.

Neurodiversity is an approach that acknowledges the different ways in which a person’s brain processes information. It encompasses different conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and more. It is important to know the difference between these conditions because there are misconceptions about people’s abilities and employability.

This is why we took the opportunity to reflect on our own understanding of and educate ourselves on a common neurotype, autism, during Autism Acceptance Month. And while we know we still have more to learn, we are proud to play a positive role in helping our people be more informed and better equipped to work together, whether they identify as someone with autism or not.

The current rate of employment of people with autism across Europe

It’s worth noting a few key data points on autism:

• the French Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM) states that in France around 700,000 people are born with autism. Despite the prevalence of the condition, only a small portion of these people are in work – let alone full-time work:

• 29% of adults with autism in the UK are in work, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Worse still, people with autism have the second lowest employment rates of all disabled people in the UK.
• While data is scarce in Germany, research has shown that around 40% of people with autism are unemployed.

The barriers to employment are high, and it is down to businesses such as us to help break them down. Because people with autism bring a wealth of expertise to the workplace, and we believe that recognising their contribution is critical to the success of SAP Concur in the future.

Educating ourselves on challenges people with autism face at work

We believe in creating a truly inclusive workplace. That starts with educating ourselves on the impact various conditions can have on people’s working patterns, ways of working and how we can create a working environment where they can be happy and fulfilled.

Autism is one of the most well know forms of neurodiversity and yet, there are myths and misconceptions surrounding the condition. Autism is a spectrum condition, which means that it affects people differently. For instance, people with high functioning autism may not display any learning or intellectual difficulties. That said, they may find social interaction and reading other people’s emotions difficult and uncomfortable.

Other challenges people with autism may face at work include vague questions, which can lead to confusion about the type of answer expected in that situation; loud noises and strong smells, which can cause sensory overload and discomfort.

SAP Concur’s commitment to people with autism

We know first-hand that people with autism make incredible contributions to the departments they work in. They have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and often display incredible memory, focus and attention to detail.

We have implemented initiatives to create a more inclusive workplace for people with autism:

• The SAP Autism at Work Program, which celebrates its 10^th anniversary provides hiring and workplace support, and leverages the unique abilities and perspectives of colleagues on the autism spectrum. Successful applicants are matched with an Autism at Work buddy, mentor, and coach, and get access to third party resources to ensure they have a smooth onboarding and experience working at SAP. To date, over 200 people have joined SAP through the Autism at Work Program.
• The Autism Inclusion Employee Network enables people with autism and their families to connect with other people and share their experiences. This is also useful for people who want to get diagnosed or learn more about the process in case they want to explore it for a dependent.
• Concur employees who need to have loud calls or meetings can do so in dedicated silent pods. This is part of SAP Concur’s initiative to design offices that provide a good mix of collaboration and comfort for all employees.
• Ongoing education of all colleagues, which allows us all to be more understanding of each other and collaborative. This includes an array of education material, curated by a dedicated taskforce of DE&I ambassadors. This includes an internal recent webinar, newsletter, as well as research done for personal education reasons, and making our staff aware of an award-winning poem that describes a person’s experience of living with autism. All these assets help bring the voice of people with autism to all employees at SAP Concur. You can find the poem at the bottom of this blog.
• And finally, we are in the process of opening a unique sensory relaxation room in our Prague office, which will offer a place to retreat for colleagues, should they face sensory overload.

SAP Concur is an organisation that cares about neurodiversity. We have been working hard to ensure people understand each other and can be truly themselves at work and we are committed to continue to do so.

That said, we know it is a journey. Over time, we are confident we will keep providing more opportunities for people with autism – alongside other people with other neurodiverse conditions – to reach their full potential. To do so, we would like to welcome neurodiverse people to apply for roles within SAP Concur EMEA.

SAP Concur EMEA is a great place to work. This is thanks to the variety of different yet caring people we have. If that sounds like you, please check our Autism at Work program, or our careers page to apply for a role that fits your skillset and career perspectives.

‘ASD in Me’

By Ava Gallagher, winner of the Young Writers poetry board award, Power of Poetry competition

Note to the readers: ASD stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder.
 
“Take a seat and sit with me 
I want to talk about ASD 
If you don't mind I'd like to explain 
A little thing called autism and how it affects my brain 
 
It can make me anxious, angry and afraid 
But this stays in my head, on my face it's not displayed 
I may seem heartless and question your meanings 
But it takes me a little longer to process the feelings 
 
Take a seat and sit with me I want to show you ASD 
A girl sitting quietly is all you see 
But inside my mind I am far from free 
My thoughts collide, my senses take over 
 
I become overwhelmed by the smallest sound 
Clicking pens, ticking clocks 
That boy's chair and the way it rocks 
All different smells attacking me 
 
The perfumes, the coffee, the teacher's tea 
Take a seat and sit with me 
But not too close, I have ASD 
I try to be social, I try to fit in 
 
I come across rude, I can never win 
I am very literal and straight to the point 
If you want the truth I won't disappoint 
When my brain is overloaded I sometimes lash out 
 
My control fades, I scream and shout 
I get confused and it all spills out 
Intense emotions all trapped inside 
Finally have nowhere to hide 
 
Take a seat and sit with me I want to tell you about ASD 
Please understand I am not to blame I've just got an atypical brain  
But it's not all doom and gloom 
I'm often the sportiest girl in the room 
 
I'm quirky, unique, kind and caring 
I'm loyal, protective and always sharing 
I'm obsessed with frogs and all things green 
I'm the youngest trendsetter you've ever seen 
 
Take a seat and sit with me 
I am Ava, I am me 
I'm not just my label of ASD.”