While some companies may view hiring neurodiverse individuals as a hurdle, at Hobbs Medical, we see the added value in hiring neurodiverse employees.
The manufacture and production of medical devices requires precision and timeliness. At Hobbs Medical we have an early start that requires our employees to be at the plant by 7 AM and to be ready to give the task at hand their full attention, our neurodiverse employees are perfect for the job.
However, we know that some accommodations are needed when it comes to hiring, onboarding, and retaining our employees who are neurodiverse. Over the past few years, we have developed an onboarding process that has proven successful and been a win-win for both our employees and our company.
Steps in our onboarding process include:
Hiring
- Start employees as part time, temporary hires (positions starting at 5-hour days, 5 days a week, 3 months)
- Some employees may not have worked full time before, so this helps ease them into the position and be successful.
- This also prevents the need to fund unemployment if the position isn’t a good fitStart employees as part time, temporary hires (positions starting at 5-hour days, 5 days a week, 3 months)
Onboarding
- Send Paperwork home in advance
- Filling out paperwork can stress out neurodiverse individuals, with unknown questions and uncertainty in how long it will take to complete forms. But allowing them to complete the paperwork in advance enables them to get to work faster and start their employment with a positive experience as opposed to a stressful one.
Tools
- Provide Manuals and Videos to Refer To
- By providing neurodiverse employees with manuals and videos to remind them how to do something, we find they are more comfortable than asking someone a question.
With these practices, our neurodiverse employees are quick learners and fit perfectly as part of our team. After completing the paperwork at home, they come in on time, start training immediately, and are able to effectively do their job without feeling uncomfortable reaching out for help. We even see our employees reach full time status as quick as two months into the job.
And we don’t have to worry about our employees being on their phones during work hours!
Incorporating neurodiverse individuals into our company has been a win-win for Hobbs Medical and we’re proud of all the amazing work our employees do.
