Institutional bias in job postings against AS??

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I came across this one posting for an IM/IT Analyst, and look what it said:

Competencies:

Adaptability, Interpersonal skills, Organizational skills / multitasking, Problem solving, Analytical skills.

Now...look at the list of items in order. Notice how they've almost intentionally listed traits that are not typically associated with Aspergers.

Then they list "Analytical skills" at the end, so the list was clearly not based on alphabetical order, as much as it appears so at first. Yet think of what kind of position this is. For the skills that they do list, it seems they virtually go in the order of most challenging to someone with Aspergers, to least challenging.

Sometimes I really DO wonder if such postings are written with the overt intent of excluding people with AS. And by extension, I wonder if greater awareness of AS in the corporate world & job market is likely to make HR departments take more rigorous, but covert measures, to screen out AS candidates or outright discourage them from applying. Since the corporate world isn't generally sympathetic to the needs of inclusion & contribution for "gifted, but different" people. Then again it could just be a reflection of NT preferences.

Makes you wonder...

I doubt that this is a deliberate bias against AS... just a reflection of how much importance most people place on social skills. "Adaptability" in this case probably means they'll have the person running around taking care of miscellaneous tasks, or that job specifics might be changed on someone's whim.

To be honest, I don't think most people even think about autism enough to bother with an intentional bias against it.

In a corporate setting, adaptability and interpersonal skills are requirements for any position.

There is no discrimination, since it is a list of desirable skills and not a list of undesirable people.

Sure, granted, but to what degree and what frequency or consistency. And if they're listed in order of desirability, I'd say they're off for that particular posting.

Saying that someone should possess the same degree of adaptability & interpersonal skills for a sales manager job and a computer programmer is completely absurd. How many sales jobs do you think emphasize "analytical and detail-oriented" skills at the top of their desired competencies list.

In any case, I have been steadily and satisfactorily employed, due in large part to recounting stories, actual but embellished, on my being adaptable and showing tact - which the interviewers have typically answered favourably to w/o suspecting "something's up with him". If anything I remember those positive experiences better than most, b/c that sort of thing doesn't come as frequently or naturally to me. They don't need to know how consistent I was in displaying those attributes, and I'm sure not gonna say during an interview!! Let them find out "the big picture" of what I have to offer afterwards. (yes, ironic that NTs criticize us for not focusing on the bigger picture.)

I've noticed that quite a few ads ask for someone with excellent oral and written communication skills, but I don't think this is a deliberate bias against autism. I think mostly people are unaware or don't care that it is biased.

It's not biased if it is essential to the job. And, in this day and age, ya gotta have some ability to communicate.

This job market is in the hands of employers. They feel like they can ask for whatever they want and maybe even get it.

It also depends on what an employer values. If they could choose between a poor communicator with phenomenal analytical skills or someone that is a strong communicator with average or even below average analytical skills, they'll choose the communicator.


I am curious if this situation is everywhere or if it's mostly an American attitude. I also find this annoying and after paying off student debt and saving up money I would consider expatriating.

That is, IF it can be safely assumed that the most important skills are listed first. Otherwise, they're all equally important.

Unless the description reads "Aspies Need Not Apply", it is extremely unlikely that Aspies could bring a discrimination case to court, and it is much less likely that they could actually win the case, as well.

I think the bias might be more against introverts in general.

It might be more ignorance than bias. I sometimes wonder if the people posting job listings, especially staffing firms, really understand the position they are trying to fill. Often the person who does understand the needs of a position is someone like a Chief Engineer who's only influence comes in during the job interview itself. Before you get that far you have to get past human resources.

I have worked hard to gain effective communication skills, but nothing that would dazzle a hirer, yet i invariably see "Excellent (or outstanding) written and oral communication and interpersonal skills required." And these are for engineering positions which generally attracts those more on the technical side rather than the smooth talkers.

There is no such bias if the requirements are types of skills and not types of people; otherwise, the job description would have to say, "Introverts Need Not Apply" to be considered discriminatory.

My advice: Apply for the job anyway, provided you meet all other requirements.

It is still a bias if certain types of people are more likely to have those skills than other types. Mind you, I'm not saying they are running afoul of the law. As you implied, they are careful not to do that. However, that doesn't mean there isn't a bias.

In that case, every job description is biased against anyone who does not fit the description 100%.

So, if I want to hire a person who can program in C+, then I must be biased against cooking-school graduates, right?



This is called "Reduction to Absurdity", by the way.

Job postings often ask for everything and then a little bit more - they describe the perfect candidate.

I amuse myself reading job postings. For many of them, I don't think there are a dozen people on the planet with the skills needed. A lot of jobs want experts in multiple disciplines, any of which would be a career by itself. Then they want politician level people skills, military officer level organizational skills, a security clearance, and a laundry list of exotic skills in vendor packages I've never even heard of. And the last item is always something like "Perform other duties as assigned."

Then you get to the salary range and the pay is for someone they'll settle for.

I think you overdo it. Normal companies normally have realistic expectations. So they are only in search for someone, who studied two different things, each with a rare specialization, have some years of experience of working in foreign countries, and three fluent spoken languages are more than sufficient. Not to forget, that you shouldnt be older then 22 and if you are a woman, you should already be done with your family planning, and the kids should be old enough to got to school them selfs. ^^