An open email to the HR Manager, Central Region

Some names have been replaced with asterisks

A**e

Thank you for taking the time to write but it seems you may have missed the point of my original email, which now seems to have been passed around quite a few people without anyone actually resolving to take any action. Have you seen it?

My point is not, as you seem to be implying, all that much to do with being unsuccessful at my most recent interview. I did request interview feedback from Amy through the person who rang to say I was unsuccessful and repeatedly through my manager but she has failed to provide any. Please don't bother her for feedback as it is not the point of my emails and being fed endless platitudes is getting tiresome. 

S****n K****r emailed on 22nd July to say somebody had suggested a meeting with me to discuss my concerns. These are copied from an email I sent to Sharon:

It would be nice to see the NAS actually actively seeking to recruit and nurture people on the spectrum. This is the outcome I hope for. If not for me, for the rest of out there in the 85% of people on the spectrum who are underrepresented in the workplace. The feedback I got from the Team Leader position on our team was more to do with how much more the successful applicant had. This is the general feedback from other positions, too, which is unhelpful. I have constantly put myself forward and have, in fact, been given extra duties such as presenting talks to incoming students and their parents, training new mentors and running the Socialeyes groups. 

It's not much use guaranteeing interviews to people on the spectrum, as you say. I have sat across from far too many disinterested people at interviews and have definitely felt my presence there has been to satisfy their 'two tick' scheme rather than see me as a likely candidate. No, the NAS needs to be looking to recruit us, not just tick their own boxes. If, as the NAS claims, really supports people on the autism spectrum, why don't they prove it by aiming to put more of us into suitable positions?

I had an interview last Autumn for the NAS Leicester Information Hub adviser position and nobody even got back to me to say I had been unsuccessful. Not being called to an interview and not hearing is one thing but not being told the outcome of the interview is disgraceful and very unprofessional.

It isn't even about support in applying for jobs with the NAS. It is about the NAS actively seeking to recruit and nurture autistic talent in the employment pool. On all of the vacancies advertised with the NAS, it says: Applications for this job are sought from anyone who is suitably qualified and experienced for the role but particularly welcome from those with a diagnosis of autism or Asperger syndrome. This does not go far enough. You ought to be actively seeking to RECRUIT and NURTURE, DEVELOP and ENCOURAGE people with diagnoses of autistic spectrum conditions. Why is this so hard to understand? 

At the Manchester Autism Show in June (I was one of the speakers and had the biggest audience of the day) I sat down for coffee with Carol Povey and had a reasonably lengthy talk with her about this very subject. My question to her was thus: do you think the NAS is so used to seeing people with autism as service users, they don't really consider them to be realistic candidates in the application process? She seemed to think I had a point.

What do you think?

Will you be reviewing your recruitment policies at any time in the future? 

Regards

Laurie