New Survey: Americans Expect Companies to End Discriminatory Hiring Practices; Kelly® Finds More Employers Ready to Hire Neurodiverse Talent

Kelly Discover Solution Connects Employers to Individuals on Spectrum Seeking Work

TROY, Mich. (April 5, 2021) – A new national survey* released in time for World Autism Awareness Month, finds 81% of Americans say companies should do more to remove barriers – discriminatory hiring policies or practices – that keep people from being hired or promoted. Kelly President and CEO Peter Quigley agrees and says employers are showing more interest in hiring and supporting neurodiverse talent than at any time in his career.

“Overlooked talent communities offer businesses a competitive advantage.  Our Kelly Discover solution helps companies engage with undiscovered talent communities, including talent on the autism spectrum, to identify exceptional and available resources,” said Quigley. “A more inclusive workforce is central to our Equity@Work initiative aimed at connecting more people to enriching work.”

New survey results from Kelly show Americans overwhelmingly support opening doors to neurodiverse talent and they want employers to do the same:

• 81% say companies should do more to remove barriers – discriminatory hiring policies or practices – that keep people from being hired or promoted.
• Nearly 3 in 4 (74%) say they are more likely to support a business or company that makes employment opportunities available to individuals on the autism spectrum.
• 4 in 5 (80%) agree individuals on the autism spectrum can perform and even excel in specific areas and work environments.
• 77% find it unacceptable that 85% of college-educated adults on the autism spectrum are unemployed.

“With companies becoming more open to adjusting simple processes such as the type of interview questions they ask, we are seeing a path for dream jobs coming true for these talented candidates who previously had difficulty getting past the first hurdle in the employment process,” said Kathy Hardy, Kelly Discover Vice President. “It’s really exciting to see this. In addition, our research indicates that companies are experiencing a 21 percent increase in financial performance when they prioritize hiring a diverse and inclusive workforce.”

Kelly Discover is an all-in-one engagement solution  that connects organizations with individuals on the autism spectrum, opportunity talent and under-represented talent channels for full-time and contingent roles. Available in the United States, the Diversity & Inclusion solution provides companies with training, staffing services and wrap around coaching to help create a more diverse, sustainable, and successful workforce.

About Kelly®

Kelly connects talented people to companies in need of their skills in areas including Science, Engineering, Education, Office, Contact Center, Light Industrial, and more. We’re always thinking about what’s next in the evolving world of work, and we help people ditch the script on old ways of thinking and embrace the value of all workstyles in the workplace. We directly employ nearly 370,000  people around the world, and we connect thousands more with work through our global network of talent suppliers and partners in our outsourcing and consulting practice. Visit kellyservices.com and let us help with what’s next for you.

*A national survey of 1,010 adults in the U.S. was commissioned by Kelly and conducted online by Atomik Research from February 8-12, 2021. The margin of error fell within +/- 3 percentage points.