Hogan Assessments, Spectrum Fusion, Fast Forward Analytics Collaborating to Build a Neurodiverse Workforce

TULSA, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hogan Assessments, Spectrum Fusion, and Fast Forward Analytics have teamed up to identify the strengths and skills of adults on the autism spectrum and create innovative solutions to bring their talents to the workplace and build a neurodiverse workforce. The new initiative is the first of its kind.

The study will administer Hogan’s suite of workplace personality assessments, used by corporations across the globe, to a group of individuals on the autism spectrum. The aim of the study is to identify the strengths of adults on the autism spectrum and to leverage this knowledge to help these individuals find paths to meaningful work in the global economy.

“The challenge lies in administering effective and meaningful assessments when building a neurodiverse workforce,” Spectrum Fusion Founder and CEO Heidi Stieglitz Ham, Ph.D., said. “Individuals on the autism spectrum tend to present with an uneven cognitive profile, so capturing their skills and talents on typical workplace evaluations has proven to be challenging. This research is a first step toward understanding how organizations can improve their neurodiversity by highlighting the personality and cognitive strengths of autistic adults.”

Historically, neurodiverse individuals, especially adults on the autism spectrum, have struggled to find gainful employment. For example, one study in the US reported that although 35% of adults on the autism spectrum attend college, only 15% are employed, a much larger disparity than the population at large.

“This is an overwhelmingly underserved population in the US workforce, but it doesn’t have to be,” Hogan Chief Science Officer Ryne Sherman, Ph.D., said. “We are looking to ensure fair and effective assessment solutions to help the autism community and the global workforce as a whole.”

The study has been approved by Rice University and Hogan Assessments. Spectrum Fusion and Fast Forward Analytics are working with Rice Psychology Professor Dr. Fred Oswald to complete the study.