Autism in Business: Help, or Hindrance?

What do you think the qualities of a successful business leader might be?

If you were to ask this question to the general population, they are likely to come back with attributes that include the ability to think clearly, to be able to juggle multiple tasks and the ability to accurately manage the fundamentals including forecasting cashflow and managing the workforce.

Author: Craig Murphy

Interestingly, many of these qualities come especially naturally to people with autism. Their high attention to detail and often unconventional ways of thinking are often especially valued within industry. However, there are also some negative points which it is important to be aware of, especially for those who might have autistic colleagues or team members.

This article will provide a whistlestop tour of the positives and negatives of autistic people working in industries such as economics, finance and general business – and may well provide food if you have autistic colleagues on your team.

Autism in Business – the Positives

Perhaps the main overall positive is one we have already mentioned – that autism often manifests itself by showing high attention to detail.

Autistic people may have heightened sensory perception, meaning they often notice details in their environment that others might overlook. This could involve visual details, sounds, textures, or patterns, allowing them to focus on specific elements more intensely. Autistic individuals often engage in “local processing” rather than “global processing.” Local processing refers to focusing on specific parts or details rather than seeing the overall picture or context. This cognitive style helps them excel in tasks that require precision and detail orientation – such as mathematics, economics, programming, or research, where precision and a deep focus are valued.

Indeed, autistic people will often find it easy to focus on numbers, they often come very easily. This is why many autistic people excel with tasks like data analysis and conversion rate optimisation.

Likewise, autistic individuals often excel when it comes to being specialists within a particular area. They will often have areas of deep interest, sometimes referred to as “special interests.” When engaged in these interests, they can exhibit intense concentration and focus on minute details, leading to a greater understanding of the subject, which makes them valued across multiple industries.

However, although we cover negatives later in this analysis, it is worth pointing out here that this attention to detail can also become obsessive. It is easy for many autistic individuals to become too detail-orientated, meaning they are prone to obsessing over every detail, every price, every proposal, every design and, for those in the computer programming and web design industry, every line of code.

Another major positive of working with an autistic business leader is that the need to execute to the highest possible standard constantly shines through. The job will always be completed properly, and to-do lists always get completed. Part of this is down to the ability to “switch off from the noise”, often with less time spent on the frivolous and more time executing, with this high level of “hyper-focussing” leading to high productivity levels.

If you work with an autistic person, you will probably have noticed their honesty and loyalty – you may have even experienced them being a little too honest sometimes. This another trait of autism – but one that is appreciated more often than not.

They will often also have a huge sense of loyalty to their tasks, so much so that they sometimes will feel sad or lost when a particular project or task comes to an end.

Autism in Business – the Negatives

So far, we have looked at the positives – but there are also some considerable negatives of having autism in the workplace.

We have already touched upon one – the manifestation of obsessive behaviour. Obsessing over things too much can lead to long periods of not being able to switch off or relax, causing high levels of anxiety and depression, something which can be extremely problematic in the fast-paced, competitive landscape in which we all operate.

It is also important to be aware that, while many of us dislike corporate buzzwords or phrases, they can often actively confuse an autistic person, especially those vague terms that are not specific, with no hard action points or outcomes. Examples might include “owning the process”, “circle back”, and “silos”. They often cause more harm than they do good because they usually result in very little actually happening

Managing staff members or a team can often be a difficult task for someone with autism. Autistic individuals may face challenges with workplace social interactions, including reading non-verbal cues, understanding social nuances, or navigating small talk. This can sometimes lead to misunderstandings or difficulties with teamwork, because they can sometimes come over as very blunt, without necessarily meaning to do so.

Direct and literal communication can sometimes be misunderstood by colleagues, who may be more accustomed to indirect or nuanced styles of conversation. Similarly, autistic employees might misinterpret sarcasm, irony, or implied meaning.

This is related to another trait of often seeing things in black and white, or binary. A bit like a light switch that’s either on or off, things always seem to be one thing or another to an autistic person, with no in-between and no shades of grey.

Likewise, it is easy for an autistic person to feel a constant sense of disconnect. They will often struggle when providing instructions because they feel they aren’t saying something clearly or in the right way, meaning that others aren’t understanding what they are saying.

Finally, something to be especially aware of if you have an autistic colleague is that some experience heightened sensitivities to light, sound, touch, or other environmental stimuli. Certain workplace environments, such as open-plan offices, may feel overwhelming and distracting. Likewise, sudden changes in the workplace routine or unexpected events can be challenging for autistic individuals, as they often prefer predictable and structured environments.

Conclusion

Let me be very clear – everyone is an individual, including autistic people.

Not all the points I have discussed will apply to every autistic person. Some will, and some won’t. However, these are the attributes that are more likely to apply to those with autism.

If you have an autistic colleague, you may well recognise some of the points I have raised, whether they are the positive or negative ones. However, one thing is for sure – autistic people bring many strengths to the workplace and offer a huge amount to their teams.

Their ability to see things differently and to work within intricate levels of detail are relied upon right across the globe, day in and day out. By leveraging their strengths and providing supportive environments, autistic individuals will continue contributing significantly to the workplace across multiple industries, especially finance, economics and programming, long into the future.

About the Auhor

Craig Murphy, Managing Director, ALT Agency.

Craig Murphy Formed ALT Agency, a Birmingham based digital agency, in 2006.

Right from the start, Craig’s focus was to create a digital agency which delivers all-in-one profit boosting solutions to large businesses which expect high-end results, an ambition which remains equally relevant now.

Today, ALT Agency is an award-winning web design agency, with clients located across the globe. Its team of web designers, web developers and digital marketers are specialists in creating multiple digital solutions including website design, WordPress development, and marketing campaigns, including full SEO, CRO and website maintenance services. These are all infused with creativity and focused solely on delivering measurable results.