A Letter to My Future Employer
Autistic employees have so much to offer the workplace; treat us well and we will shine.
To my future employer,
I’m not going to fill this page full of corporate words and false expectations for the purpose of box ticking and point scoring. Instead, I’m going to be real. This is a real and true account of the person I am and the qualities you will gain if you choose to hire me.
I am an extremely loyal and hardworking individual. I love the satisfaction of seeing an empty desk at the end of the working day. I am excellent at organising my work and ensuring the most important tasks are prioritised.
I believe in listening to clients and treating them with respect. I will not patronise them by reeling off terms and conditions; the people on the phone are simply looking for help and advice. If I promise to return their call, I will because I say what I mean, and I mean what I say.
Set me a task, and I will try my utmost to achieve it to the best of my ability. I love nothing more than being challenged. If I set my mind to something, I strive to achieve the best results possible, to the point of obsession. Furthermore, my mind is like a walking calendar. I have an excellent ability to remember dates and appointments, and I value high attendance and reliability. I am extremely resilient and determined. Treat me well, and I will never take time off sick unless it is absolutely necessary.
I can be socially naïve, I’m not good at small talk, I don’t always know the right things to say at the right times, and I can come across as aloof or anti-social. If you give me a chance, you will see I do have a sense of humour, I can be social, and I can share a joke. But if you mock me for my social mistakes, I will shy away, I will lose confidence, and you will not see the best of me.
Please don’t laugh at me or talk behind my back. Please don’t pass me over for promotion just because I am quirky, because I am honest, or because I took what you said literally, or because I didn’t get your sarcasm or laugh at your joke. I am still human. I still feel emotions. I still feel hurt by the nasty comments people assume have gone over my head.
I will give back to an employer who treats me with kindness and respect. Don’t involve me in workplace politics or expect me to play games of which I do not know the rules. Don’t treat me as inadequate or take advantage by giving me the jobs rejected by those who can say no. Do not shout at me for misunderstanding what you said or haul me into the office because I didn’t pick up on an unwritten rule. Tell me the rules, plain and clear. Give me a chance to follow them, to process and ask questions if I need to. Provide space for me to manage my workload in my own routine and structured way. Be nice. Be kind. Treat me well, and you will receive my dedication and loyalty as an employee.
Treat me well, and I will shine.
Treat me well, and you will see the best of me.
Treat me well, and I promise you will be rewarded with someone who will work damn hard. Because my life experience has made me strong and resilient, trustworthy and reliable.
Yours,
Your future autistic employee.
