Employers “frightened” of taking on dyslexic people
23 September 2014
While some progress has been made in understanding dyslexia many employers are “frightened” of hiring workers with the condition, says a recruiter.
Tue, 23 Sep 2014 | By Nicola SullivanWhile some progress has been made in understanding dyslexia many employers are “frightened” of hiring workers with the condition, says a recruiter.
Chris Wilkinson, director of Gifted Recruitment, which specialises in finding roles for candidates with dyslexia, told Recruiter: “A lot of employers are frightened to employ people with dyslexia because they believe they will make mistakes and think that it is going to be more costly to get someone up to speed to do the work.”
He said employers are not fully exploiting the talents of dyslexic workers – many of whom may be creative, good at problem solving and have good visual skills. Another common attribute is the ability to think in a multi-dimensional way.
Wilkinson, who is also dyslexic, said: “A lot of entrepreneurs are dyslexics. This is because they have struggled in the workplace and they feel as though they need to start their own business.”
Dyslexic jobseekers are likely to need extra support during the job application process. “There are more candidates than there are jobs at the moment. If someone doesn’t have their CV up to scratch or makes a spelling or grammar mistake it is an automatic ‘no no’.”
Once they are in the workplace, dyslexic applicants may need help proofreading emails or organising their calendar. However, many challenges can be overcome by computer software.
Gifted Recruitment has successfully placed candidates in a number of positions including in IT, marketing, PR and office management.
According to a report in the Daily Telegraph GCHQ employs more than 100 dyslexic and dyspraxic “neuro-diverse” spies to carry out work to fight terrorism. The article said that while many people with dyslexia struggle with reading and writing, they are often highly skilled at deciphering facts from patterns or events.
A statement from GCHQ sent to Recruiter said: “We can confirm that we employ approximately 120 dyslexic and dyspraxic staff. As an intelligence agency we are unable to comment on specific roles.
“However, as a technical organisation GCHQ have some exceptionally bright people working here and a higher than average proportion of staff with dyslexia. We recognise the innovative approaches and additional value neuro-diverse individuals can bring to the full spectrum of roles and jobs across the department.”
Chris Wilkinson, director of Gifted Recruitment, which specialises in finding roles for candidates with dyslexia, told Recruiter: “A lot of employers are frightened to employ people with dyslexia because they believe they will make mistakes and think that it is going to be more costly to get someone up to speed to do the work.”
He said employers are not fully exploiting the talents of dyslexic workers – many of whom may be creative, good at problem solving and have good visual skills. Another common attribute is the ability to think in a multi-dimensional way.
Wilkinson, who is also dyslexic, said: “A lot of entrepreneurs are dyslexics. This is because they have struggled in the workplace and they feel as though they need to start their own business.”
Dyslexic jobseekers are likely to need extra support during the job application process. “There are more candidates than there are jobs at the moment. If someone doesn’t have their CV up to scratch or makes a spelling or grammar mistake it is an automatic ‘no no’.”
Once they are in the workplace, dyslexic applicants may need help proofreading emails or organising their calendar. However, many challenges can be overcome by computer software.
Gifted Recruitment has successfully placed candidates in a number of positions including in IT, marketing, PR and office management.
According to a report in the Daily Telegraph GCHQ employs more than 100 dyslexic and dyspraxic “neuro-diverse” spies to carry out work to fight terrorism. The article said that while many people with dyslexia struggle with reading and writing, they are often highly skilled at deciphering facts from patterns or events.
A statement from GCHQ sent to Recruiter said: “We can confirm that we employ approximately 120 dyslexic and dyspraxic staff. As an intelligence agency we are unable to comment on specific roles.
“However, as a technical organisation GCHQ have some exceptionally bright people working here and a higher than average proportion of staff with dyslexia. We recognise the innovative approaches and additional value neuro-diverse individuals can bring to the full spectrum of roles and jobs across the department.”
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