"We aim to make Wells Fargo an employer of choice for neurodivergent employees where they feel valued and inspired to do their best work"

Neurodiversity (conditions like  ADHD & autism) is starting to get the attention it deserves in the corporate world (in learning & education parlance, it has been around for a while). While it is evident that companies are working towards employee inclusion, it is not common to see them hiring people with autism or other neurodiverse conditions.

To provide deeper insights into how the program has been devised, what it caters to, and how many neurodivergent people have benefitted from this program, Arindam Banerrji, EVP and MD, Wells Fargo India & Philippines is here to expand on the program details.

1. How is Wells Fargo embracing neurodivergent employees as a part of the mainstream and creating an ecosystem to enable that?

Wells Fargo launched the Neurodiversity Strategy in 2021 in India, following on from a program in the US, to provide employment opportunities and build a sustainable ecosystem for neurodivergent talent in the country. One of Wells Fargo’s key goals is to enhance diverse representation in the workforce along with building an inclusive environment for individuals to bring their most authentic selves to work. Our focus is on attracting the most diverse talent who can contribute to their full potential for our customers, our business and our employees. We aim to make Wells Fargo an employer of choice for neurodivergent employees where they feel valued and inspired to do their best work.

Data suggests that there is a significant talent pool of people living with disability in India. As per the 2011 Census, there are 2.68 lakh individuals living with disability in India. 35% of this group are individuals with intellectual, developmental and severe multiple disabilities. 68% of this subset are in the employable age group of between 20 and 59 years. However, their participation in the labor force In India is low on account of lack of access to education and appropriate training/learning methodologies, especially for those on the neurodiversity spectrum. Therefore, there is a gap between market demand and skilled talent available in this space, which the neurodiversity program hopes to bridge over the years.

2. What is the hiring model at Wells Fargo to get neurodivergent employees on board?

Wells Fargo adopted a Train | Intern| Hire model that was curated to enable mutual success for the individuals as well as the organization. This is besides the organic lateral hiring channels through which we have attracted neurodivergent individuals as well. In partnership with a community partner, EnAble India, we mapped market readiness and skills of candidates across the neurodiversity spectrum in India and performed an intensive job role analysis to identify suitable roles internally that would set up the individuals for success. We then shortlisted candidates who underwent 14 weeks of training covering employability and life skills, besides technology and banking basics. Candidates thereafter went through three months of internship before being onboarded in March 2022 as full-time employees across roles in Technology and Banking Operations.

3. Any insights that can be shared as a part of hiring processes for neurodivergent employees?

The hiring process by itself was nuanced to cater to the unique needs of the population. For example, there were intentional efforts put in to sensitize the managers to understand the skillsets of the individual via interviews and informal conversations. In addition, we also brought all the hiring managers together early on in the process to stay engaged throughout the hiring journey—from job analysis to onboarding.

4. What progress has Wells Fargo made in the hiring model since its initiation in the Indian market from 2021?

Since we launched the program in mid-2021, we have successfully completed the three phases of Train, Intern, and Hire. We started small and focused, paying individual attention to the cohort of trainees during the first 14 weeks, and achieved the goal of 100% conversion to internship.

Thereafter the trainees spent three months in an internship phase, and in March, 12 interns were onboarded as full-time employees, making them the first cohort to be hired under this program.

5. What are the training and upskilling model of these employees? Is it different from others?

We adopted the Train, Intern, Hire model, to address the unique needs of neurodivergent individuals. The approach encompassed understanding the available talent pool, doing an intensive job role analysis to identify the roles best suited for potential candidates, followed by market outreach to source potential candidates, in partnership with our community partner, Enable India. Once the candidates were identified, they underwent training for 14 weeks that was split into two parts— Employability and Life Skills, plus domain training covering Technology and Banking Basics. The soft skills modules were delivered by Enable India and the domain training by Wells Fargo facilitators. Wells Fargo maintained regular connects with candidates throughout the training period.

At the conclusion of training, candidates went through a Super Week before being successfully selected as interns. This involved week-long interactions with potential managers and Wells Fargo senior leadership, as early involvement and the investment of hiring managers and leadership is critical to the success of the program. In parallel, manager and peer sensitization sessions were conducted and assistive technology and other reasonable accommodations were implemented.

A unique feature of the program is to continuously engage the family members and caregivers in the overall process, as they are critical support systems for the individuals. This raised awareness in terms of the firm’s commitment, available resources and support, and helped prepare the family and caregivers for the individual’s employment journey at Wells Fargo.

After onboarding, employees and managers continue to have regular touchpoints with the program’s working group for any support. Buddies are allocated and HR partners are engaged throughout.

6. What are your future plans to hire and work with neurodiverse employees?

Based on the success we have seen, there is an increased focus and demand from various lines of business to attract neurodivergent talent. The vision of the neurodiversity initiative is to create meaningful employment opportunities for the neurodivergent community and enhance our inclusive work environment. Plans to increase the cohort size to cater to wider roles in the organization are underway for the next batch.

7. What steps has Wells Fargo taken towards awareness, advocacy and sensitization of the candidates amongst the team members?

Successful integration into the organization requires commitment, raising awareness on micro behaviors on a daily basis and building a sense of belonging to the organization, or the “work family”.

Part of the 14-week training encouraged employees to advocate for themselves as well, sharing their needs and aspirations. We also conducted intensive sensitization sessions for business leaders and teams and hosted manager conversations. We will continue to build more cohorts, sensitize the larger workforce, enhance evolving accommodations, continue to develop allies at work through our Employee Resource Network and the DE&I council, promote thought leadership, and engage other organizations through industry connects, regionally and globally.