When Ernst & Young opened its first Neurodiverse Center for Excellence in Philadelphia in 2016, the professional services firm was hailed as a pioneering workplace. People from all over the US applied for the 15 roles advertised and headed to Dallas for interviews.
One applicant drove all night – from California – just to be there. Despite being an MIT doctoral graduate, he had struggled to find work – a professional experience all too familiar to many neurodivergent people. As global vice chair of diversity, equity and inclusion, Karyn Twaronite, put it, “these were people with phenomenal degrees and educational experiences, but they weren’t necessarily hired for the jobs that they wanted.”
