Play it on your favorite podcast platform
Our experts discuss the convergence of technology and social inclusion, examining innovative methods and tools designed to assist neurodiverse employees, while emphasizing the significance of accessibility features, data analytics, and remote work solutions. The discussion also highlights the benefits of partnerships with tech firms, digital training initiatives, and technology-driven strategies that improve the everyday work experience for neurodiverse individuals.
Our guests weigh in on how they are leveraging technology to foster a supportive and empowering work environment.
Featured experts
- Gert Vanhaecht, Director of Technology, Belfius Bank
- Dirk Rombaut, CMO and New Business Development Director, Passwerk
Conversation highlights
Please note the transcript has been modified for clarity and length.
Tom Rourke (Host): As we're going to talk a lot today about neurodiversity, if you could just share what does neurodiversity really mean to you in terms of perhaps a definition or an experience.
Dirk Rombaut: We are talking about neurodivergent profiles. And what are we talking about? It's not just autism but also we are talking about Tourette, dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia, giftedness, high sensitivity, but also neurotypicals: people without a specific neuro atypical profile. And we are talking about more or less of 15 to 20% of the overall population. In fact, every company of a certain size has at least 10% of neurodivergent employees in service. (Hear the full response at 01:28)
Gert Vanhaecht: It's an impressive number of people that are in the neurodiverse population, and they are all people with skills and potential. And so I think that the challenge for companies is to welcome them very actively and to give them a bright future where also the companies can benefit from. (Hear the full response at 02:20)
Tom Rourke: Explain a bit more about what it is that that Passwerk actually does.
Dirk Rombaut: Our mission is that we want to create opportunities for people on the autism spectrum—create opportunities in the regular economic environment. The scope is that we have now 175 consultants with an autism spectrum profile in service. We have two main success factors. First, it's our tailor-made approach, and secondly, it is our focus on talent management. (Hear the full response at 03:02)
Gert Vanhaecht: I was responsible about 15 years ago, next to my job as a program manager within technology of [Belfius Bank] to find ways to improve collaboration between business and IT—to work in much stronger collaboration. And testing was one of the ways to do it, and we saw that we had a series of issues that we wanted to tackle. Dirk, came along and we met, and he was explaining what he was doing [at Passwerk]. You really have a huge variety on profiles that we can easily – or with some effort – integrate, within the professional context, the way they were doing [and] what they were doing. I really believed in the quality [Passwerk] were offering, but also, I saw an opportunity to do something for society. (Hear the full response at 07:38)
