"Tell us a bit about yourself."
A question routinely asked in every job interview is fairly easy to answer for neurotypicals (people without neurodivergence).
But instead of talking about their work experience, an applicant with autism might answer by listing their personal interests or favourite films.
Does this mean they are unfit for the job? Or does it mean the question is not direct?
"Thinking up responses to interview questions on the spot is one of the things I'm not great at, since a lot of what goes on in my brain is more numbers than words," Luke Van Bockel said.
He is a cyber security analyst for government department and wasn't diagnosed with autism until he was a university student.
"The recruitment process is definitely geared towards neurotypical people," Mr Bockel said. "Trying to go through graduate programs, it was hard to compete with everyone else."
In April, Aspect or Autism Spectrum Australia estimated at least 1 in 40 people were autistic, which is about 680,000 Australians.
But neurodivergence also includes conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia and personality disorders.
The government's JobAccess website stated about 30 to 40 per cent of Australians were neurodivergent and that 34 per cent of the neurodivergent community was unemployed.
Before joining the public service, Mr Van Bockel worked in a kitchen to support himself and said he had struggled to find a job that he knew would be the "perfect fit".
"During my time at university, I made money by cooking fried chicken," he said. "I studied [Information Technology] and it was difficult to try to land interviews."
Another autistic public servant Lachlan Cameron, a trainee hardware technician or "professional nerd" in his own words, said while he could answer interview questions on the spot, they rarely fit the mould of professionalism companies would be looking for.
"I have my unique way of responding, and yeah, it doesn't always quite fit the professional howdy doody, whatchamacallit," the Australian Federal Police employee, who was especially content with his role, said.
A new survey of 1010 neurotypicals and 400 neurodivergent Australians has revealed 91 per cent of participants believed companies could do more to support long-term employment for neurodivergent people.
The report said workplaces were "failing" to create a sustainable environment as 61 per cent of neurodivergent participants said they would not be comfortable disclosing their neurodivergence to a potential employer.
The survey by DXC Technology also found only 41 per cent of neurotypical participants felt "confident" about knowing how to support their neurodivergent colleagues at work.
Casual inclusion
What are Mr Cameron and Mr Van Bockel's workplaces doing that give them seemingly rare job satisfaction?
They included small acts of inclusion as well as being proactive in asking employees if they needed support.
"It's the right amount of asking, it wasn't overbearing, it was more casual," Mr Cameron said referring to his workplace.
"Sometimes [neurodivergence] is either ignored or workplaces just don't know how to approach it."
Both their offices also offered safe spaces for employees. Mr Cameron said he regularly used AFP's chill-out room which had games, fidget toys and sometimes complete silence.
"It's a place where [neurodivergence] is not ignored but actually cared about ... the sweet spot," he said.
Mr Van Bockel said he used the reflection room in his office, which has lounges and pillows to lay his head on, once a month when he needed to destress.
Echoing the neurodivergent participant attitudes in the latest survey results, both workers said supportive efforts included normalising requests about lights, smells or noise, flexible working, adaptable work stations, providing sensory rooms and simply asking how they're going.
Job support for neurodivergent people
Mr Cameron and Mr Van Bockel participated in tech firm DXC's Dandelion program which supports and trains neurodivergent people interested in IT.
They were initiated into the program offered by their government departments. They both felt this helped them understand professional environments, hierarchies and also guided them on how to communicate their needs.
Mr Cameron said without the program he probably would have had to settle for a casual job and disability support payments. "It's not by choice, but ... it's really the best we can get," he said noting there wasn't much free support for neurodivergent workers.
The program recently released a guide of 10 small acts and 10 conversation starters to make a workplace more inclusive for neurodiverse employees. They include asking clear questions and providing advance notice of any potential sensory challenges.
