PSEG program boosts diversity and benefits all.

For years, failing to make eye contact with your interviewer – a telltale sign that you are neurodiverse – often has been an immediate disqualification for a candidate applying for an open position.

That’s no longer the case at PSEG.

Thanks to an initiative the company has started to be more inclusive in hiring, the company has trained its employees to take a broader look at potential neurodiverse employees.

Steve Fleisher, the company’s executive director of human resources, said the effort – which is being implemented slowly and deliberately to provide the greatest chance for success – has resulted in a half-dozen hires.

Success of the Initiative

Fleisher said it has been a big success.

“This is definitely something we’re going to keep doing,” he said.

Here’s how it works.

Identifying Areas of Excellence

PSEG identifies areas where neurodiverse employees can excel.

“We wanted to be thoughtful and deliberate about what we did, so we identified lines of business and hiring managers who are interested in participating in the program,” Fleisher said.

“We wanted to find the right roles for folks, because we want to set people up for success. We usually look for roles with a lot of data and analysis and some repetitive tasks, because research shows that’s where neurodiverse folks are best postured for success.”

Training and Support

PSEG trains its existing staff.

The management team, the talent acquisition team and the people who will be supporting the person in line of business take training from a national organization, IBCCES, to become certified neurodiversity specialists.

“They go through a series of modules and earn their certification,” Fleisher said. “Then we work with our external partners to identify applicants who would be a good fit for the role.”

Adapting the Interview Process

PSEG caters the interview process to the individual.

“We know our standard interview process may not be the right model for everybody,” Fleisher said. “We train the managers here. Normally we look for eye contact. Lack of eye contact is not a negative here. Assuming we have a good candidate, we make an offer.”

Building a Support System

Studies show this is key to hiring the neurodiverse. That leads to:

• PSEG builds a broader support team

“When the person comes on board, we provide them with a business buddy,” Fleisher said. “We have a business resource group for employees with disabilities. We give them a buddy from that organization who’s not in the same line of business, it’s just somebody they can go to as a mentor or a friend if they have questions they don’t want to ask their manager.”

Fleisher said the HR team then continually monitors the progress of the employee and is available to provide additional assistance – as is the company’s office of accessibility, which is a resource for employees.

While the company is moving slowly – again, to increase the chances of success – Fleisher said it will only increase over time.

The biggest reason: The existing employees are pushing for it.

“The feedback we’ve gotten from all of our employees has been really positive,” he said. “We’re using our existing managers as our ambassadors to go out to other managers and say, ‘This is a great program, and you should participate.’”