Diversicon | Overview

In 2008, 25 autistic people in a self-help group report on their career paths. Almost all hold an “Abitur” higher level school-leaving certificate, many have studied at university, and some even hold doctorates. Nevertheless, all of them are unemployed, as are 85% of the 800,000 autistic people in Germany (source: Prof. Dalferth, Uni Regensburg 2014).

Autistic people have difficulties with social interaction and communication and therefore experience problems in terms of finding work. Among those listening sits Dirk Müller-Remus, himself the father of a son with autism. He recognizes the enormous potential of autistic people, turns the previously common deficits-oriented viewpoint into a strengths-oriented one and makes improving the difficult employment situation of autistic people his personal mission.

In November 2011, he founds the IT consulting company, auticon. There, autistic people with particular passion and knowledge in the field of IT are deployed as consultants in order to make use of their outstanding strengths, such as pattern recognition, intrinsic quality awareness and a high level of expertise in their special interests. These strengths are much more pronounced than in their non-autistic colleagues and can be seen as a unique feature.

Such skills are much sought after in IT. By 03/2017, auticon had permanently appointed about 100 employees (of which 80 are autistic) in seven branches in Germany and in companies in France and the United Kingdom. Its clients include well-known SMEs and DAX companies. His innovative business approach with auticon gained Dirk Müller-Remus the Special Prize of the German Business Founders’ Award in 2015.

85% of the 400,000 autistic people between the ages of 18 and 55 are unemployed, primarily because they have social interaction and communication problems, especially in terms of sensitivity in social contexts and of having a literal understanding of what is said or written, which can lead to misunderstandings and almost brutal honesty and openness. As a result, the labor market loses out on exceptional talents with special expertise and high social costs arise. At the same time, companies are looking for specialists. This is where Diversicon comes in.

Diversicon pursues the goal of getting autistic people into permanent employment on the open labor market in three stages. In this, Diversicon acts as a complete provider with the integrated organizational units:

1. Academy (Qualification and Activation)

2. Mediation (Temporary employment / personnel placement as a bridge into the primary labor market)

3. Coaching (Vocational job coach support in the permanent position)

This unique approach in Germany will benefit three target groups:

• People on the autism-spectrum with relevant skills that are highly motivated, but remained unemployed. We estimate that there are approx. 24,000 such individuals in Germany.
• Companies requiring talented and skilled staff.
• Society as a whole: By obtaining employment, beneficiaries become service providers. The positive effect for the state amounts to annual savings of approximately €19,600 per job created.

We know who we are providing and why. By means of our multi-step process, we provide employees whom we judge to be professionally and psycho-socially suitable. We get to know our participants very well and are therefore also able to propose tasks within the client’s organization that might not be so obvious.

We think in terms of skills and opportunities - not deficits. Autistic people have special competencies, it’s just a case of finding the right means of deploying these. Deployment areas, in which they are particularly well able to put their strengths to good use, generally include:

• Research & Analysis
• Quality Management and Consistency Checking
• Structuring & Optimization
• Development & Design

Thanks to their special autodidactic capabilities, they are able to develop expert knowledge in a very short space of time - often without this being apparent from their resumé.

We create opportunities for both sides to get to know each other. Autistic people often improve communication in companies because they prefer direct, open and precise communication. Furthermore, they are masters of lateral thinking; they are able to combine apparently unrelated items of information and draw unexpected conclusions, which then lead to completely new perspectives and approaches to solutions. However, these skills often only develop after a certain period of time; not during the interview. The temporary employment phase of work allows the necessary space for this. Clients do not have to concern themselves with administrative matters and if the cooperation between the employer and employee cannot be continued, the separation is straightforward.

Information, clarification and advice are all part of our service. The subsidy jungle is complicated. For this reason, many employers back off from dealing with complex topics, such as the integration subsidy or the compulsory levy for not employing disabled people. We remove this administrative burden from our clients; we then advise them and jointly develop optimal solutions.

Along the “into the labor market in 3 steps" process chain, Diversicon generates sources of revenue in the academy, mediation and coaching organizational units.

1. Step: Activation and qualification of unemployed autistic people in the "academy" area (share of turnover = 45%)

• The academy is a training institution (as per §45 SGB III), which qualifies the autistic people with social and methodological competence in their problem areas for the primary labor market.
• The Federal Employment Agency reimburses Diversicon 100% for the costs of the training. In this way, the costs of this area are covered.

2. Step: Supervised temporary work/personnel placement in the "mediation" area as a bridge into the primary labor market (share of turnover = 45%)

• In this process, Diversicon acts as a temporary employment agency (on the basis of a license for personnel leasing as per §3 of the Personnel Leasing Act)
• Integration subsidies from the Federal Employment Agency / Jobcenter for employers and integration assistance for employers of people with severe disabilities lower the salary costs for Diversicon by approximately 35%.
• Turnover is generated by the hiring fees charged to the receiving company.

3. Step: Vocational support in the "coaching” area (share of turnover = 10%)

• Continuous provision of job coaching for the autistic employees and the employer. The sources of revenue are the integration agencies (subsidies for vocational support) and companies.

In Germany, there is already a broad offering for the qualification and reintegration of the unemployed and support and employment measures for the disabled. These are generally executed by external organisations commissioned by the Federal Employment Agency / Jobcenter or integration authorities. There is, however, no offer specifically aimed at the target group of autistic people.

Diversicon focuses on the transition into the primary labor market and on the area of further education, initially with the target group of people with autism. We are the only provider to offer its services within the framework of an overall concept with a view to arranging permanent employment in a sustainable manner.

Not only is the business model unique, but so are the specific strengths of the autistic people, which can be put to good use on the primary labor market.

Companies and employers form important sources of revenue for Diversicon and are therefore of crucial importance.

Diversicon’s target groups are large companies and larger medium-sized companies as well as institutions and the public sector. Many of these employers already have their own officers or departments for corporate social responsibility, diversity and sustainability.

This makes it easier for us to gain access to these companies. Furthermore, auticon has already created a good understanding for the topic and thus, the basis for company contacts in both Berlin and in other cities.

At the beginning of 2017, we conducted talks about our concept with three larger companies and seven SMES in Berlin and Frankfurt. All of these companies can imagine permanently employing people with autism. However, a certain minimum level of qualification, motivation, resilience and reliability must be offered - as well as, of course, good professional competence, which will provide operational added-value.

Generally speaking, Diversicon, through its academy, will only accept those participants whom we are convinced will fulfil the fundamental requirements of an employer. We expect a rate of 80%.

Affected persons

In the pilot phase after founding we will initially concentrate on the topic of autism due to our existing expertise, network and contacts to employers in this area. The autism spectrum is often divided into three subtypes with different characteristics. We estimate a total of 24.000 affected persons nationwide.

In the medium-term our target group will also involve people who aren't able to perform work in their current working environment, due to a mental impairment. These impairments can be divided into congenital (e.g. autism, ADHD) and acquired (e.g. burnout, depression) disorders. Unemployment due to mental impairments has constantly risen over the past decades and is gaining societal relevance.

Companies

The focus here is on companies whose needs complement the inherent strengths of autistic people (research and analysis, quality management and consistency checking, structuring and optimization, development and design).

We accordingly envisage here, for example, the following areas and functions:

• Finance (accounting, controlling, compliance, right up to forensic analysis)
• Logistics, transport, engineering (planning, optimization)
• Quality control, certification, documentation, process optimization
• All planning, design and development tasks

Diversicon was founded at the beginning of 2017. So far, there have been talks with companies, the Federal Employment Agency, integration authorities, the German pension fund, the Federation of German Employers (BDA), the Autism Association of Germany, educational institutions and the target group of people with autism. The partners have all pledged their full support.

As of 03/2017, we will pursue the training provider certification in accordance with § 45 SGB III that is necessary for cooperation with the Federal Employment Agency and we will conclude this in the summer. From the 4th quarter of 2017, we will accept the first participants into the academy. In the 1st quarter of 2018, we will employ the first people with autism at Diversicon on the basis of employee leasing and we will provide them to appropriate businesses.

Both in their own companies, but also in those with which they are associated, posts might exist that could be ideally taken by people with autism. Open companies with an understanding of people who are a little different are rewarded for their courage.

Perhaps companists have relatives, friends or acquaintances with autism, to whom Diversicon could offer the hope of a job in the primary labor market. In either case, Diversicon would be delighted if they were to make contact.

Managing Directors of Diversicon Dirk Müller-Remus (left) and René Kuhlemann (right)

Diversicon gGmbH
Dessauer Strasse 36
10963 Berlin

Phone: 030 / 9833 6788
Telefax: 030 / 6792 8696
Mobil: +49 (0)160-8020313 (Dirk Müller-Remus)

Email: dirk.mueller-remus@diversicon.de / rene.kuhlemann@diversicon.de

Website: www.diversicon.de