Mr Thorkil Sonne, a Danish pro, was shattered, like any other parent, when his three-year-old son was diagnosed for autism, a neurological disorder that makes people incapable of mingling with others.
But unlike other parents, he quickly realised the positives of an autistic child. Their ability to grasp things and perfectly execute certain functions attracted him. He quit his job to become a social entrepreneur to form Specialisterne (Specialist), an IT consulting based out of Denmark that mostly recruits people with autism.
Though they are born with certain physical and mental disadvantages, these people could deliver outsourcing jobs much faster and more efficiently than normal employees. They excel in, say, testing tools, because they are extremely good at following structures and repeat functions. You change pattern or place of work they would feel uncomfortable.
“We have invited Mr Sonne to share his thoughts with us as part of our initiative of engaging in dialogue with social entrepreneurs to give our employees different perspective to innovation. Social entrepreneurs are the ones who are making a difference. This is why we invite them to interact with our staff,” Mr V R Ferose, Managing director of SAP Labs India, said.
Addressing the HR Conclave – Leadership for Emerging India organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here on Friday, he said 80 per cent of employees working in the Danish company were autistic people, while the remaining were managers.
“They can work for only four hours a day because they get exhausted after that. While the company pays for four hours, the Government pays for the remaining four hours,” Mr Ferose said.