FEATURE: Japanese companies look to jump on "neurodiversity" bandwagon

Some Japanese firms have begun to actively hire people with developmental and mental disabilities as they embrace the concept of "neurodiversity," which places emphasis on the different ways people's brains work.

While companies must take into consideration tasks that such employees may struggle with, they can also make use of their unique talents in fields such as information technology and digital transformation.

Amid a labor shortage, this approach creates a positive cycle where companies gain new talent, and individuals are able to contribute to society in a work environment that suits them.

"They are people who love IT, so they become totally immersed in it," said, Kenta Awatari, president of JGC Parallel Technologies Inc., who set up the company in 2021 in Yokohama, near Tokyo. "If there is no unnecessary pressure, these people excel," he said.

A subsidiary of global engineering company JGC Holdings Corp., it handles IT-related tasks for various companies within the JGC Group. Around 90 percent of the company's 37 employees have developmental or mental disabilities.

Neurodiversity is the idea that differences in brain and neurological function should be respected and utilized within society, Awatari said. The company finds creative ways to work with these differences.

A key consideration is that tasks such employees take on should be "important but not urgent," allowing them to work at their own pace without strict deadlines, Awatari explained.

Taking into account individual sensitivities, such as difficulties with commuting, crowded places, or sensitivity to light and sound, the company has implemented a fully remote work system. Tasks are generally assigned individually rather than in teams, to avoid any negative comparisons with others that might affect some employees.

The company's approach has helped solve challenges within the JGC Group, and they plan to continue hiring at a rate of 10 employees per year.

Employees at such companies have also expressed appreciation for the working environment.

"I don't take criticism well, and when I get depressed, it drags me down for a long time. That's why I didn't do well at my previous company, but now it's very easy to work here," Yuki Wakamiya, 28, an IT engineer at Ezaki Glico Co. based in Osaka, said.

Wakamiya majored in information engineering in graduate school. He worked for a software company, but was diagnosed last year with "dysthymia," a persistent depressive disorder due to his dislike of being spoken to in harsh tones. He holds a certificate identifying him as a person with a mental disability.

Glico has set up a weekly meeting at Wakamiya's discretion where he can consult with his supervisor. "Engineers are only as good as their skills. Even though (Wakiyama) has a disability, it is not a problem because he is a skilled engineer," his supervisor said.

Neuro Dive, a labor transition support office for people with disabilities specializing in advanced IT work, aims to help people acquire highly specialized skills in fields such as AI, machine learning, data science and find employment for them as well. It is run by Persol Holdings Co., a major recruiting firm, which operates in five locations, including Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka.

Another field in which such hires are being made is digital transformation (DX), which promotes integration of digital technologies.

More than 90 people have been employed since the business started in 2019. Most of the neurodiversity hires are in positions that utilize IT skills, such as data analysis and AI engineering.