Wells Fargo Created A Program That's Designed To Help Neurodivergent Employees Thrive

Despite being a published writer and having two college degrees, Alex Lieberman struggled to find and keep a job — even a part-time position. As someone with autism, he struggled with social interactions and found himself excluded from opportunities before he even got a chance to show his skills. But all that changed when he found Wells Fargo’s Neurodiversity Program and was offered a job where he could at last launch his career.

“My career has grown in ways that I did not anticipate,” said Lieberman. “Now that I’m here, I have connections; I have experience; I have research under my belt. Wells Fargo gave me a career. It’s a chance I never would have had otherwise.”

Wells Fargo’s Neurodiversity Program launched in April 2020 and has been led by senior executive Stephen DeStefani since its inception.

“Our sole purpose was to create meaningful employment and opportunities for a deeply underserved and disproportionately unemployed community,” said DeStefani. “As a company, we recognized that interview expectations regarding social priorities like eye contact or a firm handshake, or a stated requirement of ‘excellent verbal communication’ rather than the technical skills and competencies necessary to perform in the role were causing us to exclude an enormous population of talented candidates who present differently.”

Under DeStefani’s leadership, Wells Fargo pledged to make changes to how they understood, valued, and employed neurodivergent people. 

Neurodiversity is the range of differences in individual brain function and behavioral traits and is regarded as a natural variation in the human population. It can include Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and dyslexia.

According to the National Library of Medicine, an estimated 15–20% of the U.S. population is neurodivergent . The CDC additionally reported that one in 36 children (2.8%) is diagnosed with autism , and the National Institute of Mental Health shared that an estimated 4.4% of U.S. adults are diagnosed with ADHD .  Complicating the true size of the neurodivergent population is the fact that many conditions are co-occurring, meaning it is very common for an individual to have more than one neurodivergent condition. “ Despite this, there are deeply diverse and highly talented candidates that encounter employment barriers at rates disproportionally higher than neurotypical talent pools. As a company we chose to take that challenge head on through our company’s Neurodiversity Program,” said DeStefani.

As part of the company’s Neurodiversity Program, Wells Fargo went back to the drawing board to implement a more accommodating, skills-based hiring process that aimed to remove hiring managers’ possible biases. The company also put over 10,000 employees through neurodiversity training, now enhanced through their partnership with University of Connecticut’s Center for Neurodiversity and Employment Innovation , to create a more considerate, informed, and inclusive workplace.

“There really are no other employers doing this type of transformational work around neurodiversity the way Wells Fargo is,” said Judy Reilly, the director of UConn’s Center for Neurodiversity and Employment Innovation. “Stephen DeStefani has built an incredibly comprehensive and informed approach that not only allows us to develop evidence-based knowledge, but which enables UConn to disseminate that knowledge to other companies to exponentially grow opportunities for neurodivergent individuals.”

Wells Fargo also developed a tailored interview approach that consists of interactive workshops and team-based problem-solving.

“This format allows candidates to showcase their talent in a more comfortable environment over several days and leads to a more comprehensive assessment by hiring managers,” said DeStefani. “We pair this with ongoing training, mentoring, and accommodations to help individuals succeed in their roles while developing sustainable career trajectories.”

Since its launch, over 250 full-time employees have been hired into eight distinct roles across seven core lines of business of Wells Fargo in the U.S. and India, and the program has seen a 98% retention rate. Of these hires, 37% have been women and 45% identified as Black, Hispanic, or multiracial.

“We’re focused on improving representation across all lines of business and critical skills, so that there’s no limit to the career opportunities neurodivergent people can access,” said DeStefani. “This enables individuals to develop a stronger sense of self-value and establish financial independence. They extend their community and social structure and create a new version of what their life could be.”     

You can learn more about the Neurodiversity Program at WellsFargo.com