People with Asperger syndrome often experience difficulty with social relationships, verbal communication, and using their imagination.
So it turns out they can make beautiful software testers, a job that requires routine, focus, and repetitive behavior.
A new Harvard Business School case study looks behind the scenes of a Danish consultancy, Specialisterne, which employs testers afflicted with Aspergers or some form of autism spectrum disorder. According to an article in HBS Working Knowledge about the case:
These software consultants enjoy their work and are great at it. The testing process — checking and rechecking outcomes, documenting test plans, and maintaining follow-through — makes use of the high intelligence, precision-oriented skills, deep concentration, and patience that can be positive features sometimes accompanying ASD.
The workers are paid industry competitive wages and work for clients including LEGO, Microsoft, and Oracle.
The takeaway here for you is to identify the tasks you ask of your workers, and then think creatively about where you might find the best people for the job. They won’t always show up on a Monster.com job board.
