Auticon report says neurodiverse teams boost performance

auticon has released its 2025 Impact Report, which says neurodiverse teams improved workplace performance and outcomes for autistic professionals.

In 2025, the company operated in 14 countries, employed 494 people and worked with 287 client organisations. Its workforce was 81% neurodivergent, including 373 autistic technologists across its operations.

The report sets out a business case for hiring and supporting neurodivergent staff, alongside evidence of the employment barriers autistic people face. auticon frames the report around what it calls "The Edge Effect", a concept it uses to argue that mixed teams produce stronger results when workplaces are properly supported.

Group Chief Executive Officer Luke Williams said the year's data supported that view. "When neurodivergent and non-neurodivergent people work together in well supported environments, the result is stronger problem solving, greater innovation and more resilient systems. Our 2025 results prove that neuroinclusion can be a true competitive advantage for business," Williams said.

Employment Gap

Alongside its workforce data, the report points to labour market figures in Australia showing a steep employment gap for autistic people. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate for autistic people is 18.2% - more than double the rate for people with disability overall and almost six times the rate for people without disability.

The figures cited in the report show autistic Australians as the most disadvantaged disability group in the labour market despite high levels of education and skill. auticon argues that many qualified candidates remain excluded from jobs that match their training.

Ivonne Ranisch, Chief Executive Officer of auticon Australia, said the data reflected a wider structural problem. "The ABS data confirms what we see every day: autistic Australians are highly skilled but locked out of meaningful employment. Our model proves that when barriers are removed, talent thrives," Ranisch said.

She also gave further detail on the profile of staff joining the business. "At the time of joining auticon 90% of our technology consultants had a Bachelors degree, professional qualification or higher. Yet, 60% had been unemployed or under-employed at the time of applying to auticon of which, 58% had been unemployed for over one year. This is an untapped pool of highly talented people going to waste when corporate Australia has been talking about a skills shortage."

Ranisch also raised the question of public support for employment programs. "auticon Australia currently receives no government support, and we could be doing more to deliver meaningful employment for autistic Australians, the result would only alleviate pressure on programs like the NDIS and ultimately the Australian tax payer."

Workforce Data

The report says 60% of autistic technologists employed by auticon had been unemployed when they applied to join the company. Of that group, 58% had been out of work for more than a year, while 90% held a bachelor's degree, professional qualification or higher.

Retention was another focus of the report. It says 79% of technologists had remained with the business for more than two years and 42% for five years or longer. During 2025, employees gained 132 new professional certifications.

Survey data in the report pointed to gains in wellbeing and confidence among staff. According to the findings, 84% reported improved quality of life, 80% reported improved wellbeing and 78% said they felt more confident. It also found that 81% felt able to be their authentic self at work and 75% said they enjoyed the work they did.

Client Response

On the client side, auticon worked with 287 companies during 2025, including 166 organisations that received neuroinclusion training or advisory support. Feedback from those engagements was largely positive.

Among surveyed clients, 95% said auticon technologists added value to their projects, while 86% reported a positive effect on team culture. A further 68% said the quality of work delivered was outstanding or exceeded expectations.

The report also found that 80% of clients felt more confident working with autistic colleagues after the engagement, while 88% reported a greater understanding of neurodiversity. Overall, 93% said they had seen positive effects on culture, performance, or both.

Those figures place the company's model at the intersection of labour market inclusion and corporate workforce policy. The report argues that employers are not only widening access to work for autistic people but also changing how teams operate and how managers understand different working styles.

auticon describes itself as the world's largest autistic-majority company. Its investor base includes Ferd, Autism Impact Fund, Ananda Impact Ventures, KOIS, Felix Porsche, Sir Richard Branson, Ferst Capital Partners and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

The report's central claim is that a section of the labour force with formal qualifications and technical expertise remains underused. "This is an untapped pool of highly talented people going to waste when corporate Australia has been talking about a skills shortage," Ranisch said.