A North Down mum has used her own experiences with raising three autistic children to help Asda bring about changes with their recruitment process.
Lauren Elliot, who has been part of the Asda Bangor team since 2007, used her time in April to upskill her colleagues on the store’s recruitment procedures and invited them to give feedback on how Asda can support the autism community.
She set up a zoom call with local charity Orchardville and invited young adults with autism and their parents to discuss their rights and what they can request in the way of reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process.
The Service Host explained: "I have three boys who are all autistic – they were my motivation to highlight the interviewing process for people with autism. I wanted to make it appear less scary and intimidating for anyone who wants to apply.
"We want to build confidence in people when they are applying for roles in Asda that they would have never considered before.
“I reached out to some local groups and charities to give them some information on the application process, to remove a lot of unknowns for those with disabilities. We discussed how adjustments can be made for these individuals to make the recruitment process fair.”
As part of her work during Autism Awareness Month, Lauren arranged work placements in her store with the young adults as well as interview upskilling sessions with the HR team. The sessions will aid their understanding of the retail sector and develop their skills for future employment.
Lauren says she's proud of the changes the supermarket chain have introduced to help better support those with autism who want to get into the workplace.
She added: "I am very proud to work for such a fantastic store. My colleagues are very supportive, engaging and always make you feel so welcome. I am proud to say we have been able to adapt some of the recruitment processes when applying for jobs at Asda and it has massively improved the diversity in our store.”
Asda Bangor, General Store Manager, Ciara Smith, said: "Lauren is a very valued member of the Asda Bangor team. She is very involved throughout the store and does a lot of additional work behind the scenes. We love her positive attitude – she is a great asset. This act shows her caring nature towards all of our colleagues."
