SAP SE: Autism at Work

This case describes SAP's 'Autism at Work' program, which integrates people with autism into the company's workforce. The company has a stated objective of making 1% o its workforce people with autism by 2020. SAP's rationale for the program is based on the belief that 'neurodiversity' contributes to the company's overall innovative capabilities ('We believe that innovation comes from the edges'). Thus, the program is not viewed as a subsidized Corporate Social Responsibility activity, but as a positive net benefit activity, as well as a way of addressing skills shortages by tapping into non-traditional pools of (considerable) talent. The case explores how SAP is also using the program to rethink and re-engineer its Human Resource Management policies and processes, to make them more inclusive and effective.