Featuring scholarly and practitioner insights from HR and people leaders, industry experts, and researchers.

In this HCI Webinar, I talk with Leslie Holman about unlocking innovation in your organization. Leslie Holman believes there is a better way to live, lead, and work—and she’s spent the last 13 years proving it. As the Owner & CEO of Pinnacle Performance Group, she leads a boutique consulting firm that helps organizations turn bold plans into recognized value. Prior to Pinnacle, Leslie spent many years watching companies who had strategies, but no way to execute on them. Enter Pinnacle, where her team partners with executives to ensure strategy becomes tangible, measurable outcomes across the business. Leslie’s deeper purpose took shape when she purchased Pinnacle with a vision to transform it into a living experiment in a more human, sustainable way of working. After years in corporate and consulting environments where excellence often demanded personal sacrifice, she set out to design a model where people could do meaningful, high-impact work without breaking themselves in the process. Today, Pinnacle operates as a whole-person, future-of-work laboratory—demonstrating that exceptional results come from honoring the full humanity of the people doing the work.

This research examines the severe employment gap facing autistic adults, arguing that current vocational rehabilitation systems fail by focusing on individual deficits rather than environmental barriers. Although research indicates that autistic employees often match or exceed the performance of their peers, traditional hiring processes and workplace designs frequently exclude them through sensory or social obstacles. The research suggests that high rates of unemployment and mental health struggles are exacerbated by institutional gatekeeping that prioritizes "readiness" assessments over accessible workspace modifications. To resolve this crisis, the research advocates for evidence-based changes such as structured interviews, sensory-friendly environments, and transparent communication standards. Ultimately, the research calls for a systemic shift that treats workplace accessibility as a necessary infrastructure rather than an optional accommodation.

This research examines the severe employment gap facing autistic adults, arguing that current vocational rehabilitation systems fail by focusing on individual deficits rather than environmental barriers. Although research indicates that autistic employees often match or exceed the performance of their peers, traditional hiring processes and workplace designs frequently exclude them through sensory or social obstacles. The research suggests that high rates of unemployment and mental health struggles are exacerbated by institutional gatekeeping that prioritizes "readiness" assessments over accessible workspace modifications. To resolve this crisis, the research advocates for evidence-based changes such as structured interviews, sensory-friendly environments, and transparent communication standards. Ultimately, the research calls for a systemic shift that treats workplace accessibility as a necessary infrastructure rather than an optional accommodation.

Abstract: Autistic adults face unemployment and underemployment rates exceeding 50–85%, despite evidence that workplace exclusion reflects environmental barriers rather than skill deficits. Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies invest substantial resources in assessing individual "readiness" while allocating minimal attention to workplace conditions that determine whether capability can be demonstrated or sustained. This article examines how assessment-focused practices can reframe access barriers as individual deficits, perpetuating unemployment through a logic of preparation that defers action. Drawing on research evidence, organizational examples, and lived experience, the article proposes a shift from readiness gatekeeping toward environmental modification and capability-enabling support. Psychological and economic consequences of this institutional mismatch are documented, alongside evidence-based responses including interview modification, sensory accommodations, transparent communication, and long-term employability frameworks that recognize autistic capability as conditional on accessible conditions rather than inherent limitation.

This research examines the severe employment gap facing autistic adults, arguing that current vocational rehabilitation systems fail by focusing on individual deficits rather than environmental barriers. Although research indicates that autistic employees often match or exceed the performance of their peers, traditional hiring processes and workplace designs frequently exclude them through sensory or social obstacles. The research suggests that high rates of unemployment and mental health struggles are exacerbated by institutional gatekeeping that prioritizes "readiness" assessments over accessible workspace modifications. To resolve this crisis, the research advocates for evidence-based changes such as structured interviews, sensory-friendly environments, and transparent communication standards. Ultimately, the research calls for a systemic shift that treats workplace accessibility as a necessary infrastructure rather than an optional accommodation.

This research examines the severe employment gap facing autistic adults, arguing that current vocational rehabilitation systems fail by focusing on individual deficits rather than environmental barriers. Although research indicates that autistic employees often match or exceed the performance of their peers, traditional hiring processes and workplace designs frequently exclude them through sensory or social obstacles. The research suggests that high rates of unemployment and mental health struggles are exacerbated by institutional gatekeeping that prioritizes "readiness" assessments over accessible workspace modifications. To resolve this crisis, the research advocates for evidence-based changes such as structured interviews, sensory-friendly environments, and transparent communication standards. Ultimately, the research calls for a systemic shift that treats workplace accessibility as a necessary infrastructure rather than an optional accommodation.

This research examines the psychological and operational impacts of integrating artificial intelligence into the modern workplace. It highlights a critical tension between increased organizational productivity and the heightened anxiety employees feel regarding job security and professional identity. The research argues that AI adoption triggers two divergent responses: an approach-oriented pathway that enhances autonomy and a withdrawal-oriented pathway driven by fear. To ensure a successful transformation, the research suggests that leaders must prioritize transparent communication, robust knowledge-sharing infrastructures, and human-centered design. Ultimately, the research posits that technological advancement must be paired with comprehensive employee support to foster a culture where both humans and machines can thrive.

This research examines the psychological and operational impacts of integrating artificial intelligence into the modern workplace. It highlights a critical tension between increased organizational productivity and the heightened anxiety employees feel regarding job security and professional identity. The research argues that AI adoption triggers two divergent responses: an approach-oriented pathway that enhances autonomy and a withdrawal-oriented pathway driven by fear. To ensure a successful transformation, the research suggests that leaders must prioritize transparent communication, robust knowledge-sharing infrastructures, and human-centered design. Ultimately, the research posits that technological advancement must be paired with comprehensive employee support to foster a culture where both humans and machines can thrive.