An on-going discussion I seem to have with millennial-aged people is whether or not businesses are socially responsible.
After having interviewed many manufacturers, I can safely say that many are good caretakers of both the environment and their employees.
But today's news from SAP that over the next several years they will hire a large number of people with autism as software testers and programmers, I realize that companies can also create social awareness.
By announcing that they are hiring people for their skills and what they can contribute to the company, they have forever changed the perception of knowledge.
And to declare that "Only by employing people who think differently and spark innovation will SAP be prepared to handle the challenges of the 21st century," elevates individual abilities, not disabilities, to a new level.
My hat is off to SAP for proving to my millennial friends that businesses are able to not only address social issues but to set a gold standard.
