[Navy blue CAI Neurodiverse Solutions logo appears on screen with white background, with www.cai.io below in black.]
[The following text is shown in order: Webinar On-Demand: Neurodiversity in action: The competitive advantage of inclusive teams: the navy blue CAI Neurodiverse Solutions logo.]
[The full screen is Anthony Pacilio, wearing black rimmed glasses and a navy blue vest. In the bottom left-hand corner, there is a nametag that says "Anthony Pacilio | CAI Neurodiverse Solutions" and a white CAI Neurodiverse Solutions logo in the bottom right-hand corner.]
00:00:08 - 00:01:11
Anthony Pacilio
Welcome everyone to today's LinkedIn Live Event, Neurodiversity in action: The competitive advantage of inclusive teams. And happy Autism Acceptance Month. My name's Anthony Pacilio, Vice President of Neurodiverse Solutions at CAI. A little bit about me... my responsibilities here are to help organizations build neurodiversity programs and to lead our efforts of CAI Neurodiverse Solutions. My expertise lies in managing neurodiversity recruiting efforts, developing candidate pipelines, and ensuring best practices for onboarding, support, training, and organizational success. Before we begin, I'd like to take a moment to let you know that as always, we're recording the session today so that you can watch it later. If you have any questions throughout today's discussion, just feel free to add it in the chat and we'll follow up to the questions and we'll get to your answers and we'll get them out to you. So let's start by talking a little bit about today's topic.
00:01:12 - 00:02:09
Anthony
So April officially marks Autism Acceptance Month, and the need for understanding, accepting, and embracing neurodiversity of work is just as strong today as it's been over the past several years. And today, we're going to go behind the possible with 4 of our team members as they elevate the conversation on neuroinclusion in the workplace and how it's contributed to their success as neurodivergent employees. So in this 30 minute discussion, our guests are going to share their personal journeys, the impact the neurodiversity employment program has made in each of their lives. We're also going to elaborate on key steps that they've taken to build and thrive in their career, the impact the neurodiversity employment program has made on their lives, how mutual support and collaboration has connected them as a team, and the value of embracing neurodiversity in the workplace, which is absolutely a massive piece of this.
00:02:10 - 00:02:15
Anthony
So let's go ahead and meet our guests for today. We're going to begin with BJ Wanlund.
[Anthony's screen becomes a bit smaller and moves to the left. BJ Wanlund's screen shows up on the right-hand side. His nametag in this screen's bottom left-hand corner reads "BJ Wanlund | CAI". Anthony's nametag disappears, and BJ's enlarges in the bottom left-hand corner for a brief few moments as he's introduced and reads as "BJ Wanlund, Quality Assurance Support Analyst".]
00:02:16 - 00:02:59
Anthony
Since joining CAI as a quality assurance support analyst in April of 2022, BJ has seen his responsibilities broaden from supporting a multi-district litigation to stepping in to help his team in terms of moderate monitoring, it's easy for me to say again. The team email box and helping to delegate tasks when his manager's out of the office and playing a pivotal role in reconciling new hires on the client side. His ability to adapt and learn his job quickly has been instrumental to assist in these tasks, ensuring that his team's productivity remains consistent. And Tuesday nights, you're going to find BJ with his bowling league. Welcome, BJ.
[BJ waves.]
00:03:00 - 00:03:03
Anthony
And next up, we have Aaron Magee.
[Anthony's screen moves to the upper left-hand corner. BJ's screen moves to the upper right-hand corner. Aaron Magee's screen pops up in the bottom middle area of the screen. His nametag reads "Aaron Magee | CAI". All nametags disappear except for Aaron's, which enlarges in the bottom left-hand corner for a brief few moments as he's introduced and reads as "Aaron Magee, Quality Assurance Support Analyst".]
00:03:04 - 00:03:33
Anthony
Aaron has been a quality assurance support analyst with one of CAI's clients for 5 years. He completes and reports different essential information and helps maintain database accuracy for international branches. And he reviews the daily list of closed matters from the previous day to ensure that the database form that opened the matter is probably updated in the correct state. In Aaron's free time, he enjoys supporting his church and training in martial arts. And thanks for joining us, Aaron. We appreciate it.
00:03:34 - 00:03:37
Anthony
And next up, we have Jack Pabich.
[Aaron's screen shifts to the bottom right-hand corner. Jack Pabich's screen appears in the bottom left-hand corner. His nametag reads "Jack Pabich | CAI". All nametags disappear except for Jack's, which enlarges in the bottom left-hand corner for a brief few moments as he's introduced and reads as "Jack Pabich, Quality Assurance Support Analyst".]
00:03:38 - 00:04:04
Anthony
As a quality assurance support analyst, Jack is responsible for processing requests of potential conflicts of interest, ensuring parties are correctly assigned to the location within the database, and rearranging information to improve database efficiency. And Jack's attention to detail, it's his biggest strength and he uses the proactively to streamline task. In his free time, he enjoys being active with various sporting activities and enjoying spending time with friends. So welcome.
00:04:05 - 00:04:09
Anthony
And lastly, but not leastly, we got Joe Handley.
[Aaron's screen shifts to the top right-hand corner. Jack's screen shifts to the bottom right-hand corner. Joe's screen appears in the bottom left-hand corner. His nametag reads "Joe Handley | CAI". All nametags disappear except for Joe's, which enlarges in the bottom left-hand corner for a brief few moments as he's introduced and reads as "Joseph Handley, Calendar Courts Service Analyst".]
00:04:10 - 00:04:46
Anthony
Joe is a calendar course services analyst who's worked with one of CAI's clients for over 2 years now, and his responsibilities are mainly reviewing the firm's docket and sending reminders to attorneys and paralegals on his team regarding upcoming hearings, deadlines, depositions, and other key matters regarding their cases. Joe has graduated with his master's degree and in his free time, he likes to travel, explore large cities and go to the theater. And his favorite city to visit is the NYC. Hey there, Joe. Thanks. And thank you all for being here with us today.
00:04:47 - 00:05:14
Anthony
So we're going to get started by kicking things off with BJ and Aaron. So the question to you both, what would you say are some key steps you both took in order to build and thrive in your career with CAI Neurodiverse Solutions? And I think BJ, we're going to go with you first and then Aaron, you're going to piggyback on that. Oh, hey BJ, we're going to...
[BJ realizes he is on mute and unmutes himself.]
00:05:15 - 00:05:16
BJ Wanlund
Yeah.
00:05:17 - 00:05:18
Anthony
Oh! We love.
[BJ nods as he begins speaking off mute.]
00:05:18 - 00:05:50
BJ
Yeah. The key step that I took in order to build and thrive in my career at CAI is realizing what works and what doesn't work for me in terms of the number of hours, the level of support I need, and also the nature of the tasks that I do on a day-to-day basis. I've been in 2 different neurodiverse hiring job positions the past almost 5 years now, including 2 and a half years in a role directly before this current one. And 2-year anniversary of my first day at CAI happens to be Thursday.
00:05:51 - 00:05:53
Anthony
Nice. Congratulations by the way.
00:05:54 - 00:06:28
BJ
Thank you. But the step I took before I had either of these 2 jobs, however, was I got a Microsoft Office specialist certification in both Excel and Access that has stood me in good stead and has at least partially prepared me for what I do now with CAI and the law firm. And what CAI has done for me is to help me realize my career potential and made me find a newfound confidence both inside and outside the office in a way that I was never really given a chance to before in previous roles.
00:06:29 - 00:06:51
Anthony
Yeah, and I definitely know we talk a lot about neurodiversity employment and the opportunity, the chance to do things that you know can do over the years has been a struggle, but we're getting to a point, BJ, where we're moving that needle. Aaron, thoughts?
00:06:52 - 00:07:25
Aaron Magee
For me, the key steps that took me was... one of them was keeping an open mind when I was working as well. And also one of the essential parts I liked about working for this organization was the fact that everything we do is essential. No matter how big or small projects were, we're able to show that everything's essential. So we are part of the foundation, so regardless how big the project is or small, it shows that every part of work is essential for our project. So it makes me feel like I'm doing something that's really impactful for the company.
00:07:26 - 00:07:50
Anthony
Oh, that's awesome. So with your role right now doing those impactful things, has there been one kind of... I would say one success that you were most pleased with or something that you can think back on, that you were most successful with? And I think that goes... Yeah.
00:07:51 - 00:08:18
Aaron
I would say when I first started, one of the projects with... I like to say is one of the projects that I first started with that actually helped me gave an impact was effective. It shows how essential it was to get it done in a matter of races. Because at first when I first started, I thought, oh, I hope this doing a good job for the company. However, it showed like, oh, it's still essential because not only is the foundation, but also it affects my peers as well. So I thought that was.... that's what impacted me.
00:08:19 - 00:08:42
Anthony
Oh, that's awesome. All right, so thank you both for the first question. Jack and Joe, we're coming to you next. So how would you both describe the way that your team works together? That's kind of the first piece, right? Describing your way that the team works together. But how have you connected as a team as well? And Jack, we're going to start with you and then we're going to go to Joe.
00:08:43 - 00:09:56
Jack Pabich
Sounds good. So first of all, as a team, we largely do a lot of individual work as a team. There's not a lot of collaborative assignments, which when there are collaborative assignments, there's great communication and it's a pleasure to work with whoever we are doing set work with. We always have set times that we're communicating. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we have a morning check-in with our team where we talk about what tasks we're working on, if we're having any impediments and just to give the team a general update. But unlike for most people when Wednesdays are the dreaded hump day, middle of the week slow days, we have some forward-to on Wednesdays because during the Wednesday check-in meeting we have a little extra free time in which the meeting's allowed to run 5 to 10 minutes a bit longer than the normal 2 to 5 minute meeting, in which we're able to actually talk, socialize.
00:09:57 - 00:10:56
Jack
We're able to catch up with each other and find out how people's weekends went, if they have any fun plans. And we get to actually get to know each other on a more individual basis, especially people like BJ who is a fully remote worker. We get to really know people's hobbies that outside of... I have the luxury of getting to know Joe and Aaron when... Before work we may get breakfast together or have lunch together and we can talk. But just to really have those set 10 minutes at the end of following up on meetings really allows us to get to know each other and figure out about people's strengths, weaknesses, and where they excel. As a team, we are the synergistic team. The sum is greater than their parts and through our team lead who assigns tests based off of our strengths, that's what lets us excel.
00:10:57 - 00:11:04
Anthony
So needless to say, you guys look forward to Wednesday when you have those big meetings?
00:11:05 - 00:11:08
Jack
I do. I can't speak for all those, but...
00:11:09 - 00:11:29
Anthony
Well, that's good though. I mean, well said on the sum and the parts. I think that is a good analogy of how teamwork, camaraderie, the tribe mentality all kind of puts itself together and makes it successful. So Joe, I'm going to go to you with those same 2 questions.
00:11:30 - 00:12:38
Joe Handley
So just like as Jack was saying, we all have different positions, so we're all typically working on different tasks, but once in a blue moon, one of us might be given a task that we know will take several days to get through if we do it all on our own. So during times like that, I feel like we're all a very cohesive group and so I always feel comfortable reaching out to another team member to ask them if they could spare any time to help me work on the tasks. And we're pretty good at communicating with each other and determining how we want to divvy up the work. And so I'm really appreciative of all the team members that I have. And yeah, overall I would say when it comes to how we've connected as a team, like I said, I mean all of us, we're all very comfortable with reaching out to each other. During lunch hour, we always try to talk to each other just to catch up with each other to see how we're doing what it is we're working on.
00:12:39 - 00:13:27
Joe
So yeah, I'm really appreciative of that. And also, like I said, we don't necessarily... Even though we technically work on different things, we also like to cross train each other so that in case one of us is sick, or if one of us goes on vacation, we like to find another team member who we can teach basically to do our job, the things that we're supposed to do on a day-to-day basis, so that when one of us is sick or one of us is out on vacation, the other person can basically pick up the slack and we can keep the projects moving on a steady basis. So yeah, I'm really happy with the team we have.
00:13:28 - 00:14:44
Anthony
That's awesome. Teamwork makes the dream work. I know. Terrible to say that. I know. Let it go. It's good though. It's a larger organization. You are one piece of a big wheel, but you all play such an important part within those different silos. I think the cross-training bit is absolutely key to how you guys have proliferated your success at the client. And I know that they recognize that as well, so kudos to all of you. So I have a question for all 4 of you, so we can go around one by one and answer. In what way has working on CAI Neurodiverse Solutions made an impact on each of your lives? And that's a broader question, but I think we're going to go with Aaron, then BJ, then Jack, then Joe, and I'll keep us all within the order. So Aaron, I'm going to let you take that one first if you don't mind.
00:14:45 - 00:15:06
Aaron
Of course. The way that the organization has impacted me is basically it gave me different opportunities that I can take advantage of basically when I'm there. Also to keep an open mind. And I think the most biggest ones basically help me become more optimistic as well in the work environment as well.
00:15:07 - 00:15:38
Anthony
And optimism is very integral to happiness. So typically pessimism leads you down a different path. I am so pleased to hear that you have this approach, Aaron. I think it just leads to greater things for you and the work and your life. So I'm just very excited that you're an optimist at this point. BJ, how about you? What's the impact?
00:15:39 - 00:16:07
BJ
For me working on this CAI Neurodiverse Solutions team has made a huge impact on my life in that it has given me a confidence both on and off the job, that I never really knew or was aware that I had before. It's given me a chance to show that I can have a wonderful fulfilling career, and even a chance of living independently on my own. I am so grateful to CAI and the law firm for everything over the last couple of years.
00:16:08 - 00:16:52
Anthony
That's incredible actually. The independent living piece, that's a large piece of what we're seeing now. So folks who have struggled to get employment opportunities now have an employer, obviously, they're getting paid. I'm just going to go, BJ, one little step further. The independent living piece, and I think back of my days way back when, going out on my own for the first time, was there a part of you that was nervous and scared about that, but now it's come full circle and you're like, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread?
00:16:53 - 00:16:59
BJ
Yeah, you pretty much described that feeling very, very accurately.
00:17:00 - 00:17:23
Anthony
So you obviously... Not obviously, but family members are obviously pleased that you're out on your own and doing things. So this impact to get to work, are you taking public transportation? Are you taking your own vehicle?
00:17:24 - 00:17:31
BJ
The cool thing about it for me is because I'm full remote, my setup's right over there.
00:17:32 - 00:17:34
Anthony
Oh, that's awesome. That's good.
00:17:35 - 00:17:50
BJ
So I basically have a commute from here to back to there when I go back to work, and then sometimes I'm back and forth between these computers. But it's okay. It's one of those things where I'm not too worried about that.
00:17:51 - 00:17:59
Anthony
That's awesome. Well, I appreciate that. Thank you for letting us in a little bit to your life. BJ, how about you?
00:18:00 - 00:18:04
BJ
I mean, I just went right, so it's Jack, right?
00:18:05 - 00:18:10
Anthony
Oh yeah, sorry. Jack. Look at you. BJ is on it. Jack, all you.
00:18:11 - 00:19:00
Jack
All good. I was a little confused, but anyway. So yeah, I would say, well for one thing, just following up again with how the team's been able to connect, I really appreciated all those extra efforts to get to know the co-workers just because I was the newest member on the team by few months, about 6 months, something. So that helps get to know my coworkers better and what I appreciate about the diverse solutions is that I work with people who are like me. It breaks down that slight barrier to entry of just getting to know coworkers because maybe they may like the same genres as you, or they may have had similar life experiences as you.
00:19:01 - 00:20:10
Jack
And not to say that everyone who is neurodiverse likes fantasy or whatever, even though I do, but just there are natural similarities that you have. And when you have natural similarities in anything, it bridges so many gaps. And so that makes just asking questions and having the lunch and it makes the day-to-day life of work so much easier. Not to mention the fact that we launch skills that... I don't want to call them work skills, because they're life skills. It's organization, time management, just basic communication skills. And so as I said, it's not work skills, it's life skills. It's important wherever you go and having people who are like you and you know how they're like you is something that cannot be understated.
00:20:11 - 00:21:16
Anthony
Yeah, I think we talked about it earlier, the tribe mentality. Everybody's in the same kind of boat. I think the social aspect that you described, Jack, is so important. I think when we go to work each day and even if you're remote, BJ, and you're not going too far, it's 2-second walk to here or there, I think seeing people, listening to people, having people that like-minded, some of the same interest, all of that is great for your social pieces, but it also translates, Jack, into what you said. It translates back into your work as well, because you're happier. You have a need, a necessity to go in and to see people and you can't wait to talk to BJ or Aaron or Joe, and talk about the weekend and things like that.
00:21:17 - 00:21:56
Anthony
That is what makes doing what we do at CAI Neurodiverse Solutions, the most positive piece of how we kind of implement business and do business, because we're bringing change to people's lives. And it's just not our lives. I'm neurodivergent myself, but it's all the people that we work with. All the people that see all the great work that we do day in and day out. That's what makes this so successful. And so I'm going to go to Joe on this same question. What about the impact?
00:21:57 - 00:23:14
Joe
Yeah, I mean I would say that yeah, working at CAI has definitely been a positive experience for me, because you're in an experience where technically it's a job, but they really want to see you succeed, and so they're very supportive. When I started off, they had me doing various miscellaneous tasks to see, okay, where are your potential strengths? What are things that you enjoy doing? And then from there they will then go on to see where you would be a good fit. So yeah, I really liked the setups that CAI has given me through the firm, because basically it allows you to learn at your own pace and they never basically make you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Like I said, it's very supportive. I always feel like if I... say I'm working on a task, and let's say I am not sure what to do next, I always feel like I can count on my coworkers or on our team lead to just to ask questions because it's a very supportive environment.
00:23:15 - 00:23:56
Anthony
And that support, and I'm going to go back to Jack... Jack, I'm going to put you on the spot here. Support is a huge piece of what we do. We make sure that all of our associates have what they need, the tools, the skills to do their job on a day in and day out basis. And Jack, you were talking about the best part of your week is Wednesdays. What piece of your work do you find that is the most fulfilling? What do you do on a daily basis that you're like, "You know what? I literally am making a difference."
00:23:57 - 00:25:11
Jack
It's hard to say, especially on a day-to-day basis because I get... sometimes I do the same thing every week and then I don't do it again for a month. Such is life, of course. But I will say it's never while I'm doing the project, it's when there are times I do assignments for people outside of the team that says, "Hey, we need help." It gets sent to our team. We do the work, send it back to people outside of the team. So it feels amazing, when I interact with people who are not directly a part of our team and then they say, "Hey, Jack, thank you so much for all of your help with uploads. It's been greatly appreciated." Sick. They appreciate what I do. I won't bother trying to learn how it impacts the system as a whole because it's a complicated system and whatnot, but just simply when people acknowledge you and just say, "Thank you," and it's like, "Oh, cool, this is nice."
00:25:12 - 00:25:58
Jack
I remember one time, gosh, maybe almost a year ago now. I think BJ and I were both working on a specific assignment because files had be uploaded for a lawyer to get access to. They just weren't given access to certain pages and we had to grant them access. Then after we spent, I don't know how long going through all these documents and giving this person access. The next day, I think a lawyer directly sent us an email saying, "Hey, thanks, BJ and Jack, the work you did was appreciated." "Cool, okay." I was with a company when I was help with a client for only maybe six months. So just simply a thank you is what feels awesome.
00:25:59 - 00:26:24
Anthony
Yeah, those simple things mean a lot to folks. So the pat on the back, the email from a senior leader, those things make you come back day after day and go, "Yeah, I am making a difference." And BJ, I'm going to go to you. What has been the greatest part of your job? I know, big question, but broad, but...
00:26:25 - 00:26:59
BJ
Well, I actually have a prepared answer for this, which is... I was talking about this really literally this morning. No part of my job is ever boring ever. Whereas I've definitely had some jobs where, well, things either weren't happening or there was a lull period in the time I was working, so this is never boring. There's something that can come up like a technical glitch or something, and I'm like, "Help."
00:27:00 - 00:27:02
Anthony
Right? We all need those 4 letters sometimes.
00:27:03 - 00:27:26
BJ
Yeah, exactly. And I'm like, "Okay." And I was just telling somebody this morning, the client that, "Yeah, thank goodness that this job is never boring." Because that's kind of one of the things I really love about working with a client is it's never boring. I can do something new every single day and never get bored of what I do.
00:27:27 - 00:28:00
Anthony
That's awesome. Hey, listen, there's days, right? I'm sure we all have days where we're like, "Man, I'm doing this same thing again," but those days that come in where you do something different, make a difference for somebody. For the client or at CAI Neurodiverse Solutions. Those are the days you cherish and you're like, "Yep, I'm ready to go back the next day." Joe, do you mind if I ask you that kind same question, what's the greatest thing about your job?
00:28:01 - 00:28:38
Joe
Yeah, like I said earlier, I think my favorite thing about my job is that they basically let you learn at your own pace. And so yeah, they basically just help me determine what it is that I'm good at, and they just determine what your strengths are and basically define, "Okay, what kind of tasks can we assign to you that would help you play to those strengths?" It's kind of like how the old saying goes. It's like get the right people on the bus and help them find the right seats. I would say CAI has been really good at that.
00:28:39 - 00:29:31
Anthony
Oh, that's awesome. Listen, we are so appreciative for all four of you working with us, and I'm happy to call you my colleagues. And today, as we have gone through this half hour, obviously I've learned a lot about all of you. I've learned about your jobs, what it takes to do your jobs, things that impact you on a daily basis, and I couldn't be more excited to learn all of this. Unfortunately, our time is over today, and I'd like to thank BJ, Aaron, Jack, and Joe for joining us and sharing their insight with us. It's been an absolute pleasure chatting with you all.
00:29:32 - 00:29:55
Anthony
I'd like to also thank our audience for your attention and participation, and later we're going to be sending everyone that attended a recording of this event to share with colleagues or peers. In addition, we're going to be sharing a post-event survey, always fun, for you to share with us your thoughts about today's event. So please fill that out and share back with us. So thank you in advance for that.
[All speaker videos become a bit smaller and the following copy is enlarged in the bottom left-hand corner: "Learn more at www.cai.io".]
00:29:56 - 00:30:16
Anthony
In the meantime, if you're interested in learning more about CAI Neurodiverse Solutions or know someone that is, visit our website at cai.io and fill out our contact form. Again, happy Autism Acceptance Month. Thank you for joining us today and have a great rest of your day.
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April is Autism Acceptance Month and the need for understanding, accepting, and embracing neurodiversity at work is just as strong today as it has been over the past several years. Watch this on-demand LinkedIn Live Event and go behind the possible with 4 of our team members as they elevate the conversation on neuroinclusion in the workplace and how it’s contributed to their success as neurodivergent employees. If your company is interested in working with CAI Neurodiverse Solutions, contact us today.
