Attention to detail adds new perspectives to testing at Scania

Diversity is ingrained in Scania’s DNA and hiring process. The multinational provider of transport solutions has 58 000 employees in more than 100 countries around the world. Over the years, they have hired several consultants from Unicus.

Today, one of Unicus’ consultants is working with testing under the supervision of the manager Anna-Karin Näslund. She is in charge of the Sales IT team, responsible for developing applications that configure the modular systems of the trucks. By adding a high level of detail-orientation and structure, Unicus’ consultant is of great value to the entire team.

–  He is so observant and pays attention to details that no one else thinks about, says Anna-Karin. At the same time, he is very methodical in his work.

With many years of experience at Scania, Anna-Karin has had the opportunity to meet and work with several consultants from Unicus. 

– It’s been very insightful to see the great variation of people on the autism spectrum – they do not share the same characteristics at all. There is so much value in working together with Unicus because of their unique expertise in this area.

With acceptance for differences

The first time that she heard about Unicus, she wanted to know what the developers in her team thought about having a colleague on the spectrum. The answer she received was: ‘Ninety-nine percent of us are introverted, and almost all of us have some traits on this spectrum. It doesn’t matter if someone is different’.

She expected resistance, but was met with acceptance. All consultants at Unicus have an autism diagnosis, and many of them have faced challenges in their work-life. It is a matter of fact that people on the autism spectrum face greater challenges in terms of being hired for a position. One common misinterpretation is that people on the spectrum have difficulty with social interactions.

This has not been the case in Anna-Karin’s experience. On the contrary, Unicus’ consultant is appreciated for his ability to clearly explain his thoughts, especially when it comes to giving feedback.

– Many developers are almost like artists, they don’t like to be questioned about their choices, but our consultant from Unicus is not afraid to provide constructive feedback. This is a great strength. Usually, the suggestions he makes are appreciated. If someone says it’s not a good suggestion, there’s no judgment from him. It works both ways.

“Dare to try! You won’t be disappointed”

Unicus’ consultant has proved his excellence in terms of structured testing. He has also become a mentor for two interns, who were new to testing, for which he has received great feedback. Anna-Karin explains how well they are working together, even though he initially was hesitant about taking on the responsibility.

– He is so patient. There’s never a sigh or drama. I hope and believe that it has been rewarding for him to see that he can teach others too. They now have a functional setup working together as a team. It’s nice to see how well it all worked out.

Being open-minded and accepting of differences is key to creating a more diverse workplace. Anna-Karin emphasizes the need for managers to actively look for people with different backgrounds, ages, experiences, and personalities. Doing so will strengthen the team’s ability to solve all kinds of challenges in a resourceful way.

– I think managers tend to be too timid and conformist when it comes to recruitment. We need to try to find competence everywhere. Dare to try! You won’t be disappointed. You will experience things that you didn’t think were possible.