Financial services firms keep reporting a shortage of qualified talent. Justin Nelson, a managing director at JP Morgan, believes part of the answer has been sitting in plain sight. Neurodiverse candidates, including people on the autism spectrum, often bring analytical gifts that banks need, yet conventional hiring methods tend to screen them out early.

Nelson leads the Asset Management and Financial Principals Coverage Team at J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Connecticut, where his group oversees more than $15 billion in assets. His views draw on that leadership role and on a personal understanding of the hurdles neurodiverse people encounter at work.

Where Traditional Interviews Fall Short

According to Nelson, communication is usually the hardest part for these candidates. “For neurodiverse candidates, the biggest challenge is typically communication, their ability to interact with people,” he explains. Small talk, reading social cues, and the back-and-forth of a standard interview can feel effortless to most applicants and exhausting to others.

That difficulty can hide real ability. Justin Nelson JP Morgan points out that many neurodiverse individuals are highly creative and possess computational skills well above average. Those strengths matter in a field built on numbers, pattern recognition, and careful review of detail.

A Different Way to Manage

Once someone is hired, Justin Nelson recommends a structured style of supervision. Managers should replace vague goals with clearly defined tasks and explain how each assignment connects to a broader plan. “If you can lay out the rules and know how to work and communicate with that group of people, you probably have some of your best employees,” he says.

The JP Morgan executive also supports outside organizations working on the issue. He is involved with Adelphi University’s Bridges Program, which supports high-functioning students on the spectrum, and with Broad Futures, a charity that pairs neurodiverse candidates with employers.

His recommendations are practical: rethink interviews, give work a clear structure, and partner with groups that specialize in this kind of placement. Justin Nelson argues that these changes cost relatively little and can open the door to capable, dedicated employees. Refer to this article for more information.

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