Fetch Pet Insurance: Lessons learned from neurodiverse talent

Smiling dog sitting on a wooden chair with text that reads “Help your pet live a longer, healthier life”

Autism Speaks is proud to partner with Fetch Pet Insurance, a leading pet wellness company that understands delivering for pets and their parents begins with the employees that support them.

Fetch employs multiple neurodiverse team members on the autism spectrum, and the experience has been transformative. By adapting their business practices to better support these employees, Fetch has discovered new ways to unlock potential and elevate its entire team.

Inclusive hiring at Fetch

Fetch’s commitment to diversity didn’t happen by accident. It was an intentional decision beginning with recruitment and anchored by the commitment to providing this talent the support and flexibility needed to get the job done.

Sam Dutro, head of HR at Fetch, is one of the architects of this inclusive hiring strategy. He likes to frame inclusive hiring this way: It’s not about lowering the bar but widening the path. Some ways Fetch has done that include modifying job descriptions and changing hiring practices to be more flexible and accommodating to individual needs. This might include steps like limiting the number of participants on a Zoom interview to avoid overstimulating the candidate.

Supporting neurodiverse talent

Of course, hiring neurodiverse talent isn’t the end of the story. Through firsthand experience, Fetch learned that the key is to focus on continued integration and support. That means making intentional adjustments to help employees thrive across the procedural, operational and social aspects of the business.

Supporting neurodiverse talent at Fetch Pet Insurance

Here are some of the practices Fetch has implemented to better support neurodiverse employees:

  • Daily check-ins
  • Dedicated, on-the-job coaching
  • Periodic task variation to avoid burnout
  • Clear expectations
  • Ongoing communication
  • Focused deadlines

Supporting neurodiverse employees in these ways has a ripple effect: Team members feel more connected, individuals thrive in their roles and the workplace grows stronger as a whole. And while these steps have transformed Fetch internally, they’re only one part of a larger commitment to building a more inclusive future.

Embracing challenges along the way

The process hasn’t always been seamless. There have been moments when neurodivergent employees weren’t fully set up for success, leading to frustration and overstimulation.

Rather than seeing these challenges as failures, Fetch treats them as learning opportunities — chances to refine workflows, adjust expectations and better align support systems with individual needs. By acknowledging and addressing these bumps openly, Fetch demonstrates that inclusion is an ongoing commitment, not a one-time initiative.

Partnership between Fetch and Autism Speaks

In addition to modeling inclusive hiring practices, Fetch has partnered with Autism Speaks to share what they’ve learned more broadly. Together, they aim to inspire other employers to recognize the potential of neurodiverse talent and adopt supportive practices of their own.

Drawing on the real-life experiences of Fetch’s employees, the two organizations co-authored a whitepaper that outlines the process of integrating neurodiverse team members and highlights the benefits for both employees and companies. The paper expands on many of the lessons described here, offering practical insights and strategies for organizations looking to build a more inclusive workplace.

Setting a Standard for Inclusive Employment

The success of neurodiverse employees at Fetch demonstrates the clear business value of inclusive hiring — but the impact goes much deeper. By building structures that support individuals, Fetch is also creating a workplace culture rooted in empathy, resilience and humanity. This approach shows that true success isn’t about uniformity but about giving each person the conditions they need to thrive.

In doing exactly that, Fetch isn’t just unlocking talent within their own walls. They are setting a precedent for what inclusive employment can look like across industries, proving that when organizations invest in people — not sameness — everyone benefits.

To keep up with Fetch, you can follow them on social media. You’ll also get a dopamine hit from all the adorable pet photos they share!

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