AsceND Talent

Disclosing a disability or neurodivergence at work is often a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation. Research shows that 61% of disabled employees have experienced some form of workplace discrimination, including hiring biases, pay gaps, bullying, and mistreatment. 😖 And, when people with nonapparent conditions disclose them, they often get a “You look fine” response, adding to their reluctance to disclose. Ableism, or the belief that a disability makes a person inferior to or less valuable than others, can lead to discrimination and exclusion. If you struggling with whether or how to disclose a disability at work, this article can help you to consider: - the pros and cons of disclosing a non-apparent disability like a chronic illness or a mental health condition, - its form - how to disclose and to whom, - and the timing that's best for your needs. If you decide to disclose a medical condition or a disability, the next step often involves working with your organization to develop a strengths-based plan for your work. The plan should be tailored to what you do best and what you can do well regardless of health challenges. The link to the article https://lnkd.in/eBd3rzxE #disability #LongCovid #MentalHealth #HumanResources #disclosure #inclusion #psychology #health #accommodations

Discomfort is Normal. Discrimination is Not Feeling awkward around disability doesn’t make you a bad person. Most of us were raised in societies where disability was rarely discussed or openly visible. What’s not okay is letting that discomfort stop you from treating someone with the same respect, dignity, and humanity you extend to everyone else. How to Turn Awkwardness Into Allyship 1. Focus on the Full Person. Resist the urge to make their disability the centerpiece of your interaction. Ask about their work, their weekend, or their interests. The more you do this, the more natural it will feel. 2. Avoid Making Assumptions. Disability is not a monolith. Two people with the same condition can have vastly different experiences. Don’t assume what someone can or can’t do, how they feel, or what they need. If you’re not sure, ask—but only if it’s relevant and necessary. 3. Learn Inclusive Language. You might be unsure of the correct terminology, but don’t let that stop you from engaging. It’s more than okay to ask about their terms of choice. 4. You WILL do something wrong. Acknowledge, Don’t Over-apologize Profuse self-flagellation like “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, I’m terrible at this, I didn’t mean to, now I feel like a bad person. . .” makes them comfort you. Most people would prefer “I’m sorry. Thank you for helping me learn.” 5. Educate Yourself. Disability awkwardness often comes from a lack of familiarity or knowledge. Take time to learn about disability experiences and barriers people face—not just physical but organizational and systemic. And most of all, get to know disabled people as individuals, with their unique personalities and interests. The more you know, the less likely you are to feel uncomfortable. Read the full article https://lnkd.in/g-RPXmiZ #Disability #Inclusion #Culture #Management #Leadership #HumanResources

When it comes to supporting neurodivergence, disabilities, or chronic illness, there is often an underlying tension, spoken or unspoken – why should “they” be treated differently? Does this not take away from the others? This reasoning stems from zero-sum thinking. Here is how inclusive, win-win thinking can help challenge these assumptions: 1.    Providing the same opportunities may come in different forms. In fact, expecting sameness is often exclusionary. Would we demand that employees who need glasses not use them because not everyone has glasses? 2.    Success is not a zero-sum game. Maximizing everyone’s productivity – in ways that include and support everyone – maximizes organizational output and success, benefiting the organization and all employees. Enabling people to perform their best is a win-win. The myth of a limited success pie is just that, a myth. The truth is that by gatekeeping access to maximal performance, organizations gatekeep their own success. The language of accommodations or adjustments sounds so “special,” so individual. What if we focused on Performance and Inclusion Enhancers (PIEs), stressing the idea that supporting performance benefits everyone? That it creates more pie for everyone? 🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧 The full article: https://lnkd.in/gE7wyRNs True success is a win-win! #neurodiversity #HumanResources #disability #InclusiveLeadership #Inclusion #flexibility

Neurodivergent masking is often about making others comfortable at the expense of our well-being. It can make neurodivergent employees seen as “professional” or “easy to work with” on the surface. But it is not a sign of thriving. It is not easy to breathe under the mask. Masking is a high-cost survival strategy. Masking can take many forms, including: - Stifling stims and monitoring movements. Suppressing movements like fidgeting, and effortfully adopting neurotypical mannerisms. - Preparing scripts. Rehearsing socially acceptable responses to avoid saying the “wrong” thing in meetings or casual conversations. - People-pleasing. Saying “yes” to requests to avoid confrontation or to fit in and not be seen as different—even when overloaded. - Holding back. Not expressing unique ideas or downplaying talents out of fear of bullying. All of this leads to feeling like we are “on stage” all day, presenting a version of ourselves that’s palatable to others but far from authentic. And it comes at a significant cost. Studies show that masking is linked to: Exhaustion and burnout. Suppressing natural behaviors leads to emotional and physical fatigue. It also contributes to long-term stress, making it harder to recover and recharge. Erosion of self. Over time, the line between authentic self and “masked self” can blur, leaving us questioning who we are and what we actually need to thrive and be well. The lack of belonging. If we change ourselves to fit in, we do not experience authentic belonging. Mental health struggles. There are correlations between masking and increased anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideation. Delayed recognition of burnout. Masking can hide workplace strain, as employees may feel compelled to pretend they’re coping even when they’re not. Read about unmasking, and doing it safely and thoughtfully https://lnkd.in/g3cagEFF. #neurodiversity #MentalHealth #masking #careers #wellbeing

The language of neuroinclusion is not easy to learn. First, we have to unlearn the ableist and outdated phrasing still used by the mainstream media and some of the academic writing. The best we can do is keep doing better. Here is my take on how Human Resources managers and all leaders can better align organizational use of neurodiversity terminology with its use by neurodivergent communities. It is not easy, but knowing that people are neurodivergent but teams (if we get the inclusion right) are neurodiverse is a good start. And then... Ask. Learn. Repeat. Because language is alive and it always changes. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gY-t9UqX #neurodiversity #HumanResources #management #inclusion #communication #InclusiveCommunication #leadership #neurodivergent

Imagine being dyslexic and forced into a written, time-pressured chatbot assessment. Or being autistic and expected to perform in a busy group interview. Oh, and by the way, this is an engineering position. Are those “assessments” measuring relevant skills? Or are they tools that serve to exclude talent? Sadly, most hiring systems are designed to weed people out, not pull talent in. Timed tests. Automated screening. Rigid interviews. Neurodivergent candidates often get filtered out long before they’ve had the chance to show what they can do. To be talent-rich, organizations would do well to stop asking candidates to fit the outdated system. Instead, let the system flex to fit the talent. Check out the full article https://lnkd.in/eQsmgbRB #HumanResources #hiring #neurodiversity #inclusion #neurodivergent #talent #dyslexia #autistc #ADHD

The holidays often have social scripts of what joy should look like: bustling gatherings and a busy house filled with laughter. But these scripts are not realistic. What we need for happiness and how we celebrate it differs not only between people and cultures but even within ourselves, depending on our energy and emotional needs at any given moment. Our gut feeling may not align with social scripts. And that's OK. Happiness does not have to look a certain Instagram-perfect way. Craft a holiday that fits you—your energy, your emotions, your way of thriving, your way of relating. The full article https://lnkd.in/gXX--x3n #happiness #neurodiversity #MentalHealth #stress #joy #holidays #emotion #feeling

Most disabilities are not easily apparent. But they are very much real. Yet, accommodations for non-apparent disabilities are too often met with suspicion and even hostility. - The need for work environments that would not trigger migraines is real. - The need for work environments that support focus and concentration is real. - The need for work environments that protect people from infections their immune systems may not be able to handle is real. - The need for breaks and walks outside to reduce depression is real. Most disabilities are not easily apparent. Non-apparent disabilities are real. And inclusion should be real. #Disability #HumanResources #inclusion #DisabilityInclusion #neurodiversity

Ensuring the full range of professional development includes supporting networking opportunities. However, for neurodivergent people, traditional approaches to networking can be exclusionary. With crowded rooms buzzing with small talk and music, bright lights, and endless handshakes, traditional networking can be a sensory nightmare. Worse yet, busy in-person schmoozing events rarely reflect the actual work environments, especially the modern ones. What does the ability to endure noise have to do with the ability to lead a distributed global research team? Yet, the outdated forms of networking may limit the career opportunities for neurodivergent talent or the more introverted people who might have the very skills that leadership of the future requires. If organizations and professional associations truly want to develop neuroinclusive cultures, they need to rethink the way they approach networking. #neurodiversity #careers #inclusion #talent #networking https://lnkd.in/gEAjqnU9

Are you a marginalized worker trying to "overdeliver" to make up for biases? Beware - this overdelivering at work is a trap. Too often, outstanding performance provides only an illusion of safety while setting us on the road toward burnout. The more you do, the more will be expected of you. Research also demonstrated that other “side effects” of exceptional performance include bullying and even sabotage from coworkers. There are better ways to succeed at work. We can have #careers without overworking and destroying our #health. Whatever biases we face -#gender, #culture, #disability, or #MentalHealth differences - we do not have to keep "proving" ourselves to others by overdelivering. We can reclaim our right to #rest. 🏖🛌 See the full article in the comments.