Let’s start celebrating neurodiversity in the workplace

Want to drive employee performance and innovation? 

We know that the business case for fostering diversity is compelling. Companies with higher-than-average diversity have 19% higher innovation revenue, and average employee performance in diverse companies is 12% better. 

Driving these great statistics are the benefits brought to businesses that have diversity in lived experiences and perspectives, as well as different ways of thinking. And that different way of thinking is exactly what neurodiversity brings.  

Neurodiversity is a term used to describe a range of neurological differences including: autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette’s syndrome and complex tic disorders. Some studies suggest that a whopping 1 in 5 of the population are neurodiverse. 

There are many high-profile, and hugely successful neurodiverse role models like Elon Musk (ASD), Greta Thunberg (autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder), Bill Gates (dyslexia), Richard Branson (dyslexia and ADHD), Jamie Oliver (dyslexia and ADHD), Billie Eilish (Tourette’s syndrome), and Lewis Capaldi (tourettes), to name just a few.  

Neurodiversity can be a competitive advantage, and given the ongoing battle for talent, employers need to better embrace this community. Here are some potential advantages that neurodiverse people can offer to the workforce, recognising that strengths may differ based on specific conditions: 

• Hyper focus  
• High levels of creativity 
• Unique perspectives  
• Resilience  
• Higher than average memory recall  
• Strong personal ethics and honesty  
• Complex pattern recognition  
• Loyalty and commitment  
• Higher than average productivity and solid work ethics 
• Attention to detail  
• High levels of expertise  
• Higher than average levels of concentration  
• Efficient problem solving  
• High levels of organisation 

6 things all employers should know about neurodiversity  

There’s no one size fits all – Neurodiversity is a huge umbrella term for a number of conditions many of which co-occur, making everyone in this community unique with unique needs. 

Strengths not superpowers – The media often refers to this community as having ‘superpowers’, which adds unnecessary pressure to live up to. It’s much better to refer to an individual’s strengths. 

Inclusive cultures are critical – Organisations need to view their culture and workplace expectations through the lens of all individuals and make appropriate adjustments to ensure neurodiverse people feel included. 

Don’t insist on formal diagnosis to provide support – Many organisations have policies that require confirmation of diagnosis in order to provide workplace support. It’s important to acknowledge that here in the UK, the NHS referral systems and assessment process is dated and deemed not fit for purpose with many conditions difficult to establish. Organisations should allow employees to self-recognise and seek support if they feel it would help them to thrive.  

Celebrate and support difference in individual ability – It’s important for organisations to consider how they value and support different abilities, providing training for managers, and empowering them to flex their support. 

Communication is always powerful – Sharing stories and raising the profile of how individuals have been supported to thrive will help more people self-recognise and feel safe to speak up about any help they might need.  

Making adjustments  

Despite the many strengths neurodiversity can bring to organisations, just one in ten organisations say they consider neurodiversity in their HR practices. Worse still, 52% of the neurodiverse community experience discrimination during recruitment, meaning some organisations could be missing out on neurodiverse employees altogether. 

What’s frustrating about the workplace not being set up to support the neurodiverse community is that the adjustments required can often be simple, with no or very little cost, and can help the wider workforce as much as they support the neurodiverse community.  

Here’s some examples of reasonable adjustments that can be made: 

During recruitment

• Increasing job advert clarity  
• Sharing interview questions in advance  
• Writing questions in chat functions during virtual interviews 
• Providing increased instructions ahead of interviews  
• Reducing jargon and acronyms  
• Allowing candidates to share their questions before interviews  
• Providing a specific and fair task, and asking interviewees to talk about it  
• Sharing information about any neurodiverse networks to demonstrate inclusivity  
• Running untimed assessments  
• Asking applicants what adjustments they might need in order to be their best  
• Giving examples of the kind of adjustments that can be made in the workplace  
• Offering face to face interviews instead of telephone interviews if requested 

During employment

• Providing advance information ahead of meetings  
• Utilising the chat function for questions in virtual meetings  
• Requesting cameras on for virtual meetings (but not making it mandatory for those who struggle with that) 
• Adjusting working hours, like allowing for commuting at quieter times 
• Creating quiet working areas in the office  
• Providing or permitting noise cancelling headphones  
• Introducing tools like TextHelp to help speech to text  
• Providing a single point of contact for scheduling work 
• Offering a job coach who acts as a support between employer and employee  
• Providing training and support for managers 
• Providing team training and support  
• Considering cultural behaviour through the lens of neurodiversity to ensure it is inclusive 
• Setting up internal networks to provide safe spaces for neurodiverse colleagues 
• Working with external associations and charities for additional resources and support 

These aren’t difficult adjustments to make and could help improve an organisations employee experience for all employees, whilst helping the neurodiversity community stay and thrive.  

Let's make this Neurodiversity Celebration Week a true celebration by embracing and harnessing the potential of the neurodiverse community in our workplaces. If you're looking to raise awareness of the challenges and strengths of this community within your business, then let's talk. Together, we can build a more inclusive and diverse workplace that empowers everyone to reach their full potential.