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Time to step up in supporting neurodiverse talent at work
Because it affects such a significant proportion of people, any employer striving to create an inclusive workplace has to have neurodivergence on the agenda
Do we all read and understand this sentence (or is it a question) in the same way?
The evidence suggests that we don’t; we all process information in our own individual manner according to how our brains are wired - and for some people, that may be very different. It is estimated that 15% of the UK population is neurodivergent, although the true figure may be much higher. Neurodiversity is complex and still not fully understood, encompassing a wide range of conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and Tourette syndrome, and affects each individual in different ways.
The 15% figure is almost certainly an underestimate because that represents people with a formal or self-declared neurodivergence diagnosis - and there are likely to be many more who haven’t had their condition formally diagnosed and/or don’t wish to declare it. To further illustrate this point, in the tech sector a study by Tech Talent Charter found that employers put the percentage of neurodivergent tech staff at just 3% - but when asked themselves as part of the same study, 53% of workers identified as neurodivergent.
A blocker to employment and careers
What is very clear is that neurodivergence creates a barrier to work. The government-commissioned Buckland Review of Autism Employment, for example, cited the fact that only 30% of people of working age with autism are in employment. Many of those are under-employed, i.e. performing tasks they are over-qualified or over-skilled for.
This is despite the fact that those with neurodivergent conditions have valuable skills, abilities and strengths that can make a huge contribution to a team. These vary of course from individual to individual, but analytical abilities, pattern recognition and problem solving are common attributes. One of the key challenges is to change perspectives on neurodiversity - employing neurodivergent people is not a "charitable" act, it’s actually a way of accessing talent, skills and diverse thinking which supports innovation. An example of this is the consultancy firm EY which has created 23 Neurodiverse Centres of Excellence around the world. These have a 92% retention rate, with EY seeing an estimated $1bn+ of value creation from its neurodivergent talent.
Affecting such a significant proportion of people, any employer striving to create an inclusive workplace simply has to have neurodivergence on the agenda. But the fact is that, compared to other diversity characteristics, relatively little attention has been paid to it historically.
It is encouraging, though, that this has started to change in recent years with a growing body of research into neurodivergence and more employers looking to understand it and investigate what they can do to support neurodivergent talent and create a truly neuro-inclusive workplace.
Holistic approaches and the importance of micro-changes
Some key principles are already becoming clear. First, neurodivergence must be addressed and supported across the entire work and employment lifecycle because it can be an issue or barrier at every stage - from job advertisement/application stage, to the interview process, on-boarding, and then ongoing retention and day-to-day work experience.
Second, it is often the case that small micro-changes can make a big difference. These may be very simple and also free or inexpensive to implement. The Buckland Review found that some 68% of employers were concerned about the cost of making reasonable adjustments for autistic staff - but that is a misconception. Little things, that frequently may just not have occurred to employers, can significantly improve the lived experience of the neurodivergent community. As an example, a couple of years ago Nash Squared helped a large government organisation that had decided to conduct an audit of their neurodivergent policies and practices. They were confident that they had a generally positive neuro-inclusive stance - but the review unearthed some 82 micro-changes that could usefully be introduced.
Practical changes in action
What sort of thing do we have in mind? Here are some quick examples across key employment stages:
Job advertisements - Consider the language you use. If you talk about "essential" skills or experience, do you really mean it? Many neurodivergent individuals may take that literally - and won’t apply if they don’t have every single skill/experience listed.
Application process - Often, employers include a sentence right at the end inviting candidates to let them know if there are any reasonable adjustments they need. Consider including that more prominently so it doesn’t come across as an afterthought. Instead of asking whether any reasonable adjustments are needed, list the adjustments you can cater for and ask candidates to indicate which ones apply.
Interviews - Neurodivergent individuals may find the process of travelling in for an interview and waiting for it to start stressful. Consider making a quiet room available where candidates can wait and compose themselves. Make assistive technologies available to help those that need it if there is a formal task. Don’t judge candidates on any "small talk" at the beginning or end of the interview if that’s not a skill required for the job. Increasing numbers of organisations are also experimenting with letting candidates know the interview questions in advance, where quick thinking/reaction is not a pre-requisite for the role. This levels the playing field and puts the focus on the actual substance of people’s answers, not how slick their responses are.
Workplace - Think about your office space and how it may work (or not work) for neurodivergent individuals where sensory overload can be an issue. Parts of the NHS, for example, have created a sensory environment checklist to help assess the workplace and make changes if necessary - do the lights flicker, are they too bright, is there distracting wallpaper, could more quiet space be created, etc? Empower line managers to discuss any needs with members of their team - simple things like noise-cancelling headphones can make a big difference. In some cases, think about involving an occupational health professional to discuss needs and make recommendations. Flexible working arrangements can be important too, helping individuals manage their workloads, travel times and stress levels. Generally, solutions are likely to be low-cost and can be transformative.
Stepping up
Neurodivergence is a big field and there is still a lot we don’t fully understand. But without doubt, the time has come for employers to step up and do more. It’s a community that has a whole array of skills to offer and a huge contribution to make - it’s in everyone’s interests to find solutions that untap the potential and create a richer community of work.
How Nash Squared is meeting the challenge of neurodiversity
This is a journey that we have embarked on ourselves at Nash Squared, with neurodivergence becoming a focus for our disability-related Employee Resource Group - we have a number of ERGs made up of staff from all levels across the group who come together to discuss and make recommendations to leadership about a range of key diversity and inclusion related areas.
Because neurodivergence is such a complex phenomenon, we are consciously taking a detailed and methodical approach. It would be relatively straightforward to publish a handful of guidelines and policies, disseminate them to relevant staff and then "tick the box" and move on - but we want to do the subject justice and produce guidance that can really make a difference. We are in the process of creating a detailed guide to neurodivergence which has included interviews with academics, researchers and policy experts. We are also speaking to employers with learnings and useful case studies to share, and to a range of neurodivergent individuals themselves about their experiences, insights and thoughts.
Rhona Carmichael is chief commercial officer at Nash Squared, and Adam Harper is a software development recruitment consultant at Harvey Nash.
