Outside the box | How hiring neurodiverse people can boost your business

Gone is the age of Rainman style tropes and tired stereotypes of non-verbal, mathematics-focused Autistic people. Ditto the Ritalin-subdued or ‘constant state of frenetic energy’ ADHD hackneyed caricature. In 2022, employers and HR professionals alike have recognised that lots of employees who seem 'normal' have one or more forms of atypical thinking or behaviour - and more importantly, the benefit of embracing neurodiversity at work.

'Neurodiversity' is a term used to describe a variation in the brain, behaviour or style of reasoning, which means some people think differently to others, and refers to people with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia, etc. The banner also includes those with learning difficulties that might preclude them from ‘normal’ routines – but who might bring a huge benefit to the workplace.

Particularly as correct diagnoses of these neurotypes grow, we have come to realise that, rather than neurological or behaviour ‘disorders’, they’re actually just different types of neurology, and that having a diverse group of people thinking about – and helping to solve – problems at work is beneficial.

Disability advocacy group and job board My Disability Jobs reports that in one study, participants who revealed their ASD diagnosis to potential employers “were more than three times as likely to become employed than those who withheld their diagnosis.” This certainly bodes well for speaking up and for those who need to ask for extra help at work.

Anna Mäkinen, Head of Clear Assured at The Clear Company, has worked as an inclusion expert and particularly champions hiring those with neurodivergent brain types. Her expertise on hiring, working with and promoting, neurodiverse people has led her to advocate for businesses to get on board with onboarding them.

For example, she shares, “Research shows that many neurodiverse people can show higher-than-average abilities, including analytical thinking, photographic memory, technical focus and high attention to detail which can be highly beneficial to organisations. Despite this, the neurodiverse are often left behind or overlooked.”

“In addition,” she continues, “research we conducted in collaboration with DBA doctorial research student at the School of Management, Ian Iceton, estimates that between 10% and 15% of the workforce are neurodivergent. With a significant percentage of the workforce in the UK falling into this bracket, employers can no longer ignore the needs of these individuals when recruiting and should revise their diversity and inclusion strategies to make the workplace accessible and supportive for neurodivergent applicants and employees. With the correct approach in place, neurodiverse talent can thrive and aid the growth of your business.”

Whether it’s accessing, hiring or promoting neurodivergent people, Mäkinen has shared her best practice guidelines on how to begin nurturing this pool of talented workers.

Where should you start?

Organisations looking to support their neurodiverse colleagues should first start by raising awareness of neurodiversity. It’s also important to be aware of non-disclosure; because of past discrimination, many neurodivergent people may not disclose their situation to their employer, so you may have more people affected by this than you think. Research also suggests women who are neurodiverse are often less frequently diagnosed or noticed by organisations, so they may be coping with issues without it being as evident.

In a competitive job market, ensure your organisation can access the widest pool of talent available by making your recruitment and onboarding processes as inclusive and supportive as possible. Organisations will benefit in the long term from an inclusive and supportive workplace, helping to boost the morale and mental health of employees and resulting in a happier and more productive workplace.

Accessing talent

At a time when we are facing great talent shortages in the workforce, organisations cannot afford to disregard these individuals as potential employees and will benefit from implementing strategies that address the barriers neurodivergent people can face and put the necessary support in place. Creating an inclusive workplace that can support neurodiverse employees is an effective way for organisations to attract and retain talent.

Organisations looking to access neurodiverse talent need to ensure their approach is appropriately tailored throughout the entire recruitment process. On job adverts, consider the language and tone, terminology, font, colour, size and style to ensure they’re not likely to put off neurodivergent applicants. For example, people with Dyslexia may struggle reading job adverts with small letters or unclear fonts and layout. According to the British Dyslexia Association, sans serif fonts should be used, as letters can appear less crowded, and the font size should be 12-14 point.

Organisations also should think carefully about how job specifications and role profiles are written, so they do not exclude people unnecessarily. For example, commonly found phrases on job applications such as ‘interpersonal skills essential’ or ‘must be a team player’ may not always be necessary requirements for the role. Avoid any confusion or misinterpretation by using concise, clear language which can be bullet-pointed for easy reading and understanding.

Promoting jobs on accessible job boards such as Vercida, mydisabiltyjobs.com and Evenbreak –which help disabled candidates find employment – is a clear way to show your organisation is inclusive and can support neurodiverse and other disabled talent.

Selection criteria and processes must also be inclusive and recruiting managers should receive training to carefully manage neurodivergent applicants. During this stage, organisations should make candidates aware of the support and adjustments they can offer to support neurodivergent applicants.

Nurturing talent

Employees, including line managers, need to be trained to manage the needs of neurodivergent employees appropriately and provide a supportive culture. Having an inclusive and supportive culture creates an environment which allows people to be their true, authentic selves and as a result, perform in the best way possible. Performance management criteria and processes should be carefully developed to ensure they do not bias against certain groups.

Organisations also need to put support in place to help neurodivergent talent thrive. Provide mental health first aid and consider implementing support groups, staff networking and mentoring and coaching systems for those with similar areas of interest to support each other. Ensure that your cross-company communication makes employees aware of the additional support available to them.

Creating a supportive environment at work is also linked to better innovation, productivity, wellbeing, competitive advantage, reputation, employee morale and engagement and social value, which in turn supports the growth of your organisation.