You have probably heard the terms neurodiversity and neurodiverse being used more frequently over recent years. But do you really know what they mean and why understanding them is important for your business?
In this blog we run through the basics of understanding neurodiversity and how to embrace it in your workplace, as well as offering advice on how to support your neurodivergent team members and explaining how a neurodiverse team can help your organisation to thrive.
What is Neurodiversity and Neurodivergence?
Neurodiversity means the natural different ways people think, learn, process information and communicate. Neurodivergent people are those whose brains or nervous systems don’t function in the ‘typical’ way. Someone is considered neurodivergent if they have ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia or Dyspraxia, but the term is broad and can include a variety of types of information-processing aside from those.
Most organisations are full of interactions between staff with different brains, and hundreds of thousands of people will have undiagnosed conditions, but not all organisations are thinking about deliberately seeking diversity or properly fostering inclusion for neurodivergent people. So why is it important that this changes?
Why thinking ‘typically’ isn’t always helpful
A lack of understanding can mean that historically neurodiversity hasn’t been considered in areas such as:
- processes
- management practices
- interview techniques
- working environments
This means that the workplace can present additional obstacles for neurodivergent people. Often, in an ‘old school’ workplace, masking or camouflaging will have felt necessary for a neurodivergent person to get by day-to-day. This can then place additional pressure on them and means they can’t be their best selves, or produce their best work.
For example, someone who experiences sensory overload could find a bustling, noisy office a really difficult place to work, and would be much happier in a quieter space or working from home on the busiest days.
But having cognitive diversity and different skill sets is the key to finding creative solutions. Organisations will benefit from including and supporting neurodivergent people in their team. If anyone remembers Tom Pellereau who won the Apprentice back in 2011, he saw his dyslexia as a ‘massive positive’. He can see 3D shapes in his head from any angle and turn them round and upside down – and he thought everybody could do that. They can’t!
Employing a diverse workforce will be important to how your business is perceived by the outside world, and by your own staff. According to the Glassdoor Diversity Hiring Survey of 2020, more than 3 out of 4 job seekers and employees said that a diverse workforce was an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers. Actively encouraging diversity helps you to attract the right talent for your roles and enhances the reputation of your business for clients, employees and potential employees alike.
And there’s data to back this up! Deloitte found that cognitive diversity can enhance team innovation by 20% and that organisations with inclusive cultures are 6x more likely to be innovative and agile. Six times! That is a staggering figure.
Is your interview process neurodivergent-friendly … or just plain terrifying?
Traditional interview techniques – such as examining the person’s body language and ensuring eye contact, or having very strict expectations about how someone conducts themselves during the interview process – can create a barrier to work for some neurodivergent people. You might be unsure about a candidate because they aren’t ticking all the boxes for standard ‘good’ interview criteria.
But what can they offer instead? Perhaps a different skill set, unique experience, an alternative perspective or a new way of problem-solving.
The more you promote your ethical hiring and employment practices, the better calibre of candidates you will attract. Getting innovative in those hiring processes can uncover incredible talent you might otherwise have missed!
“Autism is not a ‘gift’. For most, it is an endless fight against schools, workplaces, and bullies. But, under the right circumstances, given the right adjustments, it CAN be a superpower.”
– Greta Thunberg, Environmental Activist
Don’t assume
Until fairly recently, people with ADHD, Autism and other types of neurodivergence have often been stereotyped … but this is unhelpful when it comes to supporting what your staff actually need. Unfortunately, a fear of stigma and concern over a lack of understanding could make it hard for your neurodiverse team members to reach out. Research from University of London Birkbeck in 2023 found that 65% of neurodivergent employees fear discrimination despite UK businesses promoting neurodiverse workplaces.
This shows us that the key to supporting your neurodivergent team members is by creating a safe environment for open communication to be possible between yourself – or your senior management – and your staff.
How to support a diverse team
In order to harness the incredible range of skill sets your team have to offer, you need to understand and support people’s individual needs.
The starting point will be ensuring compliance with the Equality Act of 2010, but this is really a bare minimum. Here are a few suggestions for creating an environment which will allow all of your staff to thrive:
- Have quiet or “focused work” seating areas
- Utilise different communication technologies
- Share information in different ways and give it in good time to allow for processing
- Offer flexible working opportunities and be open-minded to the most suitable ways to be flexible
- Respect and celebrate people’s differences
- Provide awareness training sensitively and appropriately
- Reflect the support you offer in your company values
- Enable a safe space for sharing
- Create a sensory-friendly space in the office
- Allow alterations to the work environment, equipment and software as needed
- Ask for and listen to feedback from neurodiverse employees
Ultimately, supporting a neurodiverse team is about understanding that not everyone thinks the same as everyone else, and that’s a good thing!
How boring would life be if we all thought the same?
The fact that we all think differently means we also need different things. There are lots of small changes that can be made to create a work environment which will allow all staff, neurodivergent or neurotypical, to thrive.
Try never to make an assumption about what someone might need, and demonstrate understanding and care so that you can support each individual with their unique needs.
“Neurodiversity may be the birthplace of some of humanity’s greatest minds.” – Harvey Blume, American journalist
At vivoHR we can help you to support your team’s individual needs so that they, and your business, can achieve more. Contact us on 01252 757359 or drop us an email at [email protected].