A recent BBC article about Neurodiverse employees promoted a great discussion around our office as well as on LinkedIn. Neurodivergence as described by the BBC, is a term many people may not be familiar with. It refers to the community of people who have dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, are on the autism spectrum, or have other neurological functions. Inspired by the conversations we have had and the information I read, I was keen to explore this topic further and share my findings with you.
In recent years, the way we recruit new talent and keep our current workforce happy has changed greatly. More and more organisations are stepping away from a standard cv/interview process and are looking for ways to attract and engage with individuals who may not fit the standard brief. As well as this, retaining talented individuals with diverse backgrounds encourages businesses to step away from their standard operating models and consider how they can adjust and change to suit other’s needs.
Neurodiversity may seem like a topic which many will have little knowledge about, however recent figures estimate that 1 in 7 people are Neurodivergent, suggesting a percentage of workplaces employ Neurodivergent individuals.
With organisations always looking to hire the best quality of candidates and offer them a great working environment, it’s important not to exclude a large part of possible employees. Simple changes such as printing off documents on cream coloured paper (which makes text easier to read for people with dyslexia) can make an impact on the persons’ performance both in an interview and in their career. Reasonable adjustments throughout the interview process and in the workplace will not only help to attract a wide range of talent and support an inclusive workforce, but will also encourage a natural growth in diversity in the organisation.
A Neurodiverse workforce can benefit an organisation in many ways. Small adjustments in the interview process or workplace will have a positive effect on prospective employees and will help to develop highly skilled and diverse teams. Neurodivergent individuals often excel at activities which others may find challenging and can not only be skilled team members but also inspirational leaders.
Original Author Alicja Treadwell
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