6 Steps To Building Pro-Neurodiversity Practices Into Your Business
An estimated 15-20% of the UK population is neurodivergent, yet there remains a lack of understanding for neurodiversity in the workplace, with 60% of the autistic workforce believing people within their workplace behave in a way that excludes neurodivergent colleagues. In fact, a staggering 31% of neurodivergent workers do not wish to declare their neurodivergence to their employers for fear of discrimination.
Building pro-neurodiverse practices into your business should be at the top of your priority list; however, it’s not a straightforward task. To ensure staff are not only treated fairly but also able to thrive, their entire employee experience must be reviewed; starting with your recruitment processes (how you shape roles, the skills required, how you advertise, interview and onboard), continuing all the way through the entire employee lifecycle.
Our upcoming webinar, Empowering a Neurodiverse Workforce, will explore this topic further.
So, how do you go about building pro-neurodiverse practices into your business?
1. Education.
This is arguably the most important step as education increases awareness, understanding and knowledge. It breaks down barriers, pre-conceived notions and biases. Updated processes and practices will only work if those being asked to deploy them understand the ‘whys’ and the ‘hows’. Engage and train your Leaders and Managers so that they know how best to interview and manage neurodiverse employees. Don’t forget to also educate all of your employees on what it means to be neurodiverse, how working practices can be adapted to support neurodiverse employees to achieve their potential and the role they themselves have to play in creating a fair and inclusive culture.
Education will help to safeguard neurodiverse employees from unintentional exploitation. For example, a common trait of a neurodiverse individual is hyper focus. Although this can be utilised within a working environment for mutual benefit, it can easily lead to burn out and the introduction of bad habits. Wellbeing is vital to a thriving neurodiverse workforce, and education will ensure this remains a priority.
2. Equitable recruitment processes.
Read our other blog to find out more about how to make your organisation’s recruitment process more equitable and fairer for neurodiverse candidates.
3. Reasonable adjustments.
Neurodiverse individuals may require workplace adjustments to enable them to work effectively. Recent research has shown that 36% of neurodivergent employees do not receive any guidance or support around adjustments, whilst a further 20% are still waiting for agreed adjustments to be put in place.
Ensure you provide ample opportunities to ask candidates and employees if they need any reasonable adjustments throughout their entire employee lifecycle from the initial recruitment processes through to ongoing daily practices. Many adjustments are easy to implement and non-invasive, for example, the use of noise cancelling headphones to minimise auditory overstimulation if they work in the office. It may be that a flexible approach is needed, with adjustments made as the employee needs them.
This document from AGCAS (Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services) breaks down each challenge a neurodiverse person may face in the world of work and lists reasonable adjustments that may help overcome them.
4. Onboarding and training.
When a new starter joins your organisation, welcoming them with an inclusive onboarding process that offers considerations for their needs is a must. Ask if they require any adjustments, identify whether additional training may help them to settle into the role and the organisation, and clarify if they have any working preferences which can be shared with their team for awareness.
5. Ongoing development and performance management.
This is where it’s key for Line Managers to get to know their direct report, so that their ongoing development and performance management processes can be tailored to meet their needs. For example, Line Managers should consider whether it’s better manage their employee on a less traditional output (rather than input) basis or vice – versa, depending on each person’s preferences for working styles. They should consider the format any 1-2-1s including the format, length, location, regularity etc.
6. Culture, acceptance, and engagement.
It’s important to foster a sense of belonging and create a foundation that allows individuals to be comfortable to bring their whole selves to work. As standard, there should be greater and more conscious consideration of representation within both external and internal content and communications. Think about both copy and visual representations used on intranets, emails, website, social media pages, internal communications etc. Is it inclusive? Does it represent neurodivergent communities?
‘Masking’ can be exhausting and detrimental to wellbeing. Neurodiverse employees shouldn’t feel that they must hold back or cover up their personality and traits. Having the freedom to be themselves can unlock a host of innovation, resourcefulness, and analytical thinking skills that all businesses strive for.
Again, educating all your employees on neurodiversity will lead to better awareness, greater consideration, and improved levels of engagement with neurodiverse employees.
If you can focus your efforts on improving pro-neurodiverse practices into your business, you will not only gain a competitive advantage as you’ll be able to engage this somewhat overlooked talent pool to gain access to the skills your business needs, but you’ll also be building a highly inclusive culture which will benefit all employees, therefore increasing motivation and loyalty across your entire organisation. What’s not to love about that!
If you’d like to talk to us today about your plans, ambitions or current challenges we are ready to listen.
Get in touch for a free and impartial conversation.
