5 Ways to support Neurodiversity in the Workplace

According to the government department ACAS, that give advice for employers and employees on improving working life, it is estimated that more than 15% of the UK (which is 1 in 7 people) are neurodivergent. This includes a range of diagnoses including Attention Deficit Disorders, Autism, Dyslexia, and Dyspraxia.

With these figures being so high supporting neuro diversity is not a luxury, it is a necessity if you are looking to create an inclusive workplace and get the best out of your employees.

In addition to this, creating a workplace that attracts and supports neurodivergent staff members can benefit your business. Greta Thunberg, when speaking about the developmental disorder Asperger’s said “I have Aspergers and that means I’m sometimes a bit different from the norm. And - given the right circumstances- being different is a superpower.”

This statement is backed up by companies who have already implemented policies to support Neuro Diversity. SAP, who have the longest running policy among major businesses (although this is just four years old) say it is paying off in employee engagement, productivity gains, innovative capabilities, and quality improvement.

So how do you support Neuro Diversity in the Workplace? We have 5 ways to make a positive difference.

https://archive.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=6679

https://hbr.org/2017/05/neurodiversity-as-a-competitive-advantage

1.      Workplace Design

Everyone can be affected by an unsuitable workplace, but this can be even more so in neurodiverse staff members. But help is at hand, the BSI has recently announced a new project to create guidelines for the design of buildings to address the needs of the neurodiverse.

PAS 6463 Design for the mind – Neurodiversity and the built environment is expected to be published in April 2021. Jean Hewitt, a Senior Inclusive Design Consultant & Trainer at Buro Happold, (one organisation sponsoring PAS 6463) commented: “In addition to designing places to accommodate our diversity in form, size and physical ability, there is also a profound need to design for neurological difference.”

According to ACAS ideas that you can use in your own workplaces include reducing the amount of information/artwork displayed on walls), putting up dividers to block noise and having designated quiet areas, displaying clear instructions next to equipment and machinery, allocating work areas with more natural light to staff that struggle with office lighting and providing staff with cabinets, lockers, and name labels, to aid in the organisation of work and equipment.

https://workinmind.org/2020/10/07/sensory-and-neurological-needs-launch-of-uks-first-building-design-standard/

2.      Culture

Creating a supportive environment is about more than just the building. The culture of a workplace can have a big impact on how well people perform – According to Allison Brooks, a licensed psychologist specialising in neurodevelopmental disorders “it is important to make cultural improvements in an organization as well as teaching employees with neurodevelopmental differences the skills they need to self-advocate, because often times the flip side of our greatest weaknesses is often our greatest strength.” 

You can achieve this by ensuring that if line managers change, information about the employee and any adjustments are passed on, creating a support network for neurodivergent employees including a mentor or buddy, providing training for employees to become neurodiversity champions, and rewarding staff who support their colleagues and regularly highlighting what support is available inside and outside the organisation.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebekahbastian/2019/10/23/tips-for-supporting-neurodiversity-in-the-workplace/

3.      Recruitment

Most recruitment processes ask applicants to advise if they have a disability, but applicants with neurodiversity may not realise it is considered a disability or be reluctant to reveal it due to prejudice. ACAS believe that “If a recruitment process is not actively designed to be inclusive, it is likely to unintentionally disadvantage neurodivergent applicants and be discriminatory.“

As an employer you can help by providing examples of reasonable adjustments that are used by the organisation to reassure candidates that invitations to disclose are genuine, using the phrase 'do you have a disability, a form of neurodivergence (e.g. ADHD, autism, dyslexia or dyspraxia) or any condition that affects you at work?"

You can also give guidance on the structure of the interview and include example questions and answers, and allow applicants to know the questions they will be asked before the interview

Useful for all kinds of diversity is training interviewers in unconscious bias and how to avoid making assumptions based upon an applicant's body language or social competence, asking clear and specific questions and avoiding open-ended or hypothetical questions and considering alternative options to interviews, such as short paid work trials or practical assessments.

4.      Job Role

Effective job design does not have to be uniform. Although it may seem fairer (not to mention easier) to design similar roles at each level of an organisation, some elements can be varied to suit the employee. For example, autistic employees can find line management responsibilities difficult, so creating tailored roles without this responsibility would remove the issue and allow employees to focus on their strengths.

Employers can improve how they design roles by finding the main purpose and tasks the role and considering whether they need a broad range of skills or more specialised skills. They can enable more tailored positions by trusting managers to spot and make the most of employees' strengths and minimise any difficulties and allowing managers to set appropriate objectives that can fairly assess performance.

5.      Assessment

Your company could offer diagnostic assessments to evaluate the employee's abilities and skills by conducting a number of tests. These are specialist tests performed by a psychologist, or a specialist teacher on the particular form of neurodivergence such as dyslexia or ADHD that will formally diagnose if staff members are neurodivergent. They will outline strengths and identify areas of difficulty and make general recommendations but not specifically focus on their work.

You could also consider a workplace needs assessment. Bringing on a specialist assessor to interview the employee and gather confidential feedback from the manager or HR regarding performance.

They would evaluate the requirements of the staff member’s role, the difficulties they experience and their performance to date and give recommendations.

I do hope that this article has been useful. I will also be hosting a webinar on May 18th 2021 at 16.00 GMT where we will be talking about how to create inclusive workspaces to get the best out of all employees.

Email me at [email protected] if you would like to receive a priority invitation. Places are limited and on a first come, first served basis.