Neurodivergence in the Workplace: What We Know Now
Giles Wrench
Leading corporate real estate professional with more than 25 years of financial services expertise across various services and geographies.
In today’s business climate, you don’t have to scroll or listen for long to see or hear something about ESG. ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) has become a huge topic of interest in the current corporate world. While we usually think of issues such as pollution or climate change regarding ESG, I want to challenge you to take a closer look.?
While it’s true that these issues are a part of ESG initiatives, ESG actually covers a much broader spectrum, including socio-economic issues such as diversity, sustainability, employability practices, and more.?
These social issues are a subset of #ESG , and they are what drives DEI in our workplaces.?
As a member of the DE&I Committee for CoreNet’s New York Chapter, it is this particular subset of ESG that really interests me. Over the past several years, it has become more understood and accepted that diversity in the workplace should also include neurodiversity. But what exactly does this mean??
Understanding Neurodiversity in the Workplace
One of the silver-linings that came about as a result of the pandemic (if you can say such a thing about a global health crisis that took so much from us) is a better understanding of the workplace, and the knowledge that some people are actually more productive working in a variety of different environments, rather than a homogeneous office setting.?
Additionally, there is now a greater understanding of neurodiversity not only amongst experts, but also in the general public. Today it is widely acknowledged that one in five adults has some type of neurodiversity.? This includes Autism Spectrum Disorder (e.g. Asperger’s Syndrome - think Elon Musk), ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia and OCD - all being types of neurodiversity.? We’ve come a long way in diagnosing neurodiversity and recognizing that it is an important consideration of diversity in general. From personal experience growing up in England during the 1970’s and 80’s, if you were an energetic, fidgety kid who could be easily distracted in the classroom, you were quickly labeled a “trouble-maker” - often leading to some type of punishment. Now, we better understand how challenging some settings can be, particularly for neurodiverse individuals. Things are now done differently in an educational or progressive workplace context to help these individuals, rather than trying to force them to fit into a “typical” mold.
We know that neurodiversity isn’t something that leaves you once you graduate, or once you turn a certain age. Neurodiverse kids become neurodiverse adults, and these same educational accommodations can also be used in the workplace to help employees. I, personally, try to bring awareness to this, whether through CoreNet events, or in speaking with our clients or with JLL colleagues.
Supply vs. Demand of DEI
When it comes to DEI and the workplace, you can almost think of it as a “supply and demand” relationship. The supply side of the equation ensures that you have rigorous standards in place when hiring employees with your organization's DEI goals in mind. Some aspects of this are more obvious than others, of course, but it’s essential to think about not only how you do this, but also how you encourage your partners to be mindful of and help support your organization’s goals.
The demand side is more environmental. When you’re designing your workplace, this could mean the type of lighting you install, the colors you choose in your space, the ability to control an individual’s environment (acoustic consideration, etc.), and more.?
领英推荐
The demand side involves a degree of education. It’s easy to say that you’ve put DEI goals in place and want a diverse workforce representing your organization. However, to achieve success against the stated metrics it is on the employer to provide employees with an environment where they can be productive, successful, and happy. In other words, you have to come at it from both angles — supply and demand.?
How We Can Drive Change
From the top of our organizations down, we all have the responsibility to change the narrative surrounding neurodiversity, challenge biases and misconceptions, and drive change through inclusive design and leadership.
I am proud to be part of an organization like 仲量联行 , which is truly a thought leader in this space. At JLL, our #DEI Capability helps clients understand and leverage the benefits of a neurodiverse workforce to obtain a competitive advantage.
To embrace neurodiversity, we help clients understand how to rethink and adjust their proposition across four key components:?
As always, thanks for reading! How does your workplace support DEI goals and inclusion, including neurodiversity? Is there anything that you would like to see being done differently? Comment below or share to keep the conversation going.